Starbucks is returning to downtown Jacksonville's Northbank for the first time in almost 15 years, with a new coffee shop planned inside Jax Tower — the high-rise at Bay and Laura streets formerly known as the Bank of America Tower.
Although an official opening date has not yet been announced, the store is expected to be just a few weeks from opening its doors. Here's what we know about the newest Jacksonville location:
When will the downtown Jacksonville Starbucks open?
The licensee building out the shop told the Downtown Investment Authority it expects to open in late September or early October, which lines up with earlier estimates from the Colliers brokers who arranged the deal and previously said the store would likely debut sometime in fall 2026.
Where is the new Starbucks located?
The coffee shop is going into the ground floor
of Jax Tower at 50 N. Laura St., on the southeast corner of the 42-story building at Bay and Laura streets. The site sits along the Laura Street corridor, one of downtown's main pedestrian routes, and plans call for both an interior entrance connecting to the tower lobby and a separate exterior entrance facing south.
Outdoor seating with branded Starbucks tables and chairs is planned along the sidewalk.
The city issued a permit in late December 2025 for a roughly $469,050 build-out of the 2,225-square-foot space, and a second permit was issued in late August 2026 for exterior signage.
What will be on the menu at the new Starbucks?
Because it's a licensed Starbucks store rather than a fully independent coffee shop, it's expected to carry most of — but not all — the same products, branding and training standards as a corporate-owned location.
The typical Starbucks lineup for stores like this includes drip coffee, espresso-based drinks and Frappuccinos, hot and iced teas, croissants, bagels and pastries, lunch sandwiches, protein boxes and grab-and-go snacks like cookies and cake pops.
How many jobs will the new Starbucks create?
The store is expected to hire a store manager, shift supervisors and roughly 25 baristas and support staff.
What will the downtown Starbucks store's hours be?
According to a DIA report tied to the project's incentive package, the shop is planned to operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Why did Starbucks leave downtown Jacksonville?
Starbucks previously operated two downtown locations: one inside the old Jacksonville Landing, which closed in 2011 and has since been demolished, and another at 11 E. Forsyth St., which closed in 2008. The Forsyth Street space has cycled through several restaurant tenants since then, most recently Lily's Asian-American Food, which closed in 2025.
Colliers Urban Division, which represents building owner Group RMC in brokering the deal, first announced the coffee chain's return in a February 2025 social media post, framing it as a boost to foot traffic and a signal of confidence in the Laura Street corridor for office workers and visitors alike.
Jacksonville has over 20 Starbucks locations already across the city, but this will mark the brand's first Northbank storefront in over a decade.
Is this a corporate Starbucks or a franchise?
It's a licensed location rather than a company-operated store. The same operator also owns several Little Caesars franchises and founded an Orlando brewpub and a beverage production facility, according to the DIA staff report.
How much taxpayer money is going toward the project?
Jacksonville's Downtown Investment Authority board voted to approve a combined $133,200 in incentives for Starbucks Jax LLC and the building's landlord. The bulk of that, $118,200, is a forgivable, no-interest loan through the DIA's Food and Beverage Retail Enhancement Program.
The loan is structured to amortize at 20% each year for five years — meaning it's gradually forgiven as long as the business stays open — and the remaining $15,000 came as a Sidewalk Enhancement Grant to help pay for the outdoor seating area.
What's happening to Akel's Deli?
Starbucks is moving into space previously occupied by Akel's Delicatessen, a longtime lunch spot for tower office workers known for sandwiches, pitas, salads and soup. The family also operates Ground Level Coffee elsewhere in the tower's lobby, which is expected to continue operating separately from the new Starbucks.
What else is happening around the new Starbucks?
The opening comes as other food and beverage tenants fill in nearby. Pour Taproom and Pizza Dynamo are both open inside the VyStar Credit Union parking garage at 61 N. Laura St., just across the street, which also added to a growing cluster of dining options in the immediate area.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Starbucks to open downtown Jacksonville location this fall
