News Release:
First Starbucks To Open In A National Park Lands In Yosemite
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved through Today.com's website.
Despite the protests of park purists, who, according to Today.com, gathered more than 25,000 signatures on a petition, the first Starbucks in a national park opened quietly in Yosemite in mid-March. The Starbucks, which does not have a sign displaying the famous logo, is located in the Base Camp Eatery, a remodeled space once housing the old food court at the Yosemite Valley Lodge. The lodge is operated by Aramark, the international food-service corporation and main concessionaire at Yosemite, which was awarded a $2 billion, 15-year contract with the park in June 2015. Aramark holds the contract to operate concessions in several other national parks, including Glacier Bay, Mesa Verde, Denali, Olympic and, new this year, Crater Lake.
In a press release, Starbucks describes the Yosemite store, its first location in a national park, as a "hidden gem" designed to meet green building standards. The company designers preserved the original qualities of the historic building, including its vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, and built the coffee bar from "reclaimed and rediscovered" redwood. It is the first retail location within Yosemite built to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the world’s most widely used green building rating system. Starbucks is the world’s largest green retailer, with more than 1,400 LEED-certified stores and facilities in 20 countries.
To get Starbucks' point of view, view the full press release here.