Preparations are underway for a new facility to open in the car park area of Aintree's Asda store, but the identity of the tenant remains unconfirmed. Online speculation has pointed towards a Starbucks drive-thru, but neither Asda nor Starbucks has provided official confirmation.
Rumours and Speculation
Rumours began circulating online claiming a Starbucks store is set to move into the development. The claim has been echoed by several people, including an anonymous profile who claimed to work at the Asda store. In 2022, a planning application logged with Sefton Council requested the construction of a drive-thru coffee shop on land currently part of the car park. The applicant's agent, RPS, indicated the coffee shop would be operated by Starbucks. However, until recently, no works had been undertaken to suggest those plans were coming to fruition.
Official Responses
The Liverpool Echo reached out to Starbucks to confirm whether guests could expect one of its famous green and white coffee houses in the near future. A Starbucks spokesperson told the Echo: “I'm afraid we don't have any updates to share about plans for Aintree.” When the Echo posed the same question to Asda, a spokesperson said the works were being led by an external developer and therefore they could not comment on their behalf.
Context of Starbucks Closures
Starbucks recently closed its longstanding site on Myrtle Street in Liverpool city centre. In September 2025, Starbucks announced an undisclosed number of its UK stores would close after a consultation on its global footprint. While the list of closures was not confirmed at the time, the Myrtle Street site was one of the casualties and shut in December 2025.
The nature of the facility moving into the Aintree Asda car park, its identity, and why construction is taking place remains unknown. Neither Asda nor Starbucks has provided further details, leaving locals and online speculators to continue guessing.
