By Kathryn Reyes

News-Times intern

A place where people can sit down, relax and share their experiences over a cup of coffee is what Starbucks offers when it opened its fourth outlet in Oak Harbor Thursday, Feb. 7.

The coffee company’s new store, located at the Harbor Station complex on Highway 20, features a drive-thru service, which is something that is not offered in their other three branches.

Aside from offering coffee and a place where one can taste the so-called coffee experience, store manager Kara Jacobs said, “We want to offer convenience to our customers.”

She said that they are aware that for a lot of customers, a drive-thru is easier and more convenient.

This is also the reason why the company opened another branch in the the city. “When existing locations reach capacity, we search out new possibilities. We saw this happen in Oak Harbor, and we found a great location that also had the opportunity to include the convenience of a drive-thru,” district manager Julie Shepler said.

Oak Harbor resident Jim Ryan concurs, saying the drive-thru is something that will be good for people who are rushing on their way to work every morning.

Mayor Jim Slowik, who graced the opening of the store, said that he likes the location of the new Starbucks, the first on the north end of town.

“I love the location. The nice thing about it is that it enhances Harbor Station,” Slowik said. “Some of the buildings nearby will soon become work places and there are condos within the vicinity, too. It only supports the community and the work place. So that’s good.”

The Harbor Station complex on Highway 20 and NE 7th Street will soon house the offices of military recruitment centers for the US Marines and the US Navy. A fitness center is just across the coffee shop and it is also conveniently within walking distance from several apartment buildings and residences.

Jacobs said their operation hours are longer compared to their other shops. Monday through Saturday they are open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, they are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The reason for opening so early is to accommodate members of the military, who are usually on their way to the base around that time.

“We kind of have the flexibility to change our schedule as our customer needs arise,” Jacobs said. “If we find out that we would need to open an hour earlier or later, whatever the needs may be, we can certainly look into that.”

Judging from the customer turnout at the coffee shop’s opening, Jacobs said that they are getting positive feedback from Islanders. “A lot of people said that the store has a very good feel to it,” Jacobs said. “It’s very conducive for meeting with friends and spending time with the family.”

The Harbor Station Starbucks is the biggest of four in the city and it employs 20 people in all. Two outlets are located in-store at Safeway and Albertsons, and there is another at the corner of Highway 20 and SW Erie Street, right next to Albertsons.

Yet another Starbucks in Oak Harbor may seem a little too overwhelming but for the company, it only means that they are growing.