Robot Builds Concrete Starbucks: Texas Drive-Thru Costs $1.2M But Has No Seats

Starbucks opened its first fully automated building in Brownsville, Texas on April 28, 2025. The 1,400-square-foot structure was built by Peri 3D Construction using a robot that extruded concrete layer by layer. Despite costing $1.2 million, the minimalist drive-thru location has no indoor seating or customer bathrooms. The project took four months to complete and features drought-resistant landscaping. This innovation signals a potential shift in commercial construction methods.

A robotic 3D printer has constructed the first-ever fully automated Starbucks building in Brownsville, Texas. The groundbreaking location opened on April 28, 2025, marking a significant shift in commercial construction. Built by Peri 3D Construction using a Cobod BOD2 printer, the process required no human construction crew.

The 1,400-square-foot structure was created as robotic arms extruded concrete layer by layer directly on site. The building process leaves the concrete layers visible, creating a minimalist architectural style. Humans added finishing elements like windows, doors, and a porch after the main structure was complete. The innovative construction represents a potential shift in how businesses develop new locations.

Robotic precision meets minimalist design as concrete layers rise autonomously, awaiting human hands to complete the vision.

This new Starbucks doesn’t offer a place to sit and relax. It functions solely as a drive-thru and walk-up location, prioritizing speed over the traditional “third place” atmosphere. The $1.2 million building has no indoor seating or customer bathrooms.

The interior layout was designed for maximum efficiency. Baristas take minimal steps to prepare orders in an equipment zone with a tight, optimized workflow. The entire process caters to high-volume order flow, especially for customers who prefer mobile ordering. Construction on this innovative project began in late 2024 and took approximately four months to complete.

The exterior features xeriscaping with drought-resistant plants, rocks, and gravel that require minimal maintenance. This approach, combined with the 3D printing construction method, aims to make the location more sustainable than traditional buildings. Energy storage systems utilizing lithium-ion batteries have been integrated to maximize power efficiency and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Industry experts view this development as a major advancement in commercial 3D-printed architecture in the USA. They describe it as “deployable infrastructure” that could become a blueprint for future urban commercial construction.

Public reception has been mixed. While many praise the technological innovation, others note the irony of mass-producing both coffee and the building itself. Some observers characterize the design as “brutal honesty” that reveals the brand’s evolution from cozy coffee shop to efficient “caffeine fueling station.”

The Brownsville location follows previous 3D printing experiments by Starbucks, including a Teavana Bar, but represents their most ambitious project in this construction method to date.