Starbucks Has Some Not-So-Happy News For Customers

Starbucks (SBUX) has some not so happy news for its customers as the coffee chain has canceled two of its upcoming Happy Hour events due to the coronavirus pandemic

Starbucks has suspended the Happy Hour events for Dec. 17 and Jan. 7, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters to employees because of overcrowding concerns as cases of the virus continue to surge across the country.

The company also canceled earlier Happy Hour events on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, according to social media reports.

The memo obtained by Reuters said, “Partner care and safety remains the top priority. However, with the anticipated rise in cases as a result of holiday travel and the latest guidance from the scientific community to not gather indoors in large groups for a prolonged period of time, we feel it is best to pause Happy Hours.”

But not all Starbucks fans were happy with the company’s decision to stop the Happy Hour events. One Twitter user summed up their feelings by saying, “#HappyHour just became #SadHour.”

Starbucks Happy Hour event allowed for a buy one, get one free deal on a signature drink at its cafes. The event, which typically ran on a Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. – a slower sales time for the coffee chain – for customers who used the Starbucks app.

A company spokesperson told Reuters that the company would reassess the Happy Hour promotion in early January. Starbucks first introduced the Happy Hour promotion in 2010, which was responsible for an 11% increase in its foot traffic last year, the news outlet said.

Shares of Starbucks were trading at $103.16 as of 1:42 p.m. EST, down $1.02 or 0.98%.