Coronavirus Closures: Starbucks Closes Most Locations, Goes Drive-Thru Only

Starbucks has become the latest business to rollback its business in response to the growing coronavirus outbreak.

On Friday, the popular coffee chain announced that it would be closing most of its U.S. and Canada-based locations and switching them to drive-thru-only. The remaining cafes being left open operate out of hospitals and medical centers.

“Let’s be real. Lattes aren’t ‘essential,’” Rossann Williams, Starbucks’ president of U.S. company-operated and Canadian businesses, said in a statement. “But in times of crisis, the government asks convenient food and beverage outlets to remain open when possible for pickup, Drive Thru, or delivery.”

While Starbucks owns and operates the vast majority of its locations in the U.S. and Canada, a select few are independently operated by franchisees. The company is leaving the decision to remain open or not to the owners of these locations.

Starbucks is the latest in a long line of restaurants across the country that have either closed completely or switched to carry-out and delivery only. The coffee chain had previously moved to close only its locations in malls and universities. It had also removed furniture from its stores to discourage customers from lingering and potentially spreading the virus.

Prior to Friday’s announcement, 35,000 Starbucks employees had signed a petition calling for the closure of the company’s stores in response to Covid-19. In addition to scaling back its operations, the company has also assured employees that if they believed themselves to be carrying the virus, they will be able to stay home from work.

“We will help you manage through your time off,” the statement said.