Starbucks

I love this one. The atmosphere is unlike any other Starbucks. There are levels, which may have to do with the location from the street.
The back has a nice secluded area close to the gateway center. I great way to sit and people-​watch or think.
I’m giving 5 stars because the staff is always smiling and friendly– this makes a huge impact on everyone’s day as they enter and in passing.

While it is my «local» Starbucks, it is hard to be in love with this location. I’ve just experienced better at many other locations. I wish parking didn’t suck so much and the employees were friendlier.

I was in line, two people one at each register. Simone was helping a woman the gentleman at other register was helping a guy. When the woman left Symones register, I stepped up to the register and Simone says to me, I was helping him with a rude look on her face. I was like ok I’m sorry I thought the other guy was helping him. I’ve never been to a Starbucks and it took two people to help one customer bit the rudeness appalled me. I go to University area everyday, I’m a gold card member and visit Starbucks everyday. Not like you Starbucks! BUT the store itself is lovely.

For the most the customer service and the coffee is good on most days, however, this can get very during peak times. During peaks certain items are not available, such the classic oatmeal, and the barbecue brisket is never available. I was told by a cashier they only pull 2 barbecue brisket sandwiches a day because it is not a popular item. Why not pull four sandwiches? Unmmmmm?

Came here looking for something to eat for lunch. Maybe because it is a Sunday and it is pretty quiet out in this area. There is no excuse. They did not have many items. No BBQ Beef Brisket on Sourdough nor Turkey Rustico Panini. Asked them what the did have and was not much in stock. They did not have dark roast coffee and had Pike only available. Do they not make fresh brew coffee. Go figure. Maybe this Starbucks just want to sell all the coffee they made this morning. It is only 12:30 PM in the afternoon
Come on guys can make a fresh cup of dark roast coffee???

Closest location to work. I love all of the employees. They definitely know their customers! It’s a pretty busy location with all of the J&W students & bank employees that frequent it. My drink is right every time, can’t ask for much more than that.

If you’re a Johnson & Wales student or a suit who works in the ‘hood, this place is your caffeine heaven. If you have to come here by way of a vehicle, it’s more like hell.
I can never find a parking spot to come to this location on weekday mornings. Weekends I have more luck with the parking gods.
A Starbucks is a Starbucks. The workers are all friendly. This location is kind of small. It’s super convenient for a lot of the cause walks that happen in Charlotte. (AIDS Walk, Komen, etc)

A Starbucks is a Starbucks, I suppose, but after a long, hot tour of JWU with a girlfriend and her daughter, I was ready for a drink and a little nibble to get us through to lunch. On a Saturday around noon, the place was basically deserted except for 2 other people. JWU is out for the summer, all of the suits were probably at Lake Norman tied to a boat and drunk, so there were just a few souls out and about at this end of Uptown.
We were within walking distance, heading back to the Gateway parking deck after our tour, and I was in need of something to drink ASAP. I didn’t really want coffee with cream in it so I asked the young man for some tea suggestions and he came up with a black tea lemonade. A minute or so later the barista was hollering out my drink. It definitely hit the spot and I got up to get a refill a few minutes later. I now feel the need to find the closest Starbucks (there are two that I could throw a rock at from my patio) and get MORE of this tea. I also had the berry crumb cake, which was moist and tasted fresher than I thought it would.
The employees were VERY friendly and helpful (there were 3 working and they all spoke and were very nice). They even held up very well to a bitchy queen who could not be pleased regardless of their «customer is right» attempts. After they remade the drink for a third time, I would have lost my patience with him, but they kept it together and kept on smiling. There wasn’t a *lot* of seating, but there was plenty of bar-​type seating for people who take up real estate while wi-fi’ing it up. Everything was clean and all of the straws, napkins and such were well-​stocked. Should I find myself at this end of Charlotte visiting the child at JWU, I will definitely stop back in for another tea.

I love the hours. They always seem to be open when I am need of a pick-​me-​up. I try to limit myself on coffee intake, so my typical time of going is 9:30 every Sunday morning before I drive to church. I walk in and I always expect to see the barista Sarah. Her smile, attitude, and spirit is such a great way to wake up. It is almost a downer if she isn’t there, or on break when I go. (I hope that the managers actually look at these reviews in order to show their workers on their compliments)
A Starbucks is a Starbucks and they are all basically uniform. However, it is the employees that make this one special. I am a student at JWU, so it is conveniently right there, but I would choose this Starbucks even if I had to drive.
The only downfall, which is the reason why I had to knock one star down is parking. I understand the issue of having a store in general in Uptown, you will always have a problem with parking, but somedays it is almost impossible to get parking. Especially on game days when the prohibit parking on all streets near the stadium. I just wish they would allow some parking for Starbucks customers.
Another note. If you don’t want to wait in line, do not go between 7 –9am and 11−1pm. The reason these are peak times is because of the people on break at Bank of American and Johnson & Wales University.

Starbucks at Gateway Village was recently remodeled and it is simply a great place to go for coffee. It is setup now for ease of entry and exit. The setup allows you get your order in… and get your coffee and go. I enjoy the mild Blonde blend and add some vanilla for more flavor. The new seating areas are inviting. Great place to have a «non-​business» or business meeting.

