New Lake Street Starbucks Opens On National Coffee Day

AURORA, IL — The grand opening of Aurora's newest Starbucks, on Lake Street, falls on an apropos day: National Coffee Day.

The annual holiday commemorates the majority of the population's favorite morning beverage, so it's only fitting the coffee giant's new Aurora location welcomed customers for the first time Thursday.

To celebrate the opening, Starbucks officials along with Mayor Richard Irvin and Aurora City Council and Chamber of Commerce members hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The location at 1165 Lake St. joins the other six Starbucks located around town. The property might look familiar: the site once housed a Long John Silver's restaurant and has sat vacant for nearly a decade, city officials said.

After closing in 2014, the space that was once a popular eatery will again become a popular destination for Aurorans. The cabin-like Long John Silver's building was torn down to make way for the new 2,200-square-foot structure that includes a drive-thru and outside patio.

The new Starbucks will bring jobs to about 40 employees, most of whom have already been hired from the local community, according to Clayton Muhammad, the city's chief communications officer.

The coffee shop is among other chain restaurants — including McDonald's, White Castle and Taco Bell — that opened as part of the revitalization of Lake Street/Route 31.