Naperville Starbucks Reserve Bar to add pizza, pasta, liquor

Starbucks plans to roll out a new program that will transform its specialty Reserve Bar in downtown Naperville into an authentic Italian bakery.

The upscale coffeehouse at 203 S. Main St. is expected to undergo renovations that will allow it to serve freshly made sandwiches, pizzas, pastries and various other meal options. In a 5-3 vote Thursday, the Naperville liquor commission gave Starbucks the green light to also add beer, wine and cocktails to the menu.

Starbucks Reserve Bars are known for their premium selection of small-lot coffees made with complex brewing techniques. The Naperville shop is one of two Illinois locations on the docket to be revamped with the new food program, Starbucks representative Taya Stenson said.

The concept is a far cry from the Starbucks Evenings menu the company tried to bring to six of its 15 Naperville stores a few years ago, city officials said.

That program, which has since been discontinued companywide, would have required the city to create a new liquor license to allow coffee shops without full kitchen equipment to sell alcohol. City officials shot down the proposal in 2016, citing concerns over the proliferation of liquor at coffeehouses.

With the new Reserve Bar experience, coffee and espresso beverages will remain a focus during peak times such as the morning rush, Stenson said. But in the afternoons and evenings, the shop will transition into more of a restaurant-style setting, with servers taking orders and delivering food or beverages directly to the table.

The change will require an extensive renovation of the Main Street location, including the installation of kitchen equipment, Stenson said. The shop is expected to close for a month or two during construction.

Most liquor commissioners offered their support for the concept Thursday, saying they think it will enhance what is already a unique coffee experience in the downtown. Those who voted against granting the company a restaurant/tavern liquor license were concerned with whether the Reserve Bar would meet the requirements for that particular classification.

To be considered a restaurant, an establishment's primary business operations must be the service of meals, Senior Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Lutzke said.

Some commission members said they believe coffee should be included as a meal item, in which case the shop would qualify. But members Chuck Maher, Mitch Stauffer and Scott Wehrli said they're uncomfortable making that determination without more clarification in the liquor code.

“I think (Starbucks has) done a really good job in coming back here with something that would be a benefit to the Naperville community. What we have to think about up here is the next step,” Wehrli said. “We need to really get our arms around this, I think, from the restaurant definition side.”

Commission member Pam Davis said she believes it's the panel's job to use their discretion in situations that aren't specifically addressed in the code.

“I feel like every single time we're afraid to make an interpretation, that really, for me, negates why we're here,” she said.

The commission is expected to revisit the language of the liquor code at an upcoming meeting.