By Jamie Stengle
There’s a new pour from Starbucks: the first 3D printing store in the US
The Seattle-based coffee giant, with more than 17,000 locations nationwide, has no store like the one that opened in Brownsville, Texas City this week.
The drive-thru-only location is set to open on Friday, making it one of the few major retailers in the country that has tinkered with Starbucks with 3D printing for commercial construction. Builders are primarily using technology in their home construction as they seek to innovate to tackle the affordable housing crisis.
Starbucks doesn’t say whether there are more stores on the horizon, or why the company chose Brownsville. Brownsville has around 190,000 residents and at least four other locations. At first glance, the compact rectangular building with the Starbucks logo looks like something else, but when viewed well, it reveals raised walls that resemble stacked tubes.
Construction experts say the store is an example of an industry that has found ways to use the technology.
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
Aerial view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
Construction workers will adjust speakers in a 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
A general view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
Aerial view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
Aerial view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
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The exterior view shows the 3D printed Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas, Monday, April 28th, 2025. (AP photo/Michael Gonzalez)
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“It’s still early days,” said James Rose, director of the University of Tennessee’s Smart Structure Institute. “It’s nice to see people doing all these different things. I think at some point we’ll understand what their best use is. But now I think you’re going to see a lot of experiments. I think that’s a good thing.”
The shop is on a busy highway, where Fabiola Maldonado was among those who saw the construction gradually taking shape.
“That was not the case,” said Maldonado, who recently ran a jewelry store next to him before moving out. “It was super-high technology.”
Starbucks confirmed that this was the first 3D printing store in the United States, but refused to request an interview.
Andrew McCoy, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at the Myers Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech, called the new store “Leading Edge.”
Construction using 3D technology generally remains costly than traditional wood framing, McCoy said. But he said it could help address the labor shortage and could be a way to build something faster. He expects it will ultimately become more cost-competitive.
“We’re beginning to see technology getting faster and smaller,” McCoy said. “It’s easier to use.”
Original issue: April 29, 2025, 3:26pm EDT
