Taunton's Low-Key Savage Post About New Starbucks Location

TAUNTON (WBSM) — The City of Taunton is now officially in on the joke, responding to a recent trend within the city with an update on a new Starbucks location on Mozzone Boulevard.

The response drew laughs from some and groans from others.

“Just in case you were wondering,” the City posted to its official Facebook page on November 23, “The Starbucks being built at the former TGI Fridays location is coming along, with much of the outside construction, including the drive-thru, near completion.”

The “just in case you were wondering” part was a veiled reference to the numerous posts in town-oriented Facebook groups such as “I Live in Taunton, MA” and others asking “what’s going in the old TGI Fridays?” and “what are they building across from Smokey Bones?”

The question was posted so many times that others have started posting the same questions in tongue-in-cheek fashion, sharing photos of the construction or of the former TGI Fridays sign. Naturally, that also led to humorous and flippant responses to the question.

Someone even went so far as to make a new Facebook group titled “What are they putting in the old TGIF's next to Smokey Bones in Taunton???”, which mostly features people posting that exact question.

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The TGI Fridays shut down in February of 2023 and has sat vacant for nearly two years. The new Starbucks will be a relocation for the one down the road on Taunton Depot Drive, to have more room and more drive-thru capacity.

“Although we are likely a few months away from the opening of this new massive Starbucks (with a 14-car drive-thru capacity), we appreciate all of the community anticipation and enthusiasm!” the City wrote in the Facebook post.

Once it does open, the new question can begin: what’s going in the old Starbucks next to Wendy’s in the Petco plaza?