Third Starbucks takes "grande" leap into Auburn

Journal Staff WriterAuburn is getting its third Starbucks.The signature green Starbucks Coffee Co. sign already is in place, visible from Interstate 80, as carpenters and painters work to transform the former Izzy?s Burger Spa on Lincoln Way into the popular designer coffee store.Anne Marie Divine, with GCI Group that does public relations for the company, said Tuesday the store will open Aug. 30. It will be a regular Starbucks with no drive-through, she added.Kristine Hung, marketing manager and community relations coordinator for Starbucks, said the expansion reflects expanding market needs.?Auburn is really an important market for us,? Hung said. ?Since we opened our very first store in Auburn in 1996, we have really been embraced by the community. We are thrilled to open our third location next month.?Hung said that there are no plans for additional stores at the moment.?We will revisit opportunities as the community continues to grow,? she said. ?(In the meantime,) we look forward to serving great coffee and serving the community by getting involved.?Painter foreman Jared Mullins of Cornerstone Painting in Sacramento and Tony Gesselman, with C.J. Construction, who works on fixtures and cabinetry, were busy applying their expertise Tuesday as the new store takes shapes. Both said they?ve worked at a lot of Starbucks? sites. ?We?re going to start painting the outside in a couple of days,? Mullins said. ?And the (parking lot) blacktop will be resurfaced.?Both agreed that the new store is a little bigger than average.?It has a fireplace,? Gesselman said. ?I?ve never seen one with a fireplace.?Reeve & Knight Construction of Roseville is handling the project.The new Starbucks is located at 13345 Lincoln Way, near the Foresthill exit off Interstate 80. Auburn?s two other Starbucks are at 392 Elm Ave., in the Auburn Town Center and at 2815 Bell Road.