ASHLAND — After three months of being closed for construction and training, the Starbucks at Ashland’s Goasis opened for business again Wednesday morning, celebrating the occasion with a ribbon cutting.
“We had customers in every day during construction,” said Robert Walton, the manager of Goasis.
Goasis, right off of I-71, acts as a stopping point for people as they drive from Cleveland to Columbus, Walton said. Melanie Miller, Ashland’s representative in the state House, agreed. She said people in Columbus often tell her they know about the Goasis.
“They always know there will be clean bathrooms and a Starbucks,” she said at the ribbon cutting.
The ribbon cutting, hosted by the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, attracted about 30 community members. Mike Polachek, the East regional vice president for TravelCenters of America, attended, and said he was impressed by the turnout.
“I’ve been to many ribbon cuttings across the East, but this is one of the best turnouts I’ve seen with community support,” Polachek said.
Walton added the Starbucks is a “driver” for the Goasis’s business, and he’s excited to have it open again.
What’s different?
For those familiar with the old Goasis Starbucks, a lot looks different in the updated version.
The bar used to be along the back wall, and seating took up space in the shop’s front lobby.
“It was hard to serve guests promptly with the old layout,” Walton said.
Now, the bar runs the length of the exterior wall, which Blair said opened up far more space for her employees to work. There is no seating in the Starbucks lobby anymore, but there is still seating at Goasis for Starbucks customers to use.
The biggest addition to the Starbucks is a new drive through lane. Walton hopes that option will act as a more convenient option for customers.
Why did it close?
The changes to the store came in conjunction with the Starbucks company, according to Walton. Ashland’s Starbucks closed on Oct. 16, with the demolition beginning Oct. 17, said Toni Blair, the Starbucks manager.
While construction took place, Starbucks employees worked elsewhere at Goasis. Walton said the construction process went well, and the construction team met all of its deadlines. Blair said she returned to the store Dec. 29, and has worked to train and prepare employees since.
Walton said the store had a soft reopening on Jan. 4, and a soft opening of the drive through lane on Jan. 22 and 23.
With the reopening, Walton and Blair said a slew of new hires took place. Blair said she hired 47 new employees, starting before the store reopened. Some are still working through the training process.
While the hiring process was stressful, Blair said it’s been good to get back into the Starbucks and she likes the new space.
“My team is awesome,” Blair said. “I have a great management team and a great leadership team. We’re still training some, but they’re learning quickly and we’re training them to do it right.”