As the duly-​designated Johnnie Cochran of this particular Starbucks at Gateway Village, it is my sworn duty to defend this location and say this to the 2-​and 3-​star reviewers: man, y’all don’t know what you’re talking ’bout.
I’ve been working here for 3 years, and this one’s been my go-​to spot for caffeine. So I can’t really complain about such trivialities as parking (parking sucks all around here, so while the complaints are valid, I couldn’t care less) and the fact that it gets crowded and busy. More on that in a bit. But when you walk into a particular Starbucks and the baristas not only know what you favor every day — in my case, a grande Misto w/​non-​fat milk — but also have it ready before you reach the wait counter.
The great news about this location is the recent renovation, which sucked for me considering I was without a workday coffee fix for exactly 10 business days, and when you have to rely on that shitty-​assed Keurig-​brewed coffee I have to endure at home, or force yourself to walk from Gateway to N. Tryon on a spectacularly and stupidly hot afternoon, which, by the way, I’d rather suck on a wet and frayed towel than have to walk 6 city blocks in 95-​degree weather just for a delicious cup of coffee… oh shit, where was I? The renovation, right. The biggest complaint was the lack of space at this location, and when folks were getting their fix between 8−10am and 2−4pm, you know this spot would get crazy crowded, and you really couldn’t move around without accidently brushing someone’s ass, and then have to wait for some slow poke to finish languidly stirring their mocha choca latta yay extra soy 5-​pump coffee, it got pretty frustration. Thankfully, the renovation has not just created a better use of space — there’s a nice and cozy sitting spot in the back — but it’s even cheerful-​looking, in a rustic sort of way.
And then there’s Sarah, the shift manager, a pint-​sized, smart-​ass (I love smart-​asses) that runs a tight ship but makes everyone feel like they’re the most important customer ever. The whole staff is great, friendly even, but Sarah is the shit.
Not all Starbucks are created equal, but this location works just fine for me. So there.

Somehow, I took a shortcut off I-​77 and found myself driving past and spotting a *$ I’d never seen before. Clearly, I needed a caffeine hit.
As Nicole says, there is meter parking on the street. I managed to make a mostly legal U-​turn and parked right in front. I was one of the only customers in there on a Saturday afternoon, so my service was fast and speedy and most importantly, accurate.
I opted to stick around and watch the crew work while I sipped my latte and watched out for the meter maid. They were very friendly and it was clear that there are regulars who stop by and are recognized as such.
Sit by the window or at one of the outside tables if the weather is decent. Johnson & Wales is right here, so there is decent walk-​by traffic of students. Wa-​hey!

Employees are very friendly and my simple iced coffee order is always made to my liking. I don’t frequent this particular starbucks often though because I can never find an open parking space. They have some metered spots right out front but they are always taken when I’m needing my caffeine fix! It is also a smaller store and there are not a lot of available outlets to plug in my laptop. In fact, last time I went, I couldn’t even find an outlet other than the one that was already being used. The other down side is that it can get very busy during peak hours because all office buildings that are located nearby (and Johnson and Wales).
All in all, coffee is good but not my fav location due to parking, smaller venue, and lack of outlets for my little baby laptop!

Tamara is the best! She works M-​F in the morning shift. She is always so chipper. They are quick, friendly, and the place is real clean. The Gold Rush and the Sprinter stop is right in front, too. Other than that, it is a Starbucks. Enjoy!
Ian M.

Another ‘Bucks Uptown… things you need to know about this location!
–Decent amount of street (metered) parking available
–The line can get loooooong, but the staff moves fast
–Not a ton of seating inside, but seems to be enough for the folks who are hanging around
–My chai latte was pretty thin, but that can completely depend on the barista, of course
–The staff are quite friendly, offer to warm up your coffee cake and get those items out to you in record time.
For a quick cup of joe in Gateway Village, this Starbucks is a-​ok.

Very busy starbucks.

Man does this bus get busy around 1 ish?. Baristas are super nice!
While starbux isn’t my coffee house of choice this one is located right across from my school so i hosnestly frequent it quite often. Its a good place to study with a total of 4 big poofy green chairs but only two electrical outlets so make sure ur laptop is charged! The drinks are pretty consistant. Bold coffees change periodically bt if they don’t have your bold of choice, ask and they will brew u some fresh. Im not thrilled about the coffee from starbucks. There are about 3 blends i like while others lack depth of flavor. Coffee is priced okay if the coffee was good. I don’t understand why the oatmeal is so spendy!
Basically u will see me here out of need of caffine.

Another Starbucks review? I’ve come to realize that not all Starbucks are the same and this one is somewhat lackluster. I ordered a medium iced Americano and overheard the baristas tell one another that it looked kinda weak. They made it anyway and gave it to me. I told them (politely of course) that it was and they made another one regular strength. That’s definitely not Starbucks signature customer service.
I can’t say I will go back to this particular Starbucks, unless I’m stranded around J & W with a caffeine-​deprived headache. I agree with Jess that there are exceedingly few coffeehouses uptown.

Very good location for coffee shop. I think this is the only one in Gateway Village. Also, it is right next to the bus stop (express bus) so you will always find someone seating there who is waiting on bus. I went in to get something cold since it was so hot outside and I couldn’t make up my mind on what I want to get so I asked what do you recommend? He said we pretty much make everything cold and hot so if you like anything specific, we can make it cold for you. So I decided to get Chai Iced Latte which turned out to be really good. Employee were quick and helpful but I think they need that big smile on their face that’s the only reason I am giving them 4 star.

Fast and friendly. Couldn’t ask for more.
Why aren’t there more coffee shops around here?!