Glasgow Starbucks drive-thru allowed to stay open until 5am

Glasgow’s licensing committee handed a three-year late hours catering licence to the firm at a meeting yesterday.

David Hossack, representing Starbucks, said the Helen Street cafe is ideally located for drivers on the M8 as well as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the nearby police station. The licence allows trading between 11pm and 5am.

“Since the premises opened, it has fared very well and there has been a significant demand for the facilities,” he said.

“It’s been popular with locals, with workers, including from the police station, those coming from the airport and the nearby hospital, and also critically for travellers who seek to break their journey.

“There is a clear demand for the ability to get a drink and a snack through the night.”

Currently, the premises opens from 6am to 10pm but the drive-thru is “very busy in the early hours”, leading to Starbucks applying for the late hours licence.

Cllr Alex Wilson, who chaired the licensing committee, said: “I’m very well aware of this premises. I know exactly what kind of clientele it has, there is certainly never any anti-social behaviour attributed to anybody around Starbucks.

“The actual drive-thru is busy. They have Police Scotland right across the road and I’m not saying Police Scotland is fuelled on coffee, but they have a lot of staff who need a coffee in the middle of the night because they’ve got a late shift.

“It’s next to the M8 motorway and to encourage people to take a break, have a coffee, and pick themselves up is great. I have no problem with this application whatsoever.”

Mr Hossack, for Starbucks, also said there is “already established demand and precedent for these hours in the area”. “I understand the nearby McDonald’s and Asda have licences which enable 24-hour trading.”