Starbucks is set to open a new coffee shop in the centre of Stroud.
Dransfield Properties, which owns the Five Valleys Shopping Centre, has confirmed that the coffee company is taking over the former Poundland store on King Street, which closed in 2021, after entering a planning application on Monday 1 August 2022.
Work to fit out the new store is due to begin in October 2022, with Dransfield also confirming that the coffee shop will be run by a UK franchisee.
CEO of Dransfield Properties, Mark Dransfield, said: 'Starbucks have agreed to take almost 1,500 square feet of space occupying the former Poundland unit next to the Medical Centre which will be opening this autumn.
'This new area of redevelopment will bring a multitude of uses to Stroud people including medical care and a library and we’re delighted that following a long search to find the ideal location to open, Starbucks have chosen to join us on this exciting time for Stroud.'
Stroud town centre has undergone a significant transformation over the last few years, with Dransfield having invested £28.75 million so far in turning the former Merrywalks into what is now the Five Valleys Shopping Centre.
The Starbucks announcement comes after a swathe of new openings at the centre in 2022, including Choux Bun Appétit, The Sweet Peach, The Cotswold Grocer, Vegicatessen and Terra Cucina - although the announcement has divided opinion, with some local residents disappointed that the new venue isn't another independent business.
However, Dransfield - which is an independent, family business itself - believes a mix of small, local and independent businesses alongside bigger, national brands is a good thing for Stroud.
Dransfield added: 'We have made huge steps forward with our redevelopment work in Stroud with phase four nearing completion. The views from part of our community on the announcement of Starbucks joining us have been heard and I would urge anyone unhappy with my decision to contact my office and I will meet with them to hear their concerns and explain why I have taken this decision.
'I have invested with a number of independent businesses to help them achieve their goals and, as a family business, we will always support local traders but no town can exist without a mixture of national and local businesses.'
Developers initially intended to turn the former Poundland unit, which is adjacent to the new medical centre, into a pharmacy, but after two years of searching, no pharmacy was willing to relocate its license to operate at the premises.
Work on the new Starbucks store is due to start in October 2022.
For more information, visit fivevalleysstroud.co.uk.
