After the second “Charbucks” arson attack in New Mexico, the developer is trying again to build a Starbucks branch

A contractor struggling to build a Starbucks drive-thru in New Mexico is hoping for three strokes of luck after two arson attacks already occurred at the construction site, now nicknamed “Charbucks.”

The standalone cafe would be Starbucks’ first in Taos, an artsy town of 6,500 where the company has branches in two supermarkets but has fended off some national chains in the past, Reuters reported Saturday.

“We don’t know who did it, but we really enjoyed it,” holistic healer Todd Lazar said of the fires while chatting with other patrons outside the World Cup Cafe in Taos.

According to Reuters, stickers featuring the burning Starbucks logo – with the signature mermaid face replaced by a skull – were placed on local stores.

The first fire a year ago damaged the northeast corner of the half-finished Starbucks branch, with the words “F— No” painted on a window.

Two months later, a second fire burned the building to the ground.

No one was injured in the fires, but the second fire knocked out the power supply to a neighboring funeral home, so the bodies stored there had to be relocated.

In December, City Manager Andrew Gonzales said plans were in the works to resume construction, the Taos News reported at the time.

“If they don’t rebuild, they send the message that this is OK and that this is a way to stop businesses that you don’t feel comfortable with,” Gonzales said.

The premises are now protected by video surveillance cameras and a security guard is sleeping in a camouflaged trailer ahead of the store’s planned opening in spring 2025, Reuters reported.

Neither the building contractor Hart Construction nor Arizona-based developer and property owner Clint Jameson, who plans to lease the building to Starbucks, responded to requests for comment.

Starbucks spokesman Sam Jeffries said employee safety is the company’s top priority and that once the store opens, the company will work closely with local police.

Taos Economic Development Director Christopher Larsen said officials supported the Starbucks project because it would create jobs and tax revenue.

But two or three national chains canceled their plans in Taos after the second fire, saying the city “doesn’t want corporate America,” Larsen said.

Police believe they know who started the fires but do not have enough evidence to arrest anyone, Larsen said.

The city’s police chief declined to comment, but local authorities are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering an additional $5,000.