By Sara Beth Williams–
Two new proposed coffee shop projects, which were approved in 2023 and 2024, have been cancelled, the city said on Wednesday.
In an emailed statement to The Sentinel regarding updates on two approved coffee shop projects which have seen no active construction progress, the city said in a statement, “The City was informed in spring of 2025 that Starbucks was not moving forward with these projects.”
After a follow up request, the city said that the property owner informed the city that all proposed construction projects were being cancelled “companywide.”
A sixth Starbucks location in Citrus Heights was first approved by the Planning Commission in May of 2023, following an uneventful public hearing. The project site comprised three parcels totaling around 2.2 acres and the proposal was for the construction of a 2,241-square-foot building at 8540 Auburn Blvd., south of Whyte Avenue, that would have housed a Starbucks with a drive-thru and indoor and outdoor seating options.
While the existing retail space occupied by Tea It and Waggin’ Tails were to remain, the plan included removing the section currently occupied by a liquor store.
At the time of the meeting in May 2023, a city planner said work on the project would not take place until the city begins work on street improvements for Auburn Boulevard, putting the timeline likely into 2024 to 2025.
Following the approval of the plans, the city initiated its Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets Project Phase II major capital improvement project in the summer of 2024. While it appeared construction progress might have been occurring at the location of the proposed Starbucks, the city confirmed in an email that the land was used as a staging ground for construction work during the ongoing Complete Streets project.
Although the city says the projects have been cancelled, a representative of Engstrom Properties on Friday told The Sentinel that the construction project of the Starbucks at Auburn Boulevard and Whyte Avenue isn’t cancelled, but on pause, and that the coffee company is currently “reassessing.”
Related: Citrus Heights commissioners approve plans for new Starbucks
Last December, a seventh proposed Starbucks with a drive thru was approved for an undeveloped parcel in the Stock Ranch Plaza facing Auburn Boulevard, in the same shopping center as Costco and Walmart.
Before the proposal went before the Citrus Heights City Council, in October 2024, an amendment to the development guide, the design permit and use permit were all approved by the Planning Commission in a 6-0 vote during an Oct. 22, 2024, Planning Commission meeting, with Commissioner Marcelle Flowers absent from the meeting.
Councilmember Porsche Middleton questioned opening another Starbucks with a drive-thru so close to an existing Starbucks that also has a drive-thru, echoing a public comment that was submitted in writing by resident Alfred Sanchez. Another existing Starbucks is located roughly half a mile down the street at Auburn Boulevard and Sylvan Road.
Elizabeth Valerio from Valerio Architects emphasized during the council meeting that offering customers multiple Starbucks locations with drive-thrus allows for more distribution of vehicles leading to less strain on staff at either site.
Since the approval of the project, no construction activity has been seen at the proposed vacant parcel of land as of the date of publication of this article.
Related: New Starbucks gets green light from Citrus Heights City Council
Since both projects completed the Planning entitlement process, there is nothing to “withdraw,” the city explained. The projects will each auto-expire. The Starbucks project at Auburn Boulevard and Whyte Avenue will expire in February 2027 and the Stock Ranch Plaza Starbucks project will expire in December 2028.
The national coffee chain recently announced that over 900 “underperforming stores” would close. Over 450 stores this week alone have shuttered across the country, according to both local and national news reports. All Citrus Heights Starbucks locations remain open according to this searchable Starbucks closure list as well as the Starbucks location finder on the company’s website.
