Starbucks Announces the Closure of Several Locations Nationwide

Earlier this week, Starbucks announced that it is closing 16 locations in cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle, among others. 

These closures were not random occurrences. According to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, many locations where Starbucks operates are “unsafe”, thus making them unprofitable. 

Schulz admitted that this decision to close up Starbuck stores came after nearly 60 “co-creation sessions.”  During these sessions, Schultz revealed “it has shocked me that the primary concerns that our retail partners have is their own personal safety.” Schulz alluded to issues of crime, homelessness, and mental health as factors that have made running Starbucks in certain areas unviable. Some Starbucks locations have become notorious for customers doing drugs in the restroom and leaving drug paraphernalia behind. On top of that, homeless people have repeatedly entered Starbucks locations to harass customers and employees, thereby making this cafe experience miserable for countless patrons.

The Starbucks CEO had choice words for political leaders, who he believes have been responsible for creating the nasty circumstances present in various urban centers. 

“In my view, at the local, state, and federal level, these governments across the country and leaders … have abdicated their responsibility in fighting crime and addressing mental illness,” Schulz stated. 

I have to agree with Schulz here. The problems Starbucks is facing are the product of a derelict political class that has pursued soft-on-crime policies that have allowed for all types of criminals to run loose in major cities. And it’s not just violent criminals causing major problems, but also many homeless individuals and other vagrants that diminish the quality of life in urban centers. 

A permissive political culture has largely contributed to this social malaise. It’s going to take serious political leadership to clean up our streets and bring back order. 

Because, let’s face it. With the way things are going, the US is on pace to becoming a Banana Republic with better air conditioning. The time to get the country’s social house in order is now.