A petition signed by over 1,900 people calling on Starbucks to reconsider the closure of its Terra Nova location in Richmond hit a wall after the branch closed permanently on Feb. 1.
A Reddit user who identified himself as a former Terra Nova Starbucks' employee posted on Reddit on Feb. 3 to thank community members' efforts to keep the coffee shop open.
"Thank you to whoever came in and made my experience great," read the post on Reddit.
Last year, the Seattle-based coffeehouse and roastery announced it would be reviewing hundreds of Canadian branches as part of its “transformation strategy.” Some of the 300 coffee shops were closed in the fall, while the remainder will be shuttered by the end of March.
Terra Nova Starbucks also fell into this plan, the company told the Richmond News.
The Change.org petition was launched last month by Richmondite Vicki Morell, who said she felt disappointed after hearing about the Terra Nova Starbucks’ impending closure.
Richmondite Vicki Morell said she felt disappointed after hearing about the impending closure of the Terra Nova Starbucks, the only coffee shop in that community.
"For many (the coffee shop) is the heart and soul of our community, whether stopping by to grab a coffee to go or more so for many retirees, families, etc. who stroll over to have a coffee with a friend or to sit alone on the outdoor patio surrounded by other customers we now call friends," the petition reads.
Morell said she also sent an email – a copy of which she shared on the petition page – to Starbucks Canada asking the head office to reconsider their decision
"They (Starbucks) say it no longer fits the new convenience concept that Starbucks’ head office in Seattle is moving towards. I guess the word community no longer fits its business plan? I get that the building in Terra Nova is difficult to expand but that said many people have asked me, how can we work with Starbucks and the owners of the Terra Nova mall to make this a win-win situation for everyone," the email reads.
"So I am asking once again to rethink the devastating decision at the very least, put it on hold for six months and then sit down with some of us, the owners of the mall and Starbucks to make the location viable for all parties," it continues.
As of Jan. 31, the date the shop closed, the petition had 1,967 signatures.
“All I can say is we tried,” said Morell in an update posted that day.
She added that she is in contact with another local coffee shop, and is “keeping her fingers crossed” that they will get a lease for the Terra Nova location.
