Starbucks opens 150 branches for drive thru takeaway from today – see the full list

STARBUCKS has reopened 150 of its UK stores from today – but only for drive-thru and takeaway orders.

The cafe chain made the call to kick-start business again after Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out the “first careful steps” of easing the coronavirus lockdown.

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It hasn’t revealed exactly which stores have been reopened but customers are advised to check the to see if their local branch is open.

Branches have been closed since March 23, even though cafes and restaurants were allowed to continue to offer a takeaway service.

Rival coffee chains including Pret a Manger and Costa Coffee have already begun reopening stores for takeaways and drive-thru orders.

Starbucks says it’ll be serving a “near-complete” range of beverages including lattes, cappuccinos, iced coffees, teas and frappuccinos.

But food will be more restricted, with the coffee giant offering a menu “focused on our most popular items”.

Customers will be able to use drive-thru lanes to order drinks and food, or through the Starbucks app.

Those who are waiting to order or collect their drink will be asked to wait in a designated area where a two-metre distance from other people can be maintained.

Starbucks is asking customers to only go to stores once their order is ready.

The coffee chain has also confirmed it will enforce staggered collection times to avoid crowds outside reopened stores.

The company doesn’t charge extra to use its app, which is also free to download.

Alternatively, customers can order by calling their local store or through Uber Eats.

To help protect staff and customers, new safety measures will be in place including regular hand-washing for at least 20 seconds, two metre social distancing and screens at payment areas.

Starbucks will only be accepting contactless payment methods.

It means that 15 per cent of its branches will be open in some capacity by the end of the week.

Starbucks, which has just under 1,000 stores in the UK, announced it would be temporarily closing shops on March 20.

Starbucks said: “As has been the case since the onset of the outbreak, we continue to make every decision with the safety of our partners (employees) and customers as our greatest priority.

“With the easing of restrictions allowing more travel on roads, beginning 14 May we will begin a phased reopening of Starbucks drive-thru locations across the UK as well as a handful of takeaway-only stores.”

It comes after fast food retailers, such as Burger King, Five Guys and KFC, have reopened their drive-thru sites.

Greggs has also reopened a “small number” of outlets – but only in Newcastle.