‘Seems to be a trend,’ cry Starbucks fans as coffee chain forced to close its original Seattle store after brazen crime | ACERDL7 | 2024-05-07 19:08:02
'Seems to be a trend,' cry Starbucks fans as coffee chain forced to close its original Seattle store after brazen crime | ACERDL7 | 2024-05-07 19:08:02
COFFEE fans have been turned away from Starbucks's flagship location after the shop was closed due to vandalism.
Police received a call about damage at the original Starbucks store in the popular Pike Place Market of Seattle, Washington on Friday.
The tourist hotspot closed after the crime, with no initial indication of when visitors would be able to get their coffee fix again.
"We're closed today, sorry we missed you," a simple sign read on the cafe's locked door, according to local NBC affiliate KING.
Customers trying to visit the store over the weekend were turned away by staff, who said they did not know when the shop would reopen.
The results of Friday's vandalism were caught on video as firefighters and police officers investigated the scene.
The shop's front window appears damaged in the clip.
In posts on social media, some Starbucks fans said they were not surprised that the iconic location was targeted.
"Seems to be a trend in Seattle," Michael Stewart (@STIZU80673) wrote on X.
"Wow. Sad times," another person commented.
The vandalism occurred after hours when no store employees or customers were present.
OPEN AGAIN
A Starbucks spokesperson calmed fan fears in a statement to The U.S. Sun on Monday.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> "We are aware of the vandalism that occurred at 1912 Pike Place Friday night. Fortunately, the store was closed and all partners (employees) and customers are safe," company spokesman Sam Jefferies said.
"1912 Pike Place is our original store, where so much connection and kindness has taken place for more than half a century," they wrote.
"The store is open and serving customers and the community again."
Officers from the Seattle Police Department did not share more details about the extent of the damage.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
A SEATTLE ICON
Starbucks served its first cup of coffee on March 30, 1971, in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, according to the company archives.
The debut location offered 1,000 sq ft of space, hand-built features, and plenty of shelf space for dozens of types of coffee beans.
Three friends who met at the University of San Franciso — Gerald Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl — dreamed up the idea.
They were all passionate about good food and drink, especially coffee, and wanted to share their love with the city of Seattle.
<!--googleoff: all--> <blockquote class="article__quote"> </blockquote> <!--googleon: all--> With a $1,350 investment from each along with a $5,000 loan from a bank, the trio set out to build a coffee shop that would stand out from the crowd.
The Pike Place store first concentrated on selling whole-bean coffee, teas, and spices.
Now, Starbucks has grown to over 35,000 stores in 80 different countries and is synonymous with coffee culture.
So when visitors tried to sneak a peak at its first-ever store in Seattle and were turned away over the weekend, many said they were disappointed.
"We actually came to see the original Starbucks and unfortunately it's not open," Texan Sheila Ordaz told local reporters.
"This is Seattle, so it's kind of sad, I love Starbucks."
MORE CAFFEINE?
Although Starbucks is one of the most well-known coffee companies in the world, store leaders have been struggling to keep up profits for investors.
After a disappointing quarterly earnings report, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said on Sunday that he believes the company needs to improve its US stores in order to break the downward profits trend.
"The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant. The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores," he wrote in a LinkedIn post on Sunday.
Current Starbucks spokesmen responded to his comments in a statement to CNBC.
"The challenges and opportunities he highlights are the ones we are focused on. And like Howard, we are confident in Starbucks' long-term success," Starbucks said.
More >> https://ift.tt/gfNcxTb Source: MAG NEWS
No comments: