Old Irving Park’s neighborhood Starbucks just got a serious home makeover. On Thursday the coffee giant cut the ribbon on a revamped cafe at 4155 N. Cicero Ave., trading its stripped-down pickup vibe for leather couches, throw rugs and drapes that all but beg customers to sit and stay awhile. The newly “uplifted” shop is now laid out to feel like a true neighborhood hangout rather than a quick in-and-out stop, part of a broader push this year to make stores cozier and more service focused.
The Cicero Avenue remodel wrapped up in February at the 2,500-square-foot cafe, which first opened in 2018. The update brought in leather couches, cushy chairs and coffee-themed artwork, as reported by Chicago Tribune. The Tribune reports that Starbucks has already finished roughly 90 uplifted locations across the Chicago area and is aiming to convert about 200 local stores to the new look by September.
What ‘uplifted’ looks like
Starbucks says the redesigns are part of its “Back to Starbucks” plan, a reset built around softer seating, warmer lighting, plants and neighborhood-inspired artwork that bring back more of a classic coffeehouse feel, according to a company news release from Starbucks. The company describes the goal as restoring the idea of a “third place,” a spot that is neither home nor work where people can linger comfortably.
The chain is also expanding its Green Apron Service model so employees can spend more time interacting with guests and, at some locations, bring drinks directly to customers who are seated. Executives say the changes are meant to improve quality and speed while also turning stores back into places where people want to stay, not just grab a latte and bolt.
Where this fits the turnaround plan
The Old Irving Park refresh is one Chicago example of a national rollout aimed at reversing slipping customer transactions and getting regulars to visit more often. Earlier this year management told investors that about 200 uplifted stores had already opened, mostly in Southern California and New York City, and that the company is on track to complete more than 1,000 such remodels by the end of 2026, according to a transcript of the Q1 earnings call. Leaders say the upgrades are designed to boost traffic and transaction frequency as part of a broader reset of how the brand runs its cafes.
Chicago reaction
At the ribbon-cutting, customers and staff said the difference was instantly obvious. “It just feels like it’s a little more homey,” one customer said, and managers at the event told reporters that early signs point to more people coming in and sticking around longer, as reported by Chicago Tribune. Store leaders added that each redesign is customized with neighborhood-specific art and historic photos to reflect local character rather than a one-size-fits-all corporate template.
What to watch
Chicago is slated to host around 200 of these uplifted Starbucks locations, roughly 20 percent of the company’s nationwide renovations. That is a sizable bet on bringing people back inside the cafe instead of relying only on drive-thru and mobile orders. The revamp follows a larger restructuring last year that included hundreds of store closures and job changes. Workers and community groups in some markets pushed back, and Axios reported that the company framed those moves as part of its Back to Starbucks strategy.
For Old Irving Park, the corporate experiment looks a lot like a living room with espresso shots. Expect more test designs and remodeled spaces to pop up across the city in the coming months as the company tries to prove that comfier chairs and table service can also translate into stronger sales.
