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DOWAGIAC — Shoppers will soon be able to sip a Starbucks coffee while they browse the aisles at the Family Fare in Dowagiac.

The grocery store recently announced it will open its new full-service Starbucks at 6 a.m. Monday, April 8 and will offer hot sandwiches, pastries and nitro and cold brew coffees. Baristas have spent the past few weeks training for the big day.

It will be the first Starbucks to open to the public in Cass County and the second overall after the Starbucks on the Southwestern Michigan College campus.

For Store Manager Dan Stuck, the arrival of Starbucks is the continuation of SpartanNash’s “people-first” culture, which aligns with its emphasis on providing quality service to customers and the community.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Stuck said. “It’s another opportunity for us to serve the community and take care of them the way they should be cared for.”

Family Fare Dowagiac has been going through a remodel process since the end of Oct 2023. 

This includes enhancing its produce, meat, bakery and deli offerings, adding hot food options, grill-ready options and a larger selection of produce including its “Fresh and Finest” cut fruit. In addition, its pharmacy will now have a consultation room for our customers and an expanded entry/exit way will allow customers to go in and out quicker.  

“It was definitely needed out here,” Stuck said. “We’re able to take care of the community the way we really want to. We had to make sure the time was right for it so we’re finally at that point and Starbucks is a big part of that.”

According to Stuck, the renovation is expected to be completed later this spring. He said staff and community members have been enjoying the improvements made to the facility and looking forward to Starbucks opening next week.

“Our biggest thing is serving the community the best we can,”  he said. “We do as much as we can with the space that we’ve got. It’s making our jobs easier and it’s making it easier for us to serve the community. Hopefully we can enjoy it and our customers enjoy it as well.”