Eight months after a new Starbucks location was announced for Longboat Key, the project has been put “on hold,” with no interior work started and an incomplete application still pending with the town’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department.
The delay casts a shadow over a plan that was expected to bring one of the island’s few chain franchises to the mid-Key area.
The proposed 1,800-square-foot space, located at 3174 Gulf of Mexico Drive, remains empty, its windows still adorned with a “Coming soon. We can’t wait to see you” banner that now offers little reassurance. I
ncomplete paperwork is one of the project’s primary hurdles. According to Allen Parsons, director of the town’s Planning, Zoning and Building Department, the special exception permit required for the restaurant is incomplete.
Corporate silence and local frustration
Adding to the uncertainty is a lack of communication from both Starbucks and the local master licensee.
A Starbucks spokesperson did not provide any updates, stating that the company “at this time… has no store-opening plans to announce” in the area.
Greg Sausaman, the master licensee behind the project, has declined to comment on the status of the development.
Judy Johnson, the owner of the building, also did not respond to requests for comment.
The town’s measured approach to new commercial development likely contributed to the delay.
Because the property is zoned C-1 commercial, a special exception is required to operate a restaurant. This subjects the project to case-by-case review by the Planning and Zoning Board.
While chains are not prohibited, Longboat Key has historically seen few franchises. This project was set to join a small group, including Publix and CVS.
A town prohibition on drive-thrus further distinguishes this location from a typical Starbucks model.
A long, slow road for a ‘community coffee house’
The project’s lengthy timeline was noted early on. In February, Sausaman estimated that the process from start to finish would take about a year and a half. This meant a late 2025 or early 2026 opening was already a possibility, even before permitting issues came to light.
The franchisee had previously attempted to assure residents that the location would be a “community coffee house” with a beachy, art deco feel designed to fit the island’s aesthetic. However, with the project now in limbo, it remains unclear when, or if, Longboat Key will get its corporate coffee fix.
