Wichita’s first downtown Starbucks is now open, and it has several little surprises
Wichita’s new downtown Starbucks opened Monday morning as promised and already, people are enjoying coffee on two patios and sipping Frappuccinos inside like they’re right at home.
The new shop, which operates on the ground floor of the almost-finished Hilton Garden Inn at Douglas and Topeka, is run by Mid-Continent Hospitality LLC and is Wichita’s first downtown Starbucks. When the finishing touches were finally added over the weekend, the coffee shop had not one but two outdoor patios — one facing Douglas and one facing Topeka. Each holds two tables and several chairs.
Inside, the shop is spacious and sleek, and if people walk toward the glowing neon sign that reads “All Things Coffee” and turn left, they’ll find a hidden cove of seating that includes several high-top tables and some curvy built-in half booths. Another highlight is the west-facing accent wall decorated with gold-and-black geometric patterns.
It doesn’t have a drive-through, and customers will have to work with existing downtown parking — though a manager pointed out that a Q-Line stop will drop customers off right at the front door. When I visited on Monday afternoon, I circled the block twice and was unable to find any spots on Topeka. I settled for one on Emporia and walked the block to the Starbucks, giving me an opportunity to peek into the almost-finished hotel.
The hours for the new Starbucks are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. The phone isn’t hooked up just yet but should be later this week. Then, you’ll be able to reach the shop by calling 316-669-6165.
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