Starbucks permanently closes high-traffic store near Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market

Starbucks is permanently closing a store in a prime Seattle location after claiming the closure earlier this year was only temporary. The location was always packed with customers, especially tourists. On Tuesday, the coffee giant told KOMO News it had shuttered the store on the corner of 1st and Pike, across from the iconic Pike Place Market.

A company spokesperson said in a statement, “As a standard course of business, we regularly evaluate our store portfolio to determine how we can best meet our community and customers’ needs and ensure partners are supported in crafting beverages in a warm and welcoming environment. We look forward to continuing to serve the community and visitors at our other nearby locations, including the original store at 1912 Pike Place and 1st and University.”

According to the outlet, the building’s leasing agent Adam Hasson confirmed that Starbucks signed an early termination agreement this month on the location.

Safety concerns in the Emerald City and other Democrat-controlled municipalities were previously cited as reasons for closures when former Starbucks CEO and founder Howard Schultz told employees in 2022 that the coffee giant would be shuttering locations due to safety concerns. At the time, 5 other Seattle locations were closed down, and Schultz blamed elected leaders of the Democrat cities where the stores were closing.

"At the local state and federal level, these governments... and leaders, mayors and governors and city councils have advocated their responsibility in fighting crime & addressing mental illness," he said.

Starbucks employees in Seattle previously told The Post Millennial that they regularly dealt with people "doing drugs in bathrooms" of stores and regularly had to clean up drug paraphernalia and needle debris. They also said homeless people "wander in off the streets and harass employees and customers."

In 2020, the location was a target of protestors during the civil unrest that rocked the Emerald City in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Since the riots, Seattle has seen a massive surge in crime since the city council voted to defund the police in 2020.