Better latte than never - Rugby's second Starbucks takes shape on site of former pub

The wait is nearly over for those who don't want to go to Elliott's Field for their Starbucks... the new drive-thru on the site of the old Avon Mill pub was looking in good shape on Tuesday, November 22.

The plan to build a drive-thru on the site of the Avon Mill pub off Newbold Road was approved in 2019 but since then Starbucks fans have had to carry on with only one choice – going all the way to Elliott’s Field.

But work is progressing well on the new building and with the car park now being laid out, there will soon be another way to get that particular brand of coffee fix.

A further application for all the signs was approved this September so expect to see it to take on the Starbucks look soon.

The forlorn-looking Avon Mill pub awaits its fate in 2018. Photo: Google Street View.

It’s also not the end of the story for the old pub land.

A separate application for a three-bay tyre service centre was approved in October last year and would use the same access off Hunters Lane as the drive thru.

As users of the tip know, turning out of Hunters Lane is an art form already but the county council is planning major changes for the stretch of Newbold Road that runs past the site and to the roundabout – and the new developments have been designed to dovetail with these changes.

When Starbucks was given the go-ahead in 2019, the borough council officer’s report said: ‘Through a combination of modern yet tasteful design and a good balance between built development, surfacing and landscaping, this scheme provides an opportunity to raise the quality of design in the area and positively welcome visitors to the town centre’.