Despite Opposition, Yosemite Starbucks Opening

Despite an online petition with 25,000 signatures, Starbucks will be part of your Yosemite experience starting this year.

That petition to halt its opening died a quiet death on March 16, when the coffee giant began operating at Yosemite Valley Lodge’s Base Camp Eatery, which underwent a $7 million remodel, its first since 2000.

The Guardian reports that requests from visitors reportedly partly drove the decision, which “aligns with our goals of elevating the food and beverage offerings throughout the park,” per a rep with Aramark, which is running the facility.

This is Starbucks first location in a national park, and “we wanted to be respectful to the park and added only what we needed to,” said a store designer with the chain.

There’s no exterior signage, and Chain Store Age reports on one “cue” it took from its natural setting: The bar is covered in reclaimed redwood from Northern California.

That’s likely not enough to satisfy Freddy Brewster, the former Yosemite trail guide and man behind the petition: The store opening “is representative of what our culture is becoming,” he said.

“The government is increasingly dependent on major corporations.”

New LEED-certified @Starbucks a hidden gem in #Yosemite National Park https://t.co/iT4O9eyivb pic.twitter.com/1i2cy6QJ4y

— Starbucks News (@Starbucksnews) March 16, 2018