Starbucks Pulls The Plug, Closes Some Stores For Worker Safety!

For millions of Americans, their morning coffee is the drink of the gods, the elixir of life, and the fossil fuel that fuels so many of us fossils. A simple cup of joe used to make us go but the creative complexities and the ubiquitous nature of Starbucks has changed that.

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Starbucks Is A Grande Corporation

Nationwide, as of July 04, 2022, Starbuck boasts 15,477 locations.  With that many storefronts, you have to think that some of them might be in "challenging" neighborhoods. That turns out to be true and the coffee giant plans to make some moves for worker & customer safety.

According to Market Watch, Starbucks Corporation announced Monday (6/11/22) that it is closing 16 U.S. stores after workers reported incidents related to drug use and other disruptions in cafes.

Seattle & Portland-Clean Up Your Act

16 stores.  Imagine Yakima without a Starbucks.  A google search of Yakima turns up 13 different Starbucks locations so the closures are the equivalent of one and a third Yakimas.  Think of your favorite local Starbucks location.  You do doubt feel safe there and have no problem waiting for your Caramel Macchiato, right?

But the same can't be said for sister cities in the Pacific Northwest.  Half of the closures are to be made in the shadow of the Starbucks home office in Seattle.

Starbucks will permanently close six stores in Seattle and two in Portland, Oregon.  Single locations in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and a half dozen more in Los Angeles will "grind" to a halt by the end of the month.

The company said it received reports from workers about incidents that they said involved drug use by some customers and in some cases, members of the public, in certain locations. Says a lot for the Pacific Northwest, doesn't it?

Starbucks also said that it would give store managers leeway to close restrooms, limit seating or reduce operations in response to safety concerns. In addition, Starbucks said it would transfer employees to other locations when it permanently closes the store