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Not to worry, Shirley. Your caramel macchiatos are still on their way.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico assured Greater Long Island that the long-anticipated Starbucks project in Montauk Highway’s Floyd Harbor Center is actively underway. According to Panico, Shirley residents will be sipping their favorite coffee drinks in their very own Starbucks by summer.
What got some folks in the area a bit skittish in recent months was the disappearance of construction fencing that had been put up around the perimeter of the property. But the fencing is back in place and Panico said there’s no reason for local Starbucks fans to continue biting their nails.
“The project is moving on as planned,” the supervisor said. “The reason why residents saw the temporary fencing come down late last fall was because I spoke to Chris Damianos, who is one of the principals of Damianos Realty Group, the owners of the property, and with the coming snow, they didn’t want to leave the temporary fence up over the winter and try to make a go of it during the winter.”
“They decided to just wait until the weather got better,” Panico continued. “This is why people see the fence now has been re-erected. The Starbucks is going forward.”
For years, residents of Shirley and surrounding hamlets watched as neighboring towns welcomed the familiar green and white logo to their communities.
Then last year, Brookhaven’s town board unanimously approved a plan that calls for a drive-through café with 17 seats inside the shop, and a seating area for eight outside.
The 1,830-square-foot Shirley Starbucks will be open Monday to Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 8 or 9 p.m. on Sunday.
“I expect it’ll be done first-rate, well-landscaped, and well cared for because Damianos Realty, in general, in my experience, does an excellent job managing its properties throughout this town,” Panico said.
Two other new Starbucks on LI
Last month, the coffee chain opened a new location at 195 Mill Road in Westhampton Beach, situated at the roundabout leading into the village. The site was previously occupied by a vacant home.
The new 2,300-square-foot Starbucks, which opened Feb. 7, offers seating for about 30 people.
This was the second newest Starbucks to begin operations on Long Island in February. Just a few days later, on Feb. 10, the company debuted a first-of-its-kind, drive-thru-only location in Holbrook.
There’s also plans to bring a Starbucks to Route 110 in Melville and to the Islandia Shopping Center on Veterans Memorial Highway. Last summer, a location opened in Yaphank at the new Boulevard community along William Floyd Parkway.
Top photo taken by Nicholas Esposito.
Prior Shirley Starbucks coverage
