Village trustees are excited about the prospects of Northbrook getting another Starbucks, especially in an area of town once considered “kind of blighted.”
After a short discussion about the proposed location, the Village Board agreed unanimously by consent at its Nov. 12 meeting to send the popular chain to the Plan Commission for formal review of the company’s request for a special use permit at 4109 Dundee Road.
Trustee Johannah Hebl suggested recent development at Sanders Court shopping center, the restaurant’s proposed home on the village’s west end, was likely triggered by the arrival of a Culver’s restaurant recently approved by the Board.
“It’s so great to see a part of Northbrook that’s been kind of blighted but is rejuvenated over time,” Hebl said. “This is like the snowball effect we like to see when we approve things like a Culver’s and then a VASA (Fitness) comes in and then a Starbucks. This is what we’re talking about.”
Trustee Joy Ebhomielen asked if Starbucks conducts a market analysis before choosing a new location.
“That’s my question because it’s down the street from the next one,” Ebhomielen said.
Northbrook is already home to four Starbucks coffee shops, according to a village official.
Amy McEwan, interim director of development and planning services for Northbrook, said large chains such as Starbucks use a sophisticated system to choose where to locate new businesses.
“Walgreens, Starbucks and these folks have a very involved process for looking at headcount and distance and a wide variety of other factors in determining where their locations will be,” McEwan said.
“I’m excited as can be,” Ebhomielen said of the prospects of a Starbucks locating very close to her home. “I’m sure that Starbucks is always a big attraction, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Trustee Robert Israel, who also lives near the proposed restaurant, joked, “My wife alone will support this. I’ll just put that out there. It will reduce the carbon footprint of her having to travel over (to) the three nearest ones from us.”
Starbucks plans to demolish an existing multi-tenant building to build a new shop with a drive-thru and parking lot, McEwan said. The drive-thru requires a special permit, she said.
The property at 4109 Dundee spans 22,650 square feet and is located near the southwest corner of Sanders Road and Dundee, McEwan said. The 2,450-square-foot restaurant will contain 25 seats, she said.
The parking requirement for an eating and drinking establishment is one space for every two employees and one space for every three seats, McEwan said. The site currently has 17 parking spaces, but only 11 will be required, she said.
Starbucks’ site plan includes 12 parking spaces, but parking requirements will be further reviewed during the Plan Commission hearing, McEwan said.
A maximum of five employees are expected to work during peak hours, she said. The restaurant will be open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, McEwan said.
In addition to the special use for the drive-thru, Starbucks is seeking a variance to reduce the corner side yard on the building’s north side from 25 to 5 feet wide to accommodate the drive-thru and another variance to eliminate the requirement for a loading space, she said.