KEY TAKEAWAYS: PJ’s Coffee to reopen at 7700 Maple Street, former Starbucks location. Fall 2026 target opening after full interior and exterior renovations. Fifth Uptown location, reconnecting with Maple Street neighborhood roots. Maple Street remains a popular coffee corridor with new compe titors nearby.   PJ’s Coffee is returning to Maple Street in Uptown New Orleans, this time with a new location at 7700 Maple St., the former Starbucks site at the corner of Maple and Adams. Ballard Brands, the New Orleans-based parent company of PJ’s Coffee, has purchased the property and plans to open the new store by fall 2026. The purchase price was not disclosed. The new site is down the block from PJ’s former flagship at 7624 Maple St., which operated for nearly 50 years before closing in January 2025 amid prolonged construction disruptions on Maple Street and in the surrounding area. “The Maple Street neighborhood has always been central to our PJ’s story – it’s where the brand began, what inspired our signature Maple Street Blend, and where PJ’s became part of the community and, ultimately, an Uptown New Orleans go-to destination,” said Ryan Stansbury, executive vice president of franchise development for Ballard Brands. Stansbury added: “Even after we left the original location, we always knew we wanted to return to the Carrollton-Uptown neighborhood. When the Starbucks site became available, we moved quickly, as it gave us an opportunity to reconnect with where the brand first took root.” The company is in the construction-document phase and expects to move next into permitting, bidding, and buildout. “Assuming everything stays on track, we would expect the new Maple Street location to open in late August, so fall is a safe target,” Stansbury said. “We’ll do a full renovation of the interior and some exterior improvements as well, while reusing as much existing infrastructure as makes sense. By the time we’re done, it will feel entirely like a PJ’s.” Founded by Phyllis Jordan in 1978, PJ’s is one of the city’s original specialty coffee brands. Jordan sold the business in the early 2000s to Raving Brands, and in 2008 the Ballard brothers — Paul, Steven and Scott — acquired PJ’s Coffee. Today, Ballard Brands operates as a privately held, New Orleans-headquartered restaurant, food, and coffee company. Its nationwide portfolio includes more than 190 PJ’s Coffee locations across 15 states, including 107 in Louisiana, with 85 in the New Orleans designated market area. The Maple Street store will become PJ’s fifth Uptown location. “We’ve stayed true to our roots by focusing on being part of the community — a place to gather over quality coffee, food, and the kind of neighborhood experience PJ’s was built on,” Stansbury said. “We have some exciting developments in the works, and this location may offer an early look at what’s ahead for the brand.” The 7700 Maple Street property includes about 1,689 square feet of building area on a 3,756-square-foot lot, with off-street parking, patio space, and prominent corner frontage in one of Uptown’s busiest commercial corridors. Maple Street remains a heavily trafficked stretch lined with neighborhood staples, restaurants, bars and retailers, and it draws a steady mix of residents, students, and visitors because of its proximity to Tulane and Loyola universities. The coffee landscape on Maple has shifted since PJ’s left the corridor. The Starbucks at 7700 Maple closed in late 2025, while French Truck Coffee opened at 7638 Maple last summer. “The corridor has changed since we were last open, with French Truck now down the street and several other strong coffee brands in the area,” Stansbury said. “But we’ve coexisted before, and we believe multiple brands can be successful in that market. For us, the bigger point is that Maple is where PJ’s has deep roots, and it was very important for us to return when the opportunity presented itself.” ...read more read less