Starbucks, the world’s largest (and most expensive?) coffee retailer this week announced the permanent closure of 16 stores in major cities where crime and lawlessness have made it too dangerous to do business.
Issues range from drug use in bathrooms to looting, and a general sense that some areas in some cities, run by progressive policies and District Attorneys, are simply too dangerous to do business in. Homeless encampments and related activities have also made the stores unsafe. The one thing all these cities have in common is being led by Democrat-controlled city councils, progressive mayors, and very progressive District Attorneys.
Businesses are not usually in business to close locations and give up primary retail locations but the situation in some of America’s largest cities has become so unsafe for employees and customers that Starbucks decided it was the best course of action:
Starbucks is permanently closing 16 locations around the US by the end of July, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
“After careful consideration, we are closing some stores in locations that have experienced a high volume of challenging incidents that make it unsafe to continue to operate, to open new locations with safer conditions,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Insider. The incidents that workers have reported involve customers and other members of the public using drugs in the stores.
The company said that the closures are to make Starbucks locations safer for customers and employees, reiterating the message in a letter that Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson, the senior VPs of US operations at Starbucks, sent to employees on July 11. The company also gives local leaders the authority to close bathrooms, reduce seating, and take other measures to keep conditions safe for employees.
There is some bit of irony in that Starbucks, as a company, supports progressive policies in these cities including changes in bail reform that ends up putting criminals back on the street. The results of lawless policies are predictable when criminals run the asylum and small crimes are left unchecked.
The stores will all be closed as of the end of July and here’s the full list of Starbucks store closures happening in the summer of 2022:
California (Los Angeles area)
- Santa Monica & Westmount, West Hollywood, California
- Hollywood & Western, Los Angeles, California
- 1st & Los Angeles (Doubletree), Los Angeles, California
- Hollywood & Vine, Hollywood, California
- Ocean Front Walk & Moss, Santa Monica, California
- 2nd & San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 10th & Chestnut, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
- 4th & Morrison, Portland, Oregon
- Gateway, Portland, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
- 23rd & Jackson, Seattle, Washington
- Roosevelt Square, Seattle, Washington
- E. Olive Way, Seattle, Washington
- 505 Union Stn, Seattle, Washington
- Westlake Center, Seattle, Washington
- Hwy 99 & Airport Rd, Everett, Washington
Washington, DC
- Union Station Train Concourse, Washington, DC
No word on future plans to re-open but in most instances, another Starbucks location can be found nearby until that one closes too for the same reason.
