New coffee shop could be coming this busy Bradenton intersection, officials say
Another drive-thru coffee shop could be coming to one of Bradenton’s busiest intersections.
A developer pitched new building plans near the corner of Manatee Avenue and U.S. 301, across from Manatee Memorial Hospital. Included in the plans are a drive-thru coffee shop and retail plaza just south of the Starbucks at 102 Manatee Ave. E.
The Bradenton City Council approved the special use permit for a drive-thru on Wednesday, with Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore dissenting due to concerns about traffic and the vision for that area of downtown.
A representative for the developer said they hope to bring in a Black Rifle Coffee Company or Dutch Bros. Coffee drive-thru spot for the project, and a four-unit retail plaza will also go in the same lot. An AT&T store could be included in the retail plaza, but no stores are confirmed for the project.
The Starbucks land is owned by Vott Partners LLC, the same group looking to redevelop the parcels to its south. Vott Partners has ties to local businessman Gary Kompothecras, founder of the 1-800-ASK-GARY attorney referral service.
More businesses planned for busy intersection
Abed Suwaity spoke on behalf of the development group at the city council’s meeting on Wednesday. He presented plans for a 5,300 square-foot development on the land located at 608 Second St. E.
About 4,200 square feet will be for the retail plaza portion that will include four units. The coffee shop drive-thru will be under 1,000 square feet, but the coffee shop operator has not been confirmed, Suwaity said.
The development group also owns the Starbucks lot, and Suwaity said they are in talks to buy the adjacent property that owns the KFC.
Suwaity told council members he anticipates the arrival of a new coffee shop and expiration of Starbucks’s lease might force Starbucks to leave.
According to city building records, a Happy Frog Car Wash is planned for the parcel in between Starbucks and the new planned plaza, which is also owned by Vott Partners.
Drive-thru approved despite traffic concerns
The city council’s main concern was traffic flow, and how stacked cars in the drive-thru could cause backups in an area that sometimes already sees issues with the Starbucks drive-thru.
“It is a very, very tight space,” Moore said. “And to have any kind of cars stacking in this area, in my opinion, would be problematic.”
However, the possibility of Starbucks being pushed out of the space helped alleviate some of the council members’ concerns about too many queued cars.
“I just think that this actually could make that corner better, especially if Starbucks decided to go away,” Mayor Gene Brown said.
A site plan presented by Suwaity showed that the main entrance and exit for the plaza would be on Fifth Avenue Drive East, meaning, if there was a long drive-thru line, it would stay off of busier streets like U.S. 301 or Sixth Avenue East.
Bradenton Police Chief Josh Cramer said adequate signage for the left-only turn onto Sixth Avenue East would alleviate his traffic concerns.
Among Moore’s other concerns was walkability for the area, and the hope that new developments would blend with nearby buildings, like the medical offices to the east and Manatee Memorial Hospital to the north.
“To the point about bringing in businesses, I want that too, but I want the right mixture,” Moore said. “Every time that we approve an automotive use in an area that is so tight and so congested, I think we’re moving away from the goal of trying to revitalize this area.”
Others, like Councilwoman Jayne Kocher, didn’t think a walkable vision the area was realistic. The other council members voted in favor of the drive-thru, but the site plan will still need to pass through other city departments before it’s final.
