Melissa Wells/Insider
- A planned Starbucks location in Taos, New Mexico, has caught fire for the second time in two months.
- The latest fire early Monday morning destroyed the under-construction store, the Taos News reported.
- It will be the first free-standing Starbucks store in Taos, which has opposed the chain in the past.
A planned Starbucks store in Taos, New Mexico, has reportedly caught fire for the second time in as many months.
The store, which was under construction, was destroyed in a fire reported to local authorities around 12:30 am local time, according to the Taos News. Another fire at the location in August burned part of the building's facade, the News reported at the time.
"It was fully engulfed," Taos Fire Chief Eddie Joe Abeyta told the News after Monday's early-morning fire. "It collapsed into the center." The fire department did not immediately respond to questions from Insider about the fire.
Investigators from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the office of the New Mexico State Fire Marshal would be at the scene of the fire on Monday, the News reported. The state's fire marshal was in the process of investigating the first fire at the location when it had to switch focus to another fire at a Walmart store a four-and-a-half hour drive away in Clovis, New Mexico, the News reported in September.
The location, which would be the first free-standing Starbucks cafe in Taos, faced opposition from local residents. The town, which is famous for its artists and nearby skiing venues, already has two of the coffee chain's locations situated in grocery stores. Residents raised concerns in 2018 when the first Starbucks location in the town opened, the News reported.
Residents have opposed the opening of other chains, such as Walmart, in the past. And Taos residents are once again debating the value of new job opportunities against the fear of putting local businesses out of business on social media pages dedicated to residents.
Starbucks did not immediately respond to Insider's questions about the fire, including how the destruction from Monday's fire would affect the timeline for construction. In August, before both of the fires, the News reported that construction on the store would be finished by early December.