JasonParis
Moderator
It's a pretty intense downsizing indeed.
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We knew it was coming https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/starbuc...tores-in-canada-over-next-two-years-1.1448299
ShonTron
Moderator
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The King & Dufferin location closed as well. Like Church & Adelaide, it too was a recent relocation from a nearby storefront. Without workers in the office/studio half of Liberty Village, it died too.
dob467
Active Member
The one at Queen and Bathurst looks to have also now permanently closed, the sign is gone and the windows are covered. It shut down at the start of the pandemic, so that leaves none on Queen between John and Ossignton
TossYourJacket
Senior Member
In fairness to that particular location, it was extremely redundant. There's one at Jarvis and Bloor, one in the Longos at Bloor and Park, one at Church and Maitland, and two (assuming neither closed yet) at Yonge and Bloor.
With most (but not all) of these, they seem to be in office/student areas. I wouldn't be surprised if some come back to those areas when people are working/going to college in the area.
Fritter
Active Member
Begs the question will Starbucks corporate continue paying rent to hold on to these locations, or will they let them go and find new locations when business opportunities return in a year or 2
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
I can't imagine they would - it would be a renter's market at the end of the pandemic, and they have deeper pockets than most.
AoD
Richard White
Senior Member
Even still.. people are realising that WFH is a viable option in the fact of skyrocketing office rents. I can see WFH being the norm from now on as a cost saving measure.
If that is the case you will not need as many coffee shops in Downtown or even in the suburbs owing to the rise of Keurig and other one cup coffee machines.
pw20
Active Member
Also growth of delivery services impacts the need for physical locations.
Richard White
Senior Member
The only thing I don't like about coffee delivery is that it needs to be on time. If your driver is running behind, the coffee will end up cold.
Nobody wants a cold starbucks when they ordered it hot.
Towered
Senior Member
Dundas and Elizabeth location is also closed. Just walked by. And I think the one in the lobby of the building where I work might be on life support.
Richard White
Senior Member
Looks like they are going the way of Second Cup...
There will still be plenty of Starbucks.
Richard White
Senior Member
I recall in the 90s when Second Cup was in every mall and on every corner with their flavoured coffees and pastries in. It was typical of 90s coffee shops but even they have since been decimated.
TossYourJacket
Senior Member
I expect the reason why most of these are closing is to avoid paying unnecessary rent. Starbucks is never gonna have trouble finding locations to rent in the future anyway, especially given how many stores are closing in general rn. Given that it's likely going to be tough for landlords to find new retail tenants for a while, it's possible Starbucks could end up reclaiming some of the stores they gave up.