A new Starbucks is coming to Pennsauken on Crescent Boulevard (Rt 130). The recent demolition of a closed bank building in Pennsauken signifies the start of a project to develop a new Starbucks with drive-thru along the busy Crescent Boulevard (Route 130).
The property is located at the corner of Crescent Boulevard and Merchantville Ave… directly across from the Pennsauken Municipal Building.
It will likely prove to be an excellent location for the brand as not only does Route 130 provide a significant amount of traffic (and the property sits at the traffic signal), this area is surrounded by dense suburban neighborhoods and industrial parks are close by.
During my first visit three weeks ago my timing was off just a little bit because I was there on September 25th taking photos when the building was still standing. I was fully intent on using the images in an article… but then the very next day the building was demolished!
Realizing I needed to refresh those images, I delayed my article until I just got back there today.
The plans call for the development of a 1,992 square foot Starbucks with drive-thru, parking areas and associated site improvements.
This was actually a 2-step approval process which initially required a use variance approval due to the fact that the R3 zone that the property sits in does not allow drive-thru restaurants.
That land use approval for the “drive-thru restaurant” was granted in January of 2023.
About six months later in August of 2023, the development team returned to present the full project, and were subsequently granted an approval for the site plan and development.
Other earlier media reports written during the approval phases made it appear this was going to be a remodel of the building… but clearly as you can see, with t gohe building gone and the property basically cleared out, this is all new construction (as was called out in the March 2023 resolution).
The Bank building had operated for years as a Beneficial Bank for many years but closed in 2019 after Beneficial was acquired by WSFS, and the new owner decided to not continue with the location.
For the new Starbucks development… While I always try to get my hands on the site plans, unfortunately for this project I was not able to do that (at least in a timely fashion for me to get this article online).
As mentioned the new Starbucks is located directly across from the and talking of municipal building. That municipal building had opened in 1958 and as I wrote on September 25th, a new state-of-the-art municipal building and the library is being developed to the rear of the large property.
Several other exciting projects are taking place along Crescent Boulevard in Pennsauken at this time, including another highly recognized coffee shop brand.
About a 1.25 miles North on Crescent Boulevard the former Penn Queen Diner was demolished ahead of the development of a Tim Horton’s Coffee/Donut shop, and a Taco Bell.
Links and Location
Starbucks Pennsauken (Coming Soon)
Cresceht Boulevard and Merchantville Ave
Pennsauken NJ