Starbucks is coming to Sycamore in front of Meijer, says developer

A timeline isn’t clear yet for when the Starbucks will open near Meijer in Sycamore

SYCAMORE – Despite recent updates from Sycamore city officials to the contrary, a developer with First Midwest Group confirmed this week a Starbucks is headed into the space being built in front of Meijer grocery store on Peace Road.

Mark Robinson, chief operating officer of First Midwest Group, which also built the Meijer, confirmed the news at a DeKalb City Council meeting Monday.

Robinson was speaking to the DeKalb council in pursuit of a plan to build a self-storage unit facility at 1700 Sycamore Road in DeKalb in the space formerly known as Eagle Shopping Center. The council approved the plan unanimously. Robinson brought up the Starbucks in his appeal to the council, talking about the efforts to bring development to the area.

“We brought you the Meijer center on Peace Road, and we’re putting a Starbucks up there now, the Jiffy Lube next to it,” Robinson said to the DeKalb city council. “With retail spaces there, and we just built a road behind them to add more on the end. So our intention is to bring good development to the city.”

In an interview after his remarks Monday, Robinson confirmed the popular Seattle-based coffee chain Starbucks will go into the space, though a timeline isn’t clear yet. He said development may be delayed due to ongoing supply chain shortages through the spring. No set date for opening has been announced, he said.

It will be the third stand-alone Starbucks in the area, following the ones on Sycamore Road in front of the Target in DeKalb and near Northern Illinois University campus on West Lincoln Highway. There are also satellite Starbucks inside the Holmes Student Center on NIU campus, inside of Target in DeKalb and Meijer in Sycamore.

A week ago, John Sauter, Sycamore building and engineering director, said the City of Sycamore hadn’t yet received any permit applications for any inside build-outs for the building. East Winnebago Development Corporation out of Rockford – more commonly known as First Midwest Group – currently owns the property, according to DeKalb County property records.

“As for the progress of the building, they are focusing on the building exterior [brick façade, windows, paints, etc.] and the parking lot [curbing, asphalt surface, striping] before the winter weather arrives,” Sauter said Nov. 17.

The building will have a total of 10,559 square feet, Sauter has said, and include partitions for additional commercial space inside and a drive-up window.

Daily Chronicle reporter Katie Finlon contributed to this story.

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