Did you know there’s a Starbucks in Lebanon County?

(Originally published Feb. 6, 2016 for the Lebanon Daily News) — Conventional wisdom has long held Lebanon County lacks a Starbucks coffeehouse. As it turns out, this is incorrect.

There’s actually a full-service Starbucks within the county lines, though getting there can be a little tricky. It’s inside the Lawn Travel Plaza, primarily accessed from the Pennsylvania Turnpike toll road.

How to get to Lawn Starbucks

Travelers ordinarily stumble upon this rest stop while driving westbound on Interstate 76, which can be accessed from Route 72 between Cornwall and Manehim. Trouble is, that’s not necessarily convenient for Lebanon area residents, as the first available offramp isn’t until the Harrisburg-Highspire exit – not to mention you’ll be socked with a toll.

Fortunately, there is another way.

The complex has an employee parking lot located off Bachmanville Road, and you can ignore the signs reading “private roadway” and “no parking.” A plaza employee confirmed the lot is available to customers. Simply type “Lawn Travel Plaza Employee Lot” into your GPS for directions.

The employee lot is a short walk from the plaza. Just beware of vehicles entering from the highway when crossing the road.

Is this really in Lebanon?

Some of the confusion over this mythical Starbucks is in regard to its precise whereabouts.

There’s no question Lawn is a part of Lebanon County. Yet, as a tipster points out, GPS coordinates indicate the rest stop is in Mount Joy, which would be Lancaster County. The fact that there’s no natural road in Lebanon leading directly to the plaza only adds another layer of mystery.

But based on its address, as well as Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture records, the Lawn Travel Plaza is definitely in Lebanon, albeit at the very edge of the southwest corner of the county.

Thanks to Campbelltown resident Zach Kindt for the tip.

More convenient Starbucks locations

Just because there is a Starbucks within the county limits doesn’t mean it’s the best or only place to get your fix.

Starbucks has multiple locations in Hershey for those in the western half of Lebanon County. The coffeehouses in Lancaster and Ephrata might be easier for residents based in communities in the lower east end, such as Kleinfeltersville and Schaefferstown, while Fredericksburg and Myerstown might travel to parts of Berks County such as Hamburg or West Lawn.

The Lebanon VA Medical Center also sells select Starbucks brews at its PatriotBrew café right inside building 17’s west entrance, as well as WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital’s Courtyard Cafe as part of the chain’s office coffee service. However, these are not official Starbucks locations and have only limited offerings – no lattes or Frappucinos here.

When last pressed for comment, a Starbucks spokesperson would not discuss the possibility for new store locations in Lebanon County, but said, “We are continually evaluating our store portfolio.”