A new type of Starbucks coffee shop was dedicated in Springfield this week, with the company announcing plans to to partner with regional nonprofits and provide space for local community leaders and artists.

Springfield's first Starbucks Community Store was dedicated Wednesday. The location at 2817 N. Kansas Expressway, near the Walmart Supercenter there, has operated as a traditional Starbucks since opening in September. The Community Store is open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday.

The Springfield store features a designated "community table" for events and programming. The store will also partner with local chapters of Boys and Girls Club, Big Brother Big Sister and the Springfield Dream Sister, according to a Starbucks spokesperson.

When asked about what these partnerships will look like, a Starbucks spokesperson told the News-Leader that they will "look different depending on their specific needs," but the store will focus on youth opportunities, such as assisting with mock interviews for students.

Most Community Stores include artwork from an area artist. In the Springfield store, an original painting by local painter Sarah Rasul is on display. The colorful painting features a tiger for strength and confidence and butterflies for resilience, vulnerability, growth and adaptation.

"This imagery of my work in the Community Store represents connection and belonging in the Springfield community," Rasul told the News-Leader. "We are united and connected on many levels. It is up to us as a community to learn and grow together for each other."

Starbucks launched its Community Store Program in 2015. Community Stores offer the same food and drink options as traditional Starbucks restaurants but put an emphasis on giving back to the local community.

"These stores are intended to create environment for Starbucks partners (employees) to connect with, engage and provide intentional, dedicated programming and experiences that support economic opportunity in communities," a Starbucks spokesperson told the News-Leader via email.

When it comes to determining where a Community Stores will be dedicated, Starbucks references the Human Development Index to help identify communities with high youth unemployment, low median household income and population stability, a Starbucks spokesperson said.

The Human Development Index is utilized internationally in determining factors that help humans live a long and healthy life with access to knowledge within a decent standard of living.

The first five Community Stores to open were in Chicago, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Queens and Ferguson. The Springfield Community Store is the 27th in the country, a step closer to the company's goal of opening 100 Community Stores in the United States by 2025 and 1,000 internationally by 2030.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Starbucks dedicates Community Store in Springfield