On Sunday night, one of Calgary's longest running Starbucks locations on the corner of 9th Avenue S.E. and 11th Street S.E. poured it's last cup of coffee. It was one of many locations in Calgary (which also included its popular 17th Avenue shop) and across the country that permanently closed their doors at the end of January, but it is certainly the most notable in Calgary that did so.
Some may also remember that Calgary's first Starbucks location in Kensington (now a Deville Coffee) closed in late 2019. Unlike the Kensington location of the giant coffee chain, its hard to deny that its Inglewood location did some good when it came to revitalizing this south east corner of Calgary's centre. When it opened in 2009 (accompanied by mixed feelings from neighbourhood residents), Inglewood was certainly not the vibrant and trendy destination it is today.
Consisting primarily of antique shops, a couple of pubs and not much else heading down to this part of town 10+ years ago was not top of mind for most Calgarians. As polarizing as chains entering certain neighbourhoods can be, this Starbucks location in Inglewood acted as an anchor and encouraged people to stop in, grab a coffee, and take a stroll.
These days, as I drive–or walk–down 9th Avenue S.E. and see long lineups of eager folks trying to get into Plant, The Silk Road Spice Merchant, many of which are cozying up to a drink from Rosso Coffee Roasters or The Next Page, I can't help, but think that Starbucks was a fundamental player in popularizing Inglewood to the average Calgarian.
