Starbucks Does the Right Thing for Once, Saves Old Gilmore Gas Station

Curbed has been keeping an unblinking eye on the Gilmore Gas station for some time now. The once-beautiful old pump spot on the corner of Highland and Willoughby fell into dereliction in the 1990’s (the entire Gilmore Oil Company is more or less just a memory now), and has been boarded up and fading behind some chain link fence for the better part of two decades.

Last year, however, Curbed noted that the dingy spot had caught the eye of none other than coffee mega-retailer Starbucks, who wanted to revitalize the historically relevant location rather than initiate a tear-down. It’s a smart, neighborhood-friendly move (perhaps done in response to the poor choices made with that god-awful depressing Starbucks in Highland Park?), but not without a serious time and money commitment.

Luckily, Starbucks has plenty of both. The 800 square foot space is now almost entirely rehabbed, having been brought back to a sense of quiet 1950’s nostalgia, complete with drive thru and a bit of patio seating.

The chain link is down and there’s a Coming Soon banner hanging on the railing at the front, letting folks know that, not long from now, the formerly defunct Gilmore Gas station will once again be thriving.

For more details on the former glory of the spot (particularly as a backdrop for filming), head over to I Am Not A Stalker.