That'll be a Starbucks at 22nd and South
The deal had been long-rumored.
The property at the northwest corner of 22nd and South Streets - which was a bar/restaurant called L2 (and decades before that a hip restaurant called Linoleum, followed by a short-lived Stephen Starr vodka/caviar bar called Cafe Republic) - will house a Starbucks location, a company rep confirmed this week.
No timeline was given, other than "this year."
The deal had been long-rumored. Early last year, a banner was hung from the building's roof advertising the forthcoming "Growler Stop," a beer-to-go operation. I later heard that this was a gag.
Southwest Center City is hardly under-caffeinated. You have Ultimo at 22nd and Catharine, Rival Bros. at 24th and Lombard, and Good Karma at 22nd and Pine.