Starbucks, America’s largest coffee company, announced it is closing 16 stores out of concern for the safety of their employees. Most of the locations are on the West Coast, Messed Coast™ where rioters, Antifa, looters, BLM, and the drugged-out homeless have been allowed to damage, but where cops haven’t been allowed to enforce the law.
Founder, Howard Schultz, told Starbucks employees that the 16 identified stores, which were making money, were “just the beginning.” Schultz said that these cities – all “progressive,” woke places – had “abdicated their responsibility in fighting crime and addressing mental illness.”
Ari Hoffman on Twitter: “Schultz blamed elected leaders of the Democrat cities where the stores are closing “at the local state and federal level, these governments… and leaders, mayors & governors & city councils have advocated their responsibility in fighting crime & addressing mental illness. pic.twitter.com/M8vTJgchCE / Twitter”
Schultz blamed elected leaders of the Democrat cities where the stores are closing “at the local state and federal level, these governments… and leaders, mayors & governors & city councils have advocated their responsibility in fighting crime & addressing mental illness. pic.twitter.com/M8vTJgchCE
It’s partly the company’s own fault. It announced in 2018 that it would open its bathrooms to anyone and everyone. And anyone and everyone – crackheads, tweakers, the mentally ill – came, camped out, and made employees feel unsafe. The company seldom publicly complains when anarchists, Antifa, and BLM rioters trash their stores. The company doesn’t complain when the cop shops take a budget “defunding” hit.
“[I]t has shocked me that the primary concerns that our retail partners have is their own personal safety,” Schultz said in the video obtained by The Post Millennial. “And then we heard the stories that go along with it about what happens in our bathrooms,” he said. The issue of safety was addressed in a letter to employees by executives Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson, senior vice presidents of U.S. operations, who wrote the company would train employees in “to de-escalate situations, [provide] active shooter training, mental health first aid trainings.”
Closing the profitable store locations “where safety in the third place is no longer possible” was the last resort.
The Starbucks at 4th and Morrison in downtown Portland is a case in point. In May, pro-abortion protesters, in what police called “otherwise peaceful demonstrat[ors],” did this damage to the restaurant.
Portland Police on Twitter: “There has been some vandalism tonight, and arrests have been made. This is damage to a coffee shop at SW 4th Ave/SW Morrison St. pic.twitter.com/fHKUMikeef / Twitter”
There has been some vandalism tonight, and arrests have been made. This is damage to a coffee shop at SW 4th Ave/SW Morrison St. pic.twitter.com/fHKUMikeef
That “A” doesn’t stand for its rating with the food police.
Damage to this location has happened before. Starbucks is always a favorite target among the anarchist and Antifa crowd. This attack is from 2021, but, trust me, this location and others have had their windows bashed in routinely.
Eric Patterson on Twitter: “Vandalism….again….to a downtown Portland Starbucks Coffee shop. Graffiti and broken windows around the city last night. @KGWNews #PortlandOregon #PortlandVandalism #Starbucks pic.twitter.com/w94R3ZqjPd / Twitter”
Vandalism….again….to a downtown Portland Starbucks Coffee shop. Graffiti and broken windows around the city last night. @KGWNews #PortlandOregon #PortlandVandalism #Starbucks pic.twitter.com/w94R3ZqjPd
There’s more.
Dan McCarthy on Twitter: “Following Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction, protesters in Portland gathered downtown.It was eventually ruled an unlawful assembly by Portland Police, who arrested 2 people.There’s graffiti and broken glass at the Starbucks directly across from PPB’s Central Precinct #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/FMfpKK8Vqw / Twitter”
Following Derek Chauvin’s murder conviction, protesters in Portland gathered downtown.It was eventually ruled an unlawful assembly by Portland Police, who arrested 2 people.There’s graffiti and broken glass at the Starbucks directly across from PPB’s Central Precinct #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/FMfpKK8Vqw
The Wall Street Journal issued a list of the stores the coffee giant. See if you can spot a trend.
California Santa Monica & Westmount 8595 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069
California Hollywood & Western 5453 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027
California 1st & Los Angeles (Doubletree) 120 S. Los Angeles Street, #110 Los Angeles, CA 90012
California Hollywood & Vine 6290 West Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028
California Ocean Front Walk & Moss 1601 Ocean Front Walk Santa Monica, CA 90401
California 2nd & San Pedro 232 East 2nd Street Los Angeles, CA 90012
Pennsylvania 10th & Chestnut 1001-1005 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19107
Oregon 4th & Morrison – Portland 401 SW Morrison, Portland, OR 97204
Oregon Gateway 10112 N.E. HALSEY Street, Portland, OR 97220
Washington 23rd & Jackson 2300 South Jackson, Seattle, WA 98144
Washington Roosevelt Square 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
Washington E. Olive Way 1600 E Olive Wy, Seattle, WA 98102
Washington 505 Union Station 505 5th Ave South, 505 Union Station, Seattle, WA 98104
Washington Westlake Center 400 Pine Street, Westlake Center Mall, Seattle, WA 98101
Washington Hwy 99 & Airport Rd – Everett 11802 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98204
Washington, D.C.Union Station Train Concourse 50 Massachusetts Avenue, Space T-16, Washington, DC 20002
Nearly all of these locations are “high incident stores” that have been trashed by rioters or are in cities where drug-addled street sleepers are allowed to populate the sidewalks and live in the Starbucks bathrooms. Seattle endorses programs condoning drug use. Everett, Washington’s homeless rate has exploded.
The DC location has its windows blocked out. Wonder why.
PoPville on Twitter: “Washington DC Union Station/Train Concourse Starbucks closing due to “safety concerns” https://t.co/ybXGfGvcly pic.twitter.com/1A1DcPpNzl / Twitter”
Washington DC Union Station/Train Concourse Starbucks closing due to “safety concerns” https://t.co/ybXGfGvcly pic.twitter.com/1A1DcPpNzl
The Journal reports that two of the shops being closed in these so called “progressive” cities were recently unionized. But collective bargaining may have more to do with lack of safety than wanting to “stick it to the man.” It’s probably a bit of both.
Related: West Coast, Messed Coast™ Whip(ped) Inflation Now Edition
When Schultz announced his new bathroom policy that “everyone is a customer” and that Starbucks after two black men were told to leave for not buying anything and then demanding to use the bathroom. At the time the CEO said, “any person who enters our spaces, including patios, cafes and restrooms, regardless of whether they make a purchase, is considered a customer.” He said, “We don’t want to become a public bathroom, but we’re going to make the right decision 100% of the time and give people the key.”
Now no customers can enjoy those Starbucks locations or use the bathrooms anymore. Starbucks would rather throw out a store than impose rules of behavior.
