A new Starbucks location rarely makes headlines, but one South Texas store is doing more than slinging iced caramel macchiatos. A just-opened location at 2491 Boca Chica Blvd. in Brownsville is the world's first 3D-printed building for the Seattle-based mega-chain. The store served its first customers on Thursday, April 24.

The City of Brownsville revealed the innovative project in a social media post. According to project details via the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the 1,400-square-foot drive-thru location cost approximately $1.2 million to build.

The Starbucks building was constructed layer by layer by a robotic printer extruding ribbons of concrete. PERI 3D Construction, the German firm behind the technology, says the approach allows it to "build faster, more cost-effectively, and with less material waste."

The technique may rankle the feathers of some architectural purists, but the printing forms a striped, textural facade with no sharp corners. The store design leans Brutalist, but at least it isn't another big box.

Starbucks has recently made headlines for CEO Brian Niccoli's attempts to revitalize the in-store experience, returning the chain to its coffee house roots. Among the key changes have been a simplified menu, a new dress code, ceramic mugs, and the return of the condiment bar. The Brownsville newbie, however, will only offer drive-thru and grab-and-go service.

Once the stuff of cyberpunk fiction, 3D printing has continued to become an attractive alternative as construction costs rise.

In Austin, the technology is becoming increasingly popular in combating rising housing costs. An entire neighborhood using the technology opened in 2021, though the almost $800,000 price tags hardly rank as affordable. In March, the city's bustling Mueller neighborhood unveiled its first 3D-printed homes designed by the acclaimed Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.