Starbucks is closing another 250 stores across North America, meanwhile several former locations in the company’s hometown are finding new tenants in local coffee shops and bakeries.
The Seattle-based coffee giant said the latest closures are part of a review of its North American portfolio. Starbucks told KING 5 two of the 250 locations closing are in Seattle.
The latest cuts come after Starbucks closed 627 stores across North America and Europe last year.
Starbucks said it evaluates individual coffeehouses based on their ability to deliver the customer experience and long-term performance the company expects. Customers will see signs at affected stores this weekend notifying them of the closures.
For employees at closing locations, Starbucks said it will look for opportunities to transfer workers to other coffeehouses. Employees who cannot be placed at another location will receive severance support.
As Starbucks closes some stores, several of its former Seattle locations are being filled by local businesses.
At least six former Starbucks locations around Seattle that have become, or are becoming, local coffee shops and bakeries, one of those is Petit Pierre Bakery.
In Ballard, a former Starbucks is now under construction to become the French bakery and pastry shop’s third location.
Owner Pierre Poulin said a friend who lives in Ballard spotted the former Starbucks listing and told him about it. Poulin spent time in the neighborhood and talked with other nearby business owners before deciding to move forward with the location.
“We just decided to jump into that new challenge for us,” Poulin said.
Poulin said moving into a former Starbucks offers some advantages for a smaller business because much of the infrastructure needed for a food and beverage operation is already in place.
“It’s slightly easier for us to move in because there is all that infrastructure in place in the space,” Poulin said.
The Ballard location will also allow Petit Pierre to begin making its own bread in-house. The bakery currently sources its bread locally because its Magnolia kitchen does not have enough space for bread production.
“We were debating going to the Eastside, but now that we found Ballard, we are excited to introduce our bread program and stay in Seattle,” Poulin said.
The new bakery is also expected to have about 40 seats, offer weekend brunch and add some table service.
The ‘coffeehouse’ wordocentipede rather fits the cramped and distasteful new layout of Starbucks stores anyway. They’re missing only the plastic seats on the few perfunctory chairs to ensure people take their $5 coffee orders and GTFO. Can’t have lingerers messing with the assembly line. You will mill about the handout area like refugee kids behind a deuce-and-a-half, take the things we eventually give you, and like it.
People will look back on this and realize the lack of hospitality is what’s killing Starbucks. Starbucks CEO, however, will realize nothing, ever.