Howard promised many more store closures in another article if things don't turn around from a safety perspective.Brian Lutz wrote: ↑July 17th, 2022, 7:05 pm https://komonews.com/news/local/starbuc ... on-busting
https://komonews.com/news/local/starbuc ... shut-downs
The union organizing efforts at Starbucks are now organizing pickets at the Reserve Roastery location in Seattle, claiming that the store closures are being aimed at union organizing efforts with safety being used as an excuse.
Many independent businesses have already thrown in the towel in these types of locations. I think everyone expects a big corporation like Starbucks to "pay to deal with the issues" but the reality is how much money does a coffee shop on prime real estate (that means high rent) really make? Can it even afford, say, to add a security guard from open to close? How will not having seating/restrooms impact foot traffic (will that cause it to lose enough traffic to no longer be profitable?).
Maybe this disappearing of Starbucks from some of these locations will change the landscape a bit and will open the door for some independent coffee businesses that can play by their own rules. Only be open when it makes sense to be open, not offer seating/restrooms if they don't want to, not offer reheated frozen food because it is just a waste anyway, etc.
There used to be a Peet's in downtown Chico, CA and it closed due to safety issues/too many homeless around too. The area downtown Chico doesn't even particularly have a huge homeless problem but the population just congregated at Peet's because the other businesses down there, mostly independents, would not accommodate them, would call the police, trespass them out, you name it. Peet's policy was to welcome, allow, whoever walked through the door. Even if they didn't buy anything. One time when I sat in there for 20 minutes I watched about six people come in asking for ice water (which was given free) and a couple asked for restroom but it was being occupied for a long time period by someone else, and they started to get upset it was occupied. I think Starbucks has gotten itself into a similar situation in some of these locations.