You're cruising the streets of downtown West Palm Beach, moving with purpose, ready to indulge in that caramel macchiato, nitro cold brew, classic Americano, or even an iced cube coconut cream shaken espresso (yes, it's a thing) and as you approach the doors at 226 Clematis Street you're hit with a Mike Tyson-level body shot: Starbucks has closed.
With simultaneous feelings of panic and bewilderment fighting for control of your brain, a rational question manages to traverse those caffeine-deprived synapses and poses the question "how could this happen?"
Starbucks on Clematis Street, a beacon of caffeinated goodness that powered hordes of coffee lovers for more than 20 years has closed. Doors closed at 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26. The closure is part
of a nationwide move that includes the shuttering of 250 locations.
Deep breaths. You've got this, but you still need that beloved, roasted bean goodness. Here are six excellent alternatives on Clematis Street for procuring that sacred elixir.
Crema Gourmet, West Palm Beach
Just a few doors down from the former Starbucks location, this bastion of breakfast goodness that opened in May 2025 has an extensive coffee menu. Brewing premium Illy Coffee, their options include espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, lattes, Americano, cortado and affogato. In addition, they offer a huge breakfast menu ranging from omelets and pancakes to on-the-go options like their breakfast sandwich (featuring scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and aioli on a baguette), acai bowls, and more.
Details: 216 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. cremagourmet.com
Carmela Coffee Bar, West Palm Beach
This relative newcomer to Clematis Street sits in the 300 block and offers coffee from their El Cuminate Farm in Costa Rica's west valley. Carmela prides itself on its "farm-to-cup" ethos and on using sustainable practices, offering fair wages and maintaining a deep connection to the people. They pick their coffee beans by hand and ship them to Boca Raton where they are roasted in small batches. Carmela's classic coffee options including latte, cappuccino, mochaccino, cortado, espresso and Americano along with some specialty drinks like their Tiramisu latte and matcha latte. The Tiramisu latte is their most popular beverage and if you try it you'll understand.
Details: 319 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. 561-318-7619; carmelacoffee.com
Salento Coffee Shop, West Palm Beach
Featuring coffee brewed with beans from two select areas in Colombia, Salento brews a good cup. Moved from their original location on South Dixie Highway to the Mandel Public Library on Clematis Street in 2022, this is a locally owned and family run business. They are named for one of the for the small towns in Colombia where they get most of their beans (the other area is Sierra Nevada). Coffee options at Salento include espresso, latte, cappuccino, cortadito, cafe con leche and their cerrerito. Cerrerito is a Colombian espresso sweetened with the scrapings from an unrefined sugar cane block. Salento also offers smoothies and juices, along with sandwiches, like the Cuban and Ropa Vieja, pastries including guava and cheese, arepas rellenas, empanadas and more.
Details: 407 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. 561-225-1823; mysalentocoffee.com
Subculture Coffee, West Palm Beach
One of Clematis Street's coffee originals, this shop opened in 2014 and is dedicated to small batch coffee farms from around the world. Subculture roasts their coffee in house daily. In addition to producing single origin coffees and unique espresso blends, they feature locally baked treats to accompany their brew. This is Subculture's original home base for all locations and their roasting headquarters.
Details: 505 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. sub-culture.org/wpb-coffee
Loco Mikes, West Palm Beach
Loco Mikes coffee trailer sits in the open lot across from O'Shea's on Clematis Street and has been in business for about a year and a half and at this location for about two months. The easily accessible business is a one-stop shop for caffeine, hydration and good times featuring iced espressos, iced matcha lattes, chai tea lattes, cold brews, lemonades, energy refreshers and more. A few of the top sellers include a caramelized banana latte, creme brûlée latte, vanilla sea salt latte and their seasonal pumpkin latte.
Details: 534 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. 561-531-2458; locomikes.com
Blue Mountain Coffee House, West Palm Beach
Owned and operated by Allison Boettcher and named for the mountain range in Jamaica, Blue Mountain Coffee House opened in 2020. They feature organically grown Blue Mountain Coffee and guests can indulge in Americano, macchiato, cappuccino, espresso and more. Blue Mountain Coffee House also has an extensive breakfast and lunch menu. They offer peach cobbler pancakes, eggs Benedict Florentine, New York bagels, homemade croissants and a few classic Jamaican dishes like ackee & saltfish, callaloo, Jamaican patties, and more.
Details: 540 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. 561-318-7296; bluemountaincoffeehouses.com
Nearby Palm Beach County Starbucks locations
Not ready to give up on Starbucks? There are other locations nearby outlets, including:
701 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach
300 Pembroke Place, West Palm Beach
2715 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
1870 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
and 150 Worth Ave., Palm Beach
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Six Clematis Street coffee alternatives now that Starbucks has closed
