Starbucks is closing 16 stores across Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and other cities due to a high frequency of 'challenging incidents' — see the list
Rebecca Harrington/Business Insider
- Starbucks is closing 16 stores in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
- The closures are due to "challenging incidents" that make stores unsafe for workers and customers, Starbucks says.
- The stores will close by the end of July.
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 involve drug use in stores by customers and other members of the public reported by workers.
The closures are a move to make Starbucks locations safer for customers and employees, the company said, echoing a letter from senior VPs of US operations Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson 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.
"We look forward to continuing to serve these local communities and encourage our customers to visit us at our other stores in these areas, which can be found on the Starbucks App or Starbucks Store Locator," the spokesperson said.
See the full list of store closures here:
- 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
- 10th & Chestnut, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 4th & Morrison, Portland, Oregon
- Gateway, Portland, Oregon
- 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
- Union Station Train Concourse, Washington, DC
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