While it may be difficult to call a 20-year-old corporate coffee shop a historic fixture, the Starbucks next to Lake Theater could very well qualify.
And soon it will be gone.
The coffee chain will be closing its shop at 1018 Lake Street will be moving out this summer after two decades at the small location next to the theater. The spot was one of the Seattle coffee giant’s first in the Chicago area. Close proximity to other coffee shops, not to mention other Starbucks stores, is the reason for the move, said property owner Willis Johnson.
“I hate to lose them, but there are no hard feelings,” said Johnson, who has owned the historic 75-year-old Lake Theater building since 1984 and plans to keep the original lease, which was signed by Starbucks founder Howard Schultz. “I think it is a mistake, with the square footage, I think the cost and overhead would be pretty low.”
The location is very small, about 900 square feet, and could only seat a handful of people. The location is also only a short walk to two other larger Starbucks locations, one two blocks west in River Forest and another about a half-mile east near Oak Park Avenue. The area is saturated with coffee shops, in addition to the other Starbucks locations; there are two Caribou Coffee locations in walking distance as well as popular independent hangouts like Prairie Bread Kitchen. The closing of Lido’s Café in January due to poor sales adds more evidence to the high level of competition.
Pat Zubak, executive director of Downtown Oak Park, said Starbucks representatives told her the abundance of other coffee shops was the primary reason they decided not to renew the current lease, which expires in July.
“It’s a great location,” she said, adding that it does have its challenges, especially the size. “What I would really like to know is what Oak Park residents want to see there to replace it.”
Johnson said, ideally, it would be another coffee shop, believing that to be the right type of business for the space. For example, he said Oak Park ordinances require two accessible bathrooms for a shop that can seat more than 10 people, a tough requirement for such a space.
Johnson didn’t want to see the company leave and there was quite a bit of confusion leading up to Starbucks’ decision last week. He said he tried to contact them to get a new lease signed but did not get a response. He then had a “for lease” sign put up and the company finally contacted him that they were leaving. He has since taken the sign down at Starbucks’ request because he said he was told it was hurting sales.
A Starbucks representative declined to comment, only saying the company had no additional information to share on the location or its closing.
Both Johnson and Zubak said it is too soon to tell what might move into that space, but Johnson said he will take his time to make sure it is the right fit.
“I have no concerns about whether I can fill the space,” he said. “So I’m not going to accept the first thing that comes along. It has to be a good fit for the building and downtown Oak Park.”
