Mockingbird Station Starbucks. Photo by Renee Umsted.
Two Starbucks locations around our neighborhood have permanently closed as of this week in part of an effort by Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol to reshape the way that Starbucks is viewed.
Last week, Niccol shared a letter titled “Message from Brian: An Important Update” that outlined plans to close about 1% of stores in the U.S. and Canada and reduce corporate positions.
“During the review, we identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed,” he said in the letter. “Each year, we open and close coffeehouses for a variety of reasons, from financial performance to lease expirations. This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers. Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult.”
While a list of store closures was not released, employees began posting when they received notice of the closure of their own stores. Hundreds of locations across the country are now listed online as closed.
In our area, that includes locations at 6123 Greenville Ave., near The Village and 5331 E. Mockingbird Lane, in Mockingbird Station. Locations at 1827 Greenville Ave., 1924 Abrams Parkway, 7325 Gaston Ave. and 4924 Greenville Ave. remain listed as open.
