Site of the old Pizza Hut on W. Catawba

Nov. 19. The old Pizza Hut  on West Catawba Avenue has been demolished to make way for a new 3,237 square foot Starbucks, complete with a drive through. Said to be one of the largest Starbucks’ in the country, the new facility will replace their current location on One Norman Boulevard and West Catawba. Starbucks officials are hoping for a summer 2019 opening.

The iconic $22 billion (revenue) coffee retailer will erect a one-story building “in the exact same footprint as the Pizza Hut building,” according to plans submitted to the town.

The new location capitalizes on morning commutes into points south from the west side of town.

The drive-through window will be on the east side of the building. The new stand-alone Starbucks will be the company’s third facility in Cornelius, with shops located inside the Harris Teeters at Jetton Village and Antiquity.

Starbucks has been transitioning to full stand-alone facilities, where they can offer a wider range of food and services, as well as additional seating and drive-throughs.

The Seattle-based coffee company  is planning to open 2,100 new stores globally next year.

Starbucks added 600 new stores in the most recent quarter and has over 29,300 overall. Last year it opened nearly 2,300 stores. The Starbucks CEO said the company will “focus on our long-term growth markets of the U.S. and China,” next year, Cornelius apparently being one of them.

Pizza Hut is now located in Lakeshore Marketplace.