Starbucks

I LOVE STARBUCKS!!! I think that’s all I have to say about it.
The location, however, is very convenient and the service is great, friendly and fast.
Definitely recommend.

Starbucks! Need I say more? Well, maybe!
Pumpkin Spiced Latte, Iced Caramel Macchiato, Bacon & Gouda breakfast sandwich… Mmm… I’m already drooling.
But really, this is a great location with ample seating and inside Indigo Bookstore which gives it a great vibe for sitting back and relaxing with a cup ‘o joe over a good book!
Be careful about the parking as another reviewer noted! 2 hour limit — keep your receipt to prove you were actually there! And the North Town Parking Lot SUCKS — sorry, but no bones about it. The worst parking lot in the city by a mile!
Downside to an Indigo Starbucks? No drive-​thru, but there is another one just down the road if you need the drive-​thru.
Coffee on!
PS — Don’t forget to download the SB app to your phone to earn free drinks and discounts!!!

This place hasn’t been reviewed in ages. I’ve come here quite a bit and they are fabulous. Some Starbucks lack quick service and pleasantries. Not this one. The staff are stupid fast and very nice.
The location itself is well maintained and has tons of seating to accommodate people watching, eavesdropping, networking, coffee breaks and working. This is one of my fave stops on the north side of yeg.
The only issue you may find is parking. The lot can get really busy with the mall patrons. So be on the look out for DB parkers and clueless drivers. It gets hairy in this location.

Great location! They are always open on time (6am) and the staff is super friendly. Never had a mistake on my order.
Top notch!

One thing Starbucks does well is brand recognition. This was my first time to this location and it looks like all the others so I felt like I had been there a million times before. This can be seen as a positive and a negative — it is great because you are familiar with the layout and the menus etc but not so great because there is no individuality, uniqueness, or more personal feel to the place.
The drinks and treats are exactly what is expected from a Starbucks location (any Starbucks location). What separates the good from the bad is location and service. Unfortunately this particular Starbucks fails on both accounts.
I went at 4:30pm on a Saturday afternoon and the place was not busy however finding a parking spot and negotiating the parking lot was a feat all on its own. Unfortunately there is a T&T Supermarket directly across the parking lot and all of these customers were consuming the parking and walking haphazardly in the paved lot. This made it a unique challenge even to get in the door.
Once I had made it in I was able to walk right up to the counter and attempt to order. The baristas were all busy cleaning and so it took a while to get their attention but eventually I placed my order. The friend I was meeting had arrived before me so instead of waiting at the counter for my drink I sat with her and chatted for a while. Next thing I realize that ten minutes had gone by and my drink was still not prepared so back up to the counter I went. Again all of the baristas were cleaning machines and organizing items behind the counter — they all had forgotten about my drink. Luckily I was not in a rush because from the time I walked in until I received my beverage was over 15 minutes.
There are two other Starbucks’ at the intersection of 97^th Street and 137^th Ave and (without being to either) I would recommend trying both of them over this location.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: Evidently I spent more than 2 hours in this location this morning, as I discovered when I went to my car. I discovered a $ 45 ticket from Diamond Parking on my windshield. I had no idea there were even time limits here. I left a message with North Town Mall administration to have the ticket reversed. My family shops a lot at this mall. If this is not taken care of satisfactorily, I won’t be shopping there again.)
(UPDATE — Aug 13: Just talked to Larry, the manager of Starbucks, and he’s going to look into it and call me back. No luck with North Town Mall Admin yet, as they don’t ever seem to be in their office or return messages.)
(UPDATE — Aug 23 — I called Diamond Parking last week & they reversed the ticket & trusted that I was in Starbucks. They said next time they’d need proof, so keep your receipts! I always do.)
On a dreary, rainy day like today, I really appreciate the abundance of natural and nice artificial lighting. Looking outside at the pouring rain makes me want to stay dry and comfortable here.
This Starbucks is a good option for an informal meeting up to eight people. I haven’t seen any tables this large in any other Starbucks.
The parking can be a pain at times because the newly remodelled Northtown Mall (well worth a visit) is quite busy, with a London Drugs, T&T asian supermarket, Bed Bath and Beyond and Indigo books as tenants.
Busyness — Mid-​morning in this Starbucks is steady, but not overly busy. As one of the many Starbucks with a drive-​thru, I’m sure that makes a difference.
Noisiness — It’s on par with other Starbucks, if not a touch quieter. It’s a bit bigger space than other Starbucks, so it seems to absorb more noise. The music isn’t too bad either.
Ambience — This Starbucks is another one of my favourites. It’s a bright space with lots of windows and pleasant artificial lighting. You don’t have to worry about eyestrain here. It’s a comfortable place and there are a couple of really nice paintings (prints?) too.
Power — Seems to be a good selection of outlets to plug into.
Free wifi — Available and works well. I think Starbucks made a good choice in offering free wifi.
Staff — What can I say? Starbucks does a pretty good job of hiring upbeat people. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a complaint about their staff.
Seating — There’s a good variety of seating here for groups, including a table that can seat eight (something I haven’t seen at a Starbucks before). The majority of the seating is geared to groups of four actually. There are a couple of comfortable armchairs tucked away in the corner and there are three comfortable benches also. In total there are 28 seats inside. There are also a couple of tables outside.
Security — I’ve found it to be pretty good here overall, but there are a few odd characters coming in every once in a while.

Can’t stand their coffee. It tastes like it was strained through an old sock. I’ll stick to Tim Hortons.

I Love this new location! The layout is great, the staff us friendly, and brisk with your order! The chairs and furniture is super comfy as well!
I tried the new Passion Fruit Iced Tea Lemonade (shaken) and it was the best thing I have ever drank! I am hooked on them now! I also love the Strawberry Crème Frappuchino!
I also love the patio! It was so nice and warm outside, and it was awesome to sit outside, in the shade with my Lemonade, and visit with my friends!
Also, this location has speakers outside, which plays very nice music, and leaves a nice background noise for customers to enjoy if they are outside sitting at the patio by themselves. The only suggestion I have for them, is to turn down the music a bit, in the café, it seems to be a little loud, and makes you have to talk above normal levels for your friends to be able to hear you.
I also must add in that starbucks recently changed 90% of their recipes to take out all artificial flavorings, and preservatives!!! Now their muffins come made with real FRESH berries, and instead of syrup flavorings in their fruit drinks, they now come made with fresh fruit juice! Very nice for people like me who are *trying* to cut back on refined foods, and junk!
Overall, this is my favorite location, and I definentaly plan on coming back!