The closure of the Starbucks at Westheimer Parkway and South Mason Road at the Kroger shopping center represents more than just another casualty in the coffee giant's nationwide restructuring. It marks the end of something our chain-heavy master-planned communities desperately need more of: genuine family friendly community gathering spaces that are walkable from our neighborhoods.
The store closed quietly, without fanfare last week, and for those of us who made it part of our routine, the loss stings in ways that have nothing to do with coffee.
Let me be honest: I didn't go there for the coffee. Anyone seeking a truly rich, smooth cup can find better options elsewhere, but that wasn't the point.
The point was the well-worn tables that gave the place its lived-in charm. The point was the outside seating that allowed visits while walking the dog. The point was the great staff that made you feel at home with light conversation and a welcoming voice as soon as you walked in the door, like Norm walking into Cheers. It felt like a neighborhood bar, minus the alcohol — a place where showing up meant you'd likely run into someone you knew or meet someone new.
My dog Charley and I made it a regular stop on our walks. The pup cup was always a highlight for him, and for me, it was the conversations with the staff and many customers I'd never met. On the way we'd sometimes chat with Cat at Cool Cat Cycles, who always had an interesting take on the news of the day. People would pause at my outside table to meet Charley. He was the star of the show and I was just his handler.
It was fun. Good, clean neighborhood fun. The kind of thing that makes a community feel like a community.
The Writing on the Wall
Looking back, Starbucks had given up on this location long before closing it. The well-worn tables that once added character were never replaced. The dark paint on the walls remained while newer locations got fresh, lighter designs. The company had clearly decided this store didn't fit its future plans, long before they locked the doors and brown papered the windows.
And now we know why.
Starbucks will close more than 400 stores in a single quarter this year as part of CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround strategy. The company shuttered its entire mobile-order and pickup-only store format because Niccol found them "overly transactional and lacking the warmth and human connection that defines our brand."
Yet here's the irony: The South Mason location offered exactly that warmth and human connection he said he wanted. I suspect it just lacked the one thing Starbucks seems to have decided it needs to survive: a drive-thru.
The Dutch Bros Effect
Industry analysts say Starbucks' turnaround has been "made more challenging by the rapid expansion of drive-thru-focused competitors." Companies like Dutch Bros have built their entire business model around drive-thru service, requiring less square footage and delivering higher efficiency.
The message is clear: In today's coffee wars, the drive-thru wins.
What We've Lost
The closure of the Westheimer Parkway Starbucks compounds another loss. About a year ago, we lost Proud Pie, the other place in the neighborhood where you could get a genuinely good cup of coffee. They made coffee one cup at a time. It took longer, but if you had time to wait, it was worth it.
Now both are gone.
If we have time, a walk to the French Bakery at the corner of Westheimer Parkway and Peek is a place where you can never go wrong. Delices De Maurice an authentic treasure of Cinco Ranch and they too have outside seating.
A Neighborhood Challenge
This brings me to an idea, perhaps a pipe dream, but one worth considering.
What if a local entrepreneur decided to fill this void? Someone who wanted to serve better coffee than Starbucks, and was willing to hire the same friendly staff who graced our little store at the Kroger shopping plaza. Someone partnered with local bakeries, like the Proud Pie, who now focuses on serving restaurants, and sold great goodies to go with their jo.
Is there an owner who understands that the real product isn't just caffeine — it's community?
What if we could have a place with outdoor seating, where dogs are welcome on the patio, where tables are meant to be lingered at rather than quickly cleared, where the staff knows your name and your order, and where running into your neighbors isn't an inconvenience but the whole point?
The market research suggests this is a losing proposition. The data says Americans want speed and convenience. The spreadsheets point toward drive-thru dominance.
But the data doesn't capture everything. It doesn't measure the value of Charley's excitement over a pup cup or the impromptu conversations that turned strangers into neighbors. It doesn't quantify what's lost when a community loses its gathering places.
The Bigger Picture
Starbucks isn't wrong for adapting to market pressures. Companies must evolve or die. But in optimizing for efficiency and competing with drive-thru specialists, something essential has been sacrificed.
The Westheimer and South Mason location's staff was friendly. The place always seemed to have customers. For many of us, it was our spot. And now it's gone, replaced by... nothing.
Maybe that's just progress. Maybe I'm simply nostalgic for something the market has deemed inefficient.
But as I walk Charley past the empty storefront, I can't help but wonder: In our rush toward faster, cheaper and more convenient, what else are we losing?
To the baristas who served us with smiles and remembered our names — and Charley's pup-cup — thank you for the memories. You made a corporate coffee shop feel like home.
Dennis Spellman is the publisher of Covering Katy News.