Starbucks 3D Prints Its First Store: Here’s What It Looks Like

Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, has opened its first store built using 3D printing technology in the United States. This location is in Brownsville, Texas, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border with around 190,000 residents. While the company hasn’t explained why this specific city was chosen, the opening marks a firm step toward architectural transformation in retail.

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The most impressive aspect is the construction method: instead of traditional building processes, a computer-controlled machine was used to create the structure layer by layer with concrete, employing a robotic arm to pour the material. The result is a compact, functional drive-thru (car-only) building with a rectangular design and ribbed walls that reveal the 3D printing process.

they 3D printed a Starbucks in Texas

1,400 square-foot external shell of 3D printed concrete pic.twitter.com/c3l7WsieK6

— gaut (@0xgaut) April 16, 2025

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Starbucks bets on 3D printing

The use of 3D printing in commercial construction is still in its early stages, and Starbucks joins a small group of major companies exploring its possibilities. While 3D printing has mostly been used in residential projects—especially as a response to the affordable housing crisis in the U.S.—its entrance into the retail world could spark a revolution in sustainability, speed, and cost reduction.

☕ Starbucks (@Starbucks) has unveiled its first-ever 3D-printed store in the United States, located at 2491 Boca Chica Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas. Designed as a Pick-Up Only location, this 1,400-square-foot café operates exclusively as a drive-thru and walk-up, catering to… pic.twitter.com/tSGq8W6GnG

— ParametricArchitecture (@parametricarch) April 24, 2025

This store opening adds to the brand’s ambitious expansion. According to Statista, Starbucks had over 40,000 locations worldwide in 2024, with more than 16,000 of them in the U.S. In that same year, the brand recorded global revenues of $36.18 billion, making it the top-selling coffeehouse company in the country, with $31.6 billion in U.S. sales alone.

What impact does Starbucks have on the U.S. coffee industry?

Starbucks is undoubtedly the coffee titan in the United States. According to the Statista report, the coffee and snack shop sector in the U.S. is valued at $68.5 billion and employs over 900,000 people. Within this ecosystem, Starbucks clearly leads in both store count and revenue, far ahead of competitors like Dunkin’ or Dutch Bros Coffee.

Starbucks opened its first 3D-printed store in Brownsville, Texas, where a computer-controlled robotic arm did most of the building. pic.twitter.com/nPiqNtviAN

— NewsNation (@NewsNation) April 30, 2025

Moreover, the brand enjoys a strong reputation among U.S. consumers: 94% of restaurant chain customers recognize it, and 48.1% choose it as their favorite coffee brand.

Could 3D printing change the future of retail?

As retail seeks alternatives to reduce its carbon footprint, speed up construction, and adapt quickly to changing consumer behavior, 3D printing is emerging as a powerful solution.

The potential benefits are numerous:

• Speed: automation significantly reduces construction time.
• Sustainability: less material waste and the potential to incorporate recycled resources.
• Scalability: enables replication of structures across different regions with minimal adjustments.