Starbucks permanently shutters fourth downtown Seattle location since July
The store had been inundated with homeless vagrants, which resulted in the managers deciding to remove all inside and outdoor seating.
Starbucks announced another permanent store closure in downtown Seattle. This time, the famous Seattle-based coffee company is shuttering the prominent location at Fifth Ave and Pike Street, which marks the fourth downtown Starbucks to close since July.
The store is set to shutter on Sept. 30, according to a note posted on the front door from managers at the coffee shop. The posting was first obtained by Komo News reporter Paul Rivera.
“We would like to thank you for being part of our store community. It has been a great pleasure to connect with you every day,” the notice said. No reason was provided by the company as to why Starbucks decided to close down this spot.
This follows numerous other locations that have been closed in recent months, and many others over the past several years.
In August, Starbucks shuttered one of its most famous and busiest locations in downtown Seattle during the height of tourism in the city. The location at First and Pike was the second store ever to be established by the Seattle-born coffee chain. It was located right across the street from the city’s famous Pike Place Market. The company said the move was temporary but did not provide a timeline as to when it would reopen. Before it shuttered, the store had been inundated with homeless vagrants, which resulted in the managers deciding to remove all inside and outdoor seating.
The location at Alki Beach, a prominent beach town in West Seattle, also permanently closed last month. Residents attempted to save the store but were unsuccessful.
The Seattle coffee giant has been facing economic hardships over the past several years, and a new CEO was announced last year amid decreasing revenue. Former Starbucks CEO and founder Howard Shultz told employees in 2022 that the company would be shuttering locations over safety concerns. At the time, Schultz blamed failed left-wing progressive policies for the closures, which he said increased crime and mental illness that plagued his stores.