June 14. Our path to fully alert, all-systems-go status got slightly easier at 5 am with the opening of the new Starbucks on West Catawba. The store is on the right-hand side just before I-77, but the premises are set up for casual gatherings all day, inside and out,up until 10:30 pm.

The first morning of operations is busy. There were conversations under way in comfortable seating areas inside and out, as well as work going on in less convivial-looking work areas.

There’s considerably more room than the old Starbucks at One Norman Boulevard as well as the store inside the Harris Teeter at Jetton.

The feel is a neighborhood gathering place, casual and hip. 

Starbucks calls its employees “partners,” and they’re easy to talk to, present in the moment, ready to engage with customers.

Lee Williamsen of Cornelius is a barista and loves it. The 16-year-old says it already feels like a community. In fact, her mom, Christy Williamsen and brother Nelson were outside in the sunshine, while sister Chrissy was inside writing in a notebook—the old-fashioned kind.Starbucks is a new-fashioned company, however. It recently opened an innovation lab to develop new selfie-worthy drinks, technology and healthy meals.

In fact, Starbucks employees in Cornelius can vote on projects they like and share their own ideas via Springboard, an internal company website to crowdsource innovation.

The store stays open until 10 pm Sunday through Thursday. It’s open till 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday.

You can order for delivery at doordash.com