It’s not clear if any of Richmond’s 21 Starbucks locations will be among the 200 or so that may be closed in Canada over the next two years.
The coffee chain giant announced earlier this week that it plans to have fewer stores in the country, even after the economy gets back on track post-pandemic.
The Seattle-based company made the revelation in a filing to U.S. securities regulators on Wednesday.
The company had opened up some of its stores recently for walk-ins, with a requisite amount of PPE and precautions.
However, many that don’t have the drive-thru function have remained largely shuttered and Starbucks said it’s starting to plan for the future of the model.
Richmond has 21 outlets, including satellite locations, such as in hotels, the hospital and supermarkets.
The company still says it plans to open more stores around the world, but it will have a smaller footprint in many markets in the U.S. and Canada.
In a statement released Wednesday, Starbucks said it expects to add about 300 new stores in the Americas this year, down from the 600 previously expected. But while some stores will open, some old ones will close.
The Richmond News has reached out to Starbucks Canada to find out if any of the Richmond locations are part of the long-term closure plan.
Starbucks usually closes about 100 stores a year, as leases expire and underperforming locations are shut down.
It has around 1,400 Canadian locations, meaning about 15 per cent of the chain's Canadian stores could close down in the next two years.
Starbucks Canada announced Friday that it’s re-opening cafes and patio seating for customers, aiming to have nearly half of its company-owned stores open by the end of June.
The company said it will re-open for dine-in on a community-by-community basis, starting in B.C., where 16 stores opened last week.
