Four Georgia Starbucks locations are closing their doors as part of the coffee giant’s corporate restructuring, leaving some local caffeine seekers to find their fix elsewhere.
What It Means For You: If you frequent the Starbucks at 100 Peachtree Street, 21 14th Street, 1870 Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta, or 1758 Washington Road in Thomson, you’ll need to remap your morning routine and find a new spot for your daily dose of overpriced espresso.
Between the Lines: CEO Brian Niccol’s corporate memo sugarcoats the closures with buzzwords about “elevated experiences” and “world-class customer service,” while simultaneously showing hundreds of employees the door.
- The company is eliminating approximately 900 non-retail positions while claiming to “invest in green apron partner hours”
- Despite the closures, Starbucks will maintain nearly 18,300 locations across the U.S. and Canada, a mere 1% reduction in their caffeinated empire
The Big Picture: This corporate pruning comes as Niccol, who took the helm last year, implements his “Back to Starbucks” strategy. The company claims it’s targeting locations “unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect.” Translation: “stores not making enough money.”
The Sources: Unofficial list of closing Starbucks locations, Official statement from Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
