Posted on 07/18/2008 4:11:11 AM PDT by raybbr
Starbucks has identified 18 stores in the Chicago area among the 600 nationwide targeted to close through March 2009, including several in minority neighborhoods that had counted on the green-and-white medallion to signal rebirth.
The Seattle-based coffee giant released Wednesday a full list of the 600 stores anticipated to be shut down resulting in the loss of about 12,000 jobs. Employees at those locations have been notified that their outlet will be closing, though specific dates aren't yet known for all of the stores. Starbucks is expecting to close 25 total cafes in Illinois.
The company had already announced it will shut down shops in Country Club Hills and Elmhurst by the end of July.
The closings include stores in largely minority areas in the south suburbs as well as neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West Sides. "Starbucks became symbolic of a community that was changing and in transition," said Earnest Gates, executive director of the Near West Side Community Development Corp. "To take that away, it's a blow to a community."
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
ping
Oh right, I see so many brothers with a double shot latte in their hands.
No.
Why should there be?
It's profitable.
I think it’s more an indication of intelligence that people in minority neighborhoods refuse to spend $5 for a latte.
There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs. There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don’t want the patient to get well. - Booker T. Washington 1911
The community is changing and transitioning, Starbucks is closing.
You (Starbucks) come here so you can uplift the community.
Caca. Starbucks was there to make money.
Dare I say it? NYT Headline: “Starbucks close: Women, Minorities Hardest Hit”
;-)
“I think it’s more an indication of intelligence that people in minority neighborhoods refuse to spend $5 for a latte.”
Yup. They’ve gots to spend it all on the lottery.
I'm telling Mom! ;)
Let’s just sit back and watch the symbolism. We now have hope for a change!
No.
Why should there be?
It's profitable.
Absolutely! As my wife found out last night when calling her store to check on how they did for the day.
They told her a customer was upset because she had 3 identical coupons and company policy was only one coupon per customer. At checkout, when asked if she found everything alright, the women charged that the clerk who helped her used discriminatory comments (the woman was Black). She wanted the corporate customer service number to register a complaint.
The manager agreed to allow her husband and daughter to use the two additional coupons, and checked the merchandise out in 3 groups. Since the coupons clearly state "one coupon per customer for one regularly-priced item", the customer did have a profitable evening.
And as the manager said, she was treated no differently than anyone else. As I told my wife, she was charged with discrimination by a racist.
“Is there no end to the charges of racism?”
As long as we have the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton around, there will always be racism. In fact, I am surprised that these people have not made such a call for end to racism a racist statement.
The fact that the stores targeted for closing are low performance, low profit stores CAN be attributed to percentage of product illicitly boogied out the back door as well as lack of customers.
A fellow I worked with for a short time told me in discussion of the crap we called coffee from the company percolator about how his daughter worked for Starbucks, so he was accustomed to the fresh bean/grind coffee at home she was steadily supplying.
The memory of that discussion of three years ago hit me as I read the headline.
I got one better.
“Starbucks closing 600 stores linked to Global Warming”
“Paging Rev Jackson, Rev Sharpton, paging Rev Jackson, Rev Sharpton there’s a call on the hotline, repeat there’s a call on the hotline”
Where's the Java Justice? Somebody get Deval Patrick and Janet Reno on the phone! We need the Civil Rights Division on this case. No Justice! No Grande Iced Caramel Macciato!
Yeah. You owe us, Starbucks. The already suffering community needs an overpriced cup of coffee daily. We will picket and march. The government needs to step in. Let's bail out and then nationalize Starbucks. For the good of the community. Federal Reserve is already on the roll. Racist Starbucks is talking down to black people. You white people will never understand how it feels to be black. Vote Obama - he'll keep Starbucks open.
LOL good friday laugh
My prices are at least $600 to $2000 less the the others guys will sell the same product for.
I will tell you to get lost I wont sell to you.
I do not have to sell you anything now girt out.
Capitalism is the new racism. Businesses now should be started merely to “uplift the community”. Actually wanting to make money is evil and racist.
“”Starbucks became symbolic of a community that was changing and in transition,” said Earnest Gates, executive director of the Near West Side Community Development Corp. “To take that away, it’s a blow to a community.”
Symbolism over substance. OTOH, it’s a real blow to me to have to drive 90 miles to get to a BassPro and we have no Trader Vic’s here either.
Wait...isn’t ALL of Chicago a minority area...
And fun
Can’t serve bitter black coffee at those locations.
It should also be noted that, at least in NYC, Starbucks is an enormous employer of folks of color, something that is never mentioned in the press.
Maybe it’s just that minorities know how to make their own scorched-coffee-Cool-Whip-floats at home.
Let me get his right. Tax the living crap out of business, making it as hard as possible to make money. Then cry and whine when they make business decisions in order to maintain profits. Then place blame on the company and none on idiotic democrap practices. Sounds right doesn’t it?
I don’t know anything about this particular instance, but in general, most places like Starbucks have a strict shelf life for their coffee beans and rarely use all that they have in stock, so the employees take the leftover beans. The beans are still good and are fresher than most that you’d buy at the supermarket, but rules is rules I guess.
It is hard to penetrate a market particularly on the side when you are pricing a cup of coffee above a jug of Ripple.
How long before the government declares Starbucks to be a public utility? Man, we are on a hard course toward socialism in this country. The uplifting power in capitalism comes from letting things that are failing fail, so we don’t waste scarce resources on inefficient endeavors.
I can see it as a blow to the community. Apparently recently the building of a Starbucks was considered a sign of upward mobility in a neighborhood and frequently housing prices went up because of it. So the inverse is probably going to prove true, Starbucks closing will be considered a downward sign and values will drop.
Of course that’s just how the ball bounces. Life sucks, get a helmet.
What you are saying is very true, however most Corporations that deal in that commodity have those same shelf life rules and the product approaching, or at the dated stamp on the packaging are required to return the beans to their distribution center. The beans are then provided to various charities for tax benefits for the Corporation.
Anything going out the back door is less tax deduction for the Corporation.
This might have changed due the higher costs to ship product we are experiencing currently, but that WAS how it worked once upon a time.
If they just sold coffee that would be great. 7-11 and Dunkin Doughnuts have no problems. Besides the Starbucks in Uniondale is still open and Uniondale employs mostly minorities and mostly minority customers, minority professionals I should say.
When I applied for a job at Starbucks part of the deal was getting a pound of coffee a week.
“When I applied for a job at Starbucks part of the deal was getting a pound of coffee a week.”
Interesting. Thank you.
I don’t think I’d base my job selections on whether I’d get a free pound of coffee or not anymore *LOL* Oh youthfulness hehehe...
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