[ad_1]
A Starbucks in Studio Metropolis will serve solely to-go orders after administration eliminated its visitor seating final month out of “security issues” for patrons and staff.
It’s unclear if a particular incident prompted the change or when the espresso store within the 10900 block of Ventura Boulevard eliminated its seating, however complaints posted on social media over the decision date back to late April. The transfer comes practically a 12 months after the favored espresso chain closed six shops within the Los Angeles space as a consequence of “difficult incidents that make it unsafe to proceed to function.”
An indication posted on the entrance of the Studio Metropolis retailer mentioned “as a consequence of security issues for our prospects and companions, we now have eliminated seating quickly at this location,” based on KTTV-TV Information.
A Starbucks spokesperson mentioned Thursday that the signal has been eliminated however declined to reply questions on when the seating may return or if different shops within the area may take comparable motion.
“We use numerous standards to make sure we’re assembly the wants of our prospects, and have quite a lot of retailer codecs in Los Angeles and the encompassing space, together with drive-through, pickup and cafe,” the spokesperson mentioned.
In an announcement, the Seattle-based espresso large mentioned it prides itself on “making a protected, heat, and welcoming Third Place setting,” which means a spot that’s separate from an individual’s work and residential. However the assertion mentioned retailer managers are “empowered to make use of the various assets at their disposal to switch retailer operations and create one of the best expertise for our communities.”
“Our first precedence is to verify our companions are protected at work,” the assertion mentioned.
A number of shops within the San Francisco Bay Space have additionally seen their furnishings disappear within the final 12 months, together with a retailer within the Castro neighborhood, based on reviews on the net publication Hoodline. The strategy pressured prospects to grab-and-go with their espresso, very like the Studio Metropolis Starbucks.
Whereas the corporate has not introduced plans to shut the Studio Metropolis location, it beforehand shut shops over security issues.
When it closed the six L.A. shops and 10 others throughout the nation final 12 months, Starbucks cited “a high volume of challenging incidents that make it unsafe to continue to operate,” according to a Starbucks spokesperson. The company cited mental health issues, drug use and chronic homelessness as contributing factors to their decision.
L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents the district where the Studio City outlet is located, said her office has heard from numerous business operators who say the mental health and homeless crisis is the biggest issues they’re facing.
“For a very long time, the city didn’t do enough to address our homelessness crisis,” Raman said in an interview Thursday. The lack of response has forced employees, like baristas at Starbucks, to become the “front-line response to the ongoing crisis,” she said.
Raman said she is working to expand the Crisis and Incident Response through Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE) program, which is an alternative to non-emergency 911 calls involving people experiencing homelessness.
“We are laser-focused on ending homelessness,” Raman said. “We need to be acting with greater urgency on this.”
[ad_2]
Source link