New Orleans Gives Reasons For Closing Starbucks Popular Outlet

A spokesperson for the coffee shop, Sam Jeffries, called the location “a high incident store.”

September 20, 2022

He said, “Our stores are windows into America. Daily, our partners witness the challenges facing our communities--challenges to personal safety, racism, a growing mental health crisis, and issues magnified by COVID. These challenges play out within our stores--affecting our partners, communities, and customers alike.”

According to BizPac Review, the owner of a nearby clothing store, Rubenstein’s, said his store is doing fine. David Rubenstein believes the real reason Starbucks is leaving the area is due to the homeless population.

Nola.com reported that Rubenstein “said the issues for businesses are occasional harassment of customers by people on the street and homeless people who sometimes sleep in doorways.”

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In 2018, Starbucks did away with its policy against loitering. Employees at a store in Philadelphia called police on two black loiterers. Protests ensued, and Starbucks backpedaled on its no-loitering policy.

In a press release, the company said, “When using a Starbucks space, we respectfully request that all of our customers behave in a manner that maintains a welcoming environment. They can do this by using spaces as intended; Being considerate of others; Communicating with respect; Acting responsibly.”

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A contributor to Entrepreneur magazine, Gene Parks, warned that the coffee franchise would “pay a heavy price for pursuing such a so-called ‘inclusive’ policy.”

The New Orleans Starbucks is not the only one closing this year.

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In July, CNBC reported, “Starbucks will close 16 U.S. stores, mostly on the West Coast, by the end of July. This is due to safety concerns, according to the company. Most of the stores set to close are in the Los Angeles and Seattle metro areas.”

Lance Gooden tweeted, “Starbucks is closing 16 stores due to crime. 0 of the stores closing are in red states. That’s all you need to know.”