Wicker Park Starbucks Planning Major Makeover, Pricy Upgrades

Starbucks will soon undergo a major transformation, bringing everything from new furniture and fixtures to the company’s pricy Clover Brewing System to Wicker Park.

Starbucks representatives confirmed the store at 1701 W. Division St. will begin interior renovations at the end of July. A recently approved permit with the City of Chicago estimates construction alone will cost roughly $275,000.

“Renovation will focus on updates to the interior, including furnishings as well as bringing a Clover® brewing system to this location,” a company representative said in an email. “Clover® coffees are selected from farms all over the world by our experienced coffee team, and offer ultra-premium brewed coffee made fresh by the cup.”

Additional details about construction are still under wraps, with representatives not yet commenting on whether the store will also offer the Starbucks Evenings menu, or when construction is expected to finish.

The Clover Brewing System, on the other hand, is a different premium feature that allows Starbucks employees to brew specialty—and pricy—coffee. When the company launched its Costa Rica Finca Palmilera roast late last year, a Grande size was $7, and a half-pound bag went for $40.

Using a specialty $11,000 machine, the coffee is vacuum-pressed at a precise temperature for an “amazingly flavorful” cup of joe.

Starbucks is also launching the new Clover machine at its upcoming store at 3400 N. Southport Ave., expected to open sometime this month.

Starbucks purchased the Clover from its inventors Coffee Equipment Company in 2008. Clover coffees will be an addition to the café’s traditional list of menu items, with the machine's cofounder Randy Hulett comparing the brews to fine wine.

"For $7, you can get a bad glass of wine," Hulett told Wired Magazine after the 2008 acquisition. "Or you can get one of the best cups of coffee in the world."