Starbucks CEO says spread of coronavirus may force the coffee chain to shut some stores

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson has announced that the company may shut down some of their stores and move to mobile orders due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus. 

The Seattle-based coffee chain is currently maintaining regular operations across the US and Canada, but in a letter shared on the Starbucks website, Johnson said they are prepared ‘to modify operations with options that still allow us to serve you your favorite beverage and food’.

Johnson said that the customer experience ‘may look different as we navigate through this time together’. 

‘This means that as we navigate this dynamic situation community-by-community and store-by-store, we may adapt the store experience by limiting seating to improve social distancing, enable mobile order-only scenarios for pickup via the Starbucks App or delivery via Uber Eats, or in some cases only the Drive Thru will be open,’ Johnson said in the letter. 

Johnson said as a last resort Starbucks leadership will ‘close a store if we feel it is in the best interest of our customers and partners, or if we are directed to do so by government authorities’. 

‘In any such situation, we expect store disruption to be temporary,’ he added.  

Over the last few weeks Starbucks has taken a series of precautionary steps in response to COVID-19. 

The Seattle-based coffee chain is currently maintaining regular operations across the US and Canada, but in a letter, Johnson said they are prepared ‘to modify operations with options that still allow us to serve you your favorite beverage and food’

Johnson said as a last resort Starbucks leadership will ‘close a store (closed Seattle store pictured on March 6) if we feel it is in the best interest of our customers and partners, or if we are directed to do so by government authorities’

When the virus first began spreading rapidly in China, the company shut their stores. 

However, Johnson said that they continued to see ‘encouraging signs of recovery’ in China ‘with over 90 per cent of stores reopened’.  

Last week, the world’s largest coffee chain stopped accepting reusable cups from customers to prevent the spread of coronavirus, though it still honors the discount for anyone carrying one.  

Starbucks said that the decision to ban reusable cups was made over concerns for ‘health and well-being,’ and the company is ‘optimistic this will be a temporary situation’.

The company has also ‘restricted’ business-related air travel both in the US and abroad through the end of March and ‘modified or postponed’ meetings at US and Canada offices.

Starbucks said it ‘increased cleaning and sanitizing for all company-operated stores to help prevent the spread of all germs, adding paid time for our partners supporting this work’.

In the US, there are more than 1,300 cases with 38 deaths. Globally, there are more than 125,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 4,600 deaths

This graphic shows the escalation of the coronavirus in the United States since January 21 

The company was also forced to close one of its Seattle stores. The Starbucks Reserve bar, was shut down for cleaning after an employee tested positive for the virus. 

On Wednesday, Starbucks said it was shutting its coffee shops across Italy until April 3.

Italy is one of the hardest hit countries with more than 12,400 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 800 deaths. 

In the US, there are more than 1,300 cases with 38 deaths. Globally, there are more than 125,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 4,600 deaths.