Stat! Hospital coffee shop with $1 million in sales to close for 12-week renovation

Bustling on the first floor of UK HealthCare’s main outpatient clinic, you’ll find a haven for caffeine lovers and coffee addicts.

The Starbucks in the Kentucky Clinic on UK HealthCare’s main Lexington campus brings in an annual revenue of $1.2 million with an average of 650 customers each day. Later this year, the coffee shop will undergo a $2.3 million renovation to be more efficient for “today’s coffee needs.”

“The original store was built over 20 years ago, and the coffee world has changed drastically,” said Lee Mitchell, UK Dining Resident District Manager. “Back then, cold coffee was not an option, but now it’s about 50% of our business.”

The renovation will not expand the 1,550 square-foot space, but it will make the coffee bar longer so there’s more space to prepare hot and cold coffee. UK HealthCare will contribute up to $1.4 million for the renovations, and UK’s dining partner Aramark will give up to $900,000.

Mitchell called the Kentucky Clinic Starbucks “a nexus between several worlds,” drawing business from patients, healthcare workers, students and researchers who all find themselves on UK’s medical campus..

“For our regulars, grabbing Starbucks before work or during a break is a ritualistic routine, a comforting part of your day. There’s also a social gathering aspect to that location. When you walk by, you’re almost guaranteed to see someone you know standing in line – maybe even someone you haven’t seen in a while,” she said.

“It gives you a chance to strike up a conversation and chat with others across the health care campus that you may not see in your day to day work.”

Co-Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Eric Monday told the UK board of trustees the renovations will make the space more efficient and generate more sales.

The Starbucks will close for 12 weeks during renovations, which are projected to start in October, but that timeline is not finalized, according to UK Spokesperson Allison Perry.

Luckily, coffee lovers won’t have to go too far to get their caffeine fix while the Kentucky Clinic’s location is closed – there’s another Starbucks right across the street in UK’s Healthy Kentucky Research Building.