experimental 3D printed starbucks soon to open in south texas

german firm Peri 3d arrives in texas

In a leap toward the future of construction, the first-ever 3D printed Starbucks is brewing in Brownsville, Texas. Designed by German firm Peri 3D, the same company behind Europe’s first 3D printed social housing, the upcoming café sets a new and concrete precedent for retail architecture.

The 3D-printed Starbucks is set to open its sliding window to mobile order pick-ups and drive-thru customers on April 28th, 2025. Unlike a typical café with cozy armchairs and jazz on loop, this 1,400-square-foot Texas outpost is built purely for speed and convenience. The entire structure is composed of 3D-printed concrete walls — no drywall, no beams — just a sinuous, layer-by-layer print job that skips the scaffolding and the surplus.

the 3D-printed project is the first of its kind for the coffee company | image @brownsvilletoday

starbucks joins the scene of experimental builds

Planted at 2491 Boca Chica Boulevard, this 3D-printed Starbucks also marks a notable shift for the coffee giant as it experiments with sustainable and modular construction with German firm Peri 3D. The project cost rings in at just under $1.2 million, a price tag that reflects both the novelty of the technology and the scalability it promises for future expansion.

Texas, home to 3D printing leader ICON and a flurry of experimental builds — from affordable housing to the midcentury modern-inspired House Zero — is fast becoming the epicenter of additive architecture. In this context, the 3D-printed Starbucks reads less like a novelty and more like a natural progression for an area that’s already embraced concrete robotics as part of its architectural DNA. While the drive-thru-only model might skip the third-wave coffee shop trappings, this 3D-printed Starbucks is undeniably about innovation.

the café is designed and constructed by German company Peri 3D | image @brownsvilletoday