By Andrea Swayne
Following a unanimous vote by the Dana Point Planning Commission on Oct. 12, construction to reconfigure the drive-thru at Starbucks on Pacific Coast Highway in the Lantern District is well underway.
The business worked with the city to design a revision of the drive-thru in order to alleviate the daily queue of cars stretching out into the northbound lanes of PCH. The cars often caused a hazard when the length of the line exceeded the length of the dedicated turn lane into the parking lot/drive-thru and drivers, insistent on staying in the line, would opt to let their vehicles block the right lane rather than parking and walking into the establishment for their morning coffee.
With the new configuration, drivers will be required to access the drive-thru lane by turning on to Granada Drive, then on to the alleyway, where the new entrance will be located.
The drive-thru lane will then make a horseshoe-shaped loop—first, straight toward PCH and then curving right, past the menu board/window headed back toward the alley, then exiting via a new lane between the building and the alley. Cars will no longer be allowed to enter from PCH.
Note: The large Canary Island palm tree once growing where the new exit lane is being created was relocated to the Beach Road/Coast Highway intersection.
The project is expected to be completed by Nov. 2.
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