Starbucks To Close 6 Unsafe Stores in Los Angeles Area
Six Starbucks locations in Los Angeles will be closing in the coming weeks due to what the company is calling a high frequency of “challenging incidents.”
In the letter to employees, the senior executives said the company was prioritizing “creating a safe, welcoming, and kind third place.”
The coffee chain’s written policy dictates that its stores should be a “safe and welcoming public space” and employees, such as baristas, are encouraged and expected to address “disruptive behaviors.”
While not specifically addressing the closures of any specific stores in the letter to employees, it heavily implied that complaints and incident reports at a few locations have caused employees to feel unsafe or dissatisfied with working conditions.
“We read every incident report you file – it’s a lot,” the letter reads.
Starbucks has confirmed that the local stores that will have their doors shuttered are located at:
- 1st and Los Angeles (Inside the Doubletree hotel)
- 2nd and San Pedro
- Hollywood and Vine
- Hollywood and Western
- Ocean Front Walk (Santa Monica Pier)
- Santa Monica and Westmount
The downtown location is not far from the headquarters of the Los Angeles Police Department. The area has seen a sharp increase in homeless encampments in recent years.
In addition to the six in Los Angeles, the coffee giant is closing six stores in its hometown of Seattle, two in Portland, Oregon, and one each in Philadelphia and Washington. Starbucks said employees at those stores will be given the opportunity to transfer to other stores.
The stores are expected to close by the end of the month.