Robinson Funeral Home To Open Starbucks Location

One of Easley's oldest businesses, Robinson Funeral Home, is nearing completion on an renovation that will add a new lobby, new arrangement rooms - and a Starbucks.

Robinson Funeral Home Downtown's remodeling is still going on – and when it's finished, the funeral home will have its own Starbucks location - Easley's first.

Chris Robinson, Robinson Funeral Home General Manager, said opening a Starbucks as part of the funeral home made sense.

“We've always served coffee to our families,” Robinson said. “So as part of this new addition, where we're adding a new lobby, new arrangement offices, new bathrooms, we decided to incorporate a separate area for people who may want coffee.”

Deciding on Starbucks was an easy decision, Robinson said.

“They have a great product and great name recognition,” he said. “We decided to offer something special as an alternative for a family if they want it.”

“Starbucks really believes in having their coffee served in a very consistent manner, they have high standards,” Robinson said. “We have high standards in our funeral services. We wanted to have something that was parallel to what we're trying to do.”

The Starbucks will have a separate entrance from the main funeral home entrance, Robinson said.

“It's there for folks who might like it,” Robinson said. “Starbucks isn't for everybody, so if people don't want it, with the separate entrance they won't really even see it.”

The Starbucks will be open to the public as well.

Customers will enter through a patio.

“It'll be on the corner of the building,” Robinson said. “We're on the corner of Main and South 1st Street so it will be 'Coffee Corner.'”

There will be no external signage for the Starbucks, as part of Robinson Funeral Home's agreement with the company.

“We want it to have its own identity,” Robinson said.

Starbucks will be installing all the equipment the week of July 29, and Robinson is hoping the new location will be open sometime in August.

A new website, easleycoffee.com is currently under construction, but people can use it to follow the progress of the new Starbucks.

The Starbucks will operate on separate hours from the funeral home.

“We're going to have set hours,” Robinson said. “We'll be open early in the morning and if we have a visitation going on at night, we'll also be open at night.”

Having the Starbucks on-site will give mourners a respite during difficult times, Robinson said.

“If people need a little break from the visitation line, they can step in there. If someone is grieving, they can have a quick escape into a little private area.”

The remodeling and new addition project at the downtown location is going well, Robinson said.

The work has moved to focus on the interior of the building. The project will include remodeled bathrooms, as well as a new bathroom, a lobby area with Wi-Fi and a fireplace.

Robinson said he's hoping the remodeling work will be done over the next few weeks. An Open House is slated for the afternoon of Sunday, August 26.

The Starbucks will also have wi-fi, as well as a TV and a fireplace.

“I know it's sounds strange to be talking about a fireplace in July, but there'll come a time when we need it,” Robinson said.