A 3D Printer Just Built the Next Starbucks and It Opens April 2025

Starbucks is set to make history with the opening of its first-ever 3D printed store in the United States. Located at 2491 Boca Chica Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas, this drive-thru and walk-up-only location is scheduled to open its doors on April 28, 2025. The 1,400-square-foot building represents a key milestone in sustainable 3D printed construction and, according to design and retail experts, a glimpse into the evolving future of quick-service restaurant layouts.

The project is a collaboration between Starbucks, PERI 3D Construction, and COBOD International. Based in Germany, PERI is known for its work in 3D printed buildings and used COBOD’s BOD2 gantry-style printer for this build. COBOD, headquartered in Denmark, is a leader in construction 3D printing and holds a large share of the global market. Together, the three partners set out to apply faster, more sustainable building methods.

By using 3D concrete printing, the team could construct the Brownsville store’s outer shell directly on-site in just six days. This method sped up construction and reduced waste, supporting Starbucks’ broader sustainability goals and showing what 3D printing can offer commercial spaces.

Textured concrete walls with a layered look give the building its unique 3D printed feel. The layout includes shaded drive-thru lanes and a walk-up window, designed for customers who want speed and convenience. There’s no indoor seating, which reflects a growing move toward off-premises dining and quick pickups.

In fact, the decision to leave out indoor seating puts this Starbucks in line with a growing trend in quick-service restaurant (QSR) design. As Josh Broehl from Big Red Rooster explains, restaurants today focus less on dine-in experiences and more on throughput, or how many people they can serve quickly. Big Red Rooster is a design and brand strategy firm that works with major QSRs to rethink how their physical spaces meet changing customer expectations, so Broehl brings direct insight into how fast-food chains are adapting to new demands. He also says dine-in now makes up only about 15% of sales at many places, compared to around 40% a few years ago. That drop has pushed companies like Starbucks to rethink how much space they need inside.

Stephen Jay, also of JLL’s design leadership, notes that operators are investing more in formats that support drive-thru lanes, walk-up windows, and third-party delivery. Mark Landini, creative director at Landini Associates, a design firm that helps retail and hospitality brands rethink customer experience, described the shift in an interview with QSRWeb: “What used to be a 50/50 split between dine-in and drive-thru has become more like 20/80, and it’s predicted to stay that way.”

That change points to a larger transformation happening across QSRs, where “evolution” means adapting to how people now want their food and drinks: fast, convenient, and on the go. Actually, the “no seating” model plays a key role by speeding up construction, cutting down on cleaning and maintenance costs, and keeping customer flow moving. It also means smaller stores that can fit in tighter or unconventional spaces, where a full café wouldn’t have worked before. And unlike older stores that were later modified to keep up with these trends, this 3D printed Starbucks was designed that way from the start.

With that in mind, Starbucks’ 3D printed, no-seating store in Texas could be part of a growing trend showing where fast coffee might go next.

Given Texas’s growing reputation as a hub for 3D printed construction, Brownsville was the ideal spot for this experimental store. In fact, PERI has been a key partner in several projects within the state. For example, in Houston, PERI collaborated with architectural firm HANNAH and construction company CIVE to build the nation’s largest 3D printed home: a two-story, 4,000-square-foot residence that combines 3D printed concrete with traditional wood framing.

While this Brownsville location is Starbucks’ first 3D printed store in the US, the company has used 3D printing in other ways. For example, in Shanghai, China, Starbucks used 3D printing to create a custom Teavana bar inside its Reserve Roastery in 2017. The bar was made with 3D printed ceramic tiles, combining modern design technology with traditional tea culture. However, the Brownsville store represents the first instance of Starbucks using 3D printing to construct an entire building.​

Locals in Brownsville are already talking about the store’s opening. Ricky Arreola, Assistant Store Manager at the new location, took to social media to discuss the opening, inviting the community to the ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 10:00 AM on April 28, 2025. He called it “not just any Starbucks,” highlighting that it’s the first 3D printed store of its kind in the country. Whether customers stop by for their morning coffee or a midday break, he said, the team can’t wait to “welcome them with fast, friendly service.”

The new store gives Brownsville a fresh place to grab coffee and shows how new technology can change how buildings are made. As the first 3D printed Starbucks, it could inspire more stores like it in the US and beyond.