R.I.P.

Filed under: R.I.P.

Starbucks is closing 500 of its stores and cutting 7% of its work force.

As many as 12,000 full-time and part-time retail positions will be eliminated with the store closures all over America.

This will be just grrrreat for our economy!

Posted: Jul 1, 2008 at 6:46 pm / Email this »

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334 comments to “R.I.P.”

More comments: [1] 2 3 4 »

calli says – reply to this

1

ha
caffe says – reply to this

2

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, blame bush
ttt says – reply to this

3

doesnt surprise me
Jenic says – reply to this

4

Jeez they finally realized that it is unnecessary to have a Starbucks at EVERY intersection?!?!
Meghs09 says – reply to this

5

THAT SUX!!! i love starbucks….why does this economy suck dick ? !
Obvio says – reply to this

6

WHAT GOES UP, MUST COME DOWN!!!
rober says – reply to this

7

They are closing over 600 of them, not 500. DrudgeReport.com
alexi says – reply to this

8

WHY?!!
court says – reply to this

9

fuck no good.
yeaa my cousin works at starbucks.
the one by her is closing—
great for her job..
k says – reply to this

10

why!!!
littlelady45 says – reply to this

11

so sad..
jessy says – reply to this

12

first?? they shut down so many ma n pop shops…..fuck them…..
awe says – reply to this

13

7th mooo hahahah
awe that really sucks
STARBUCKS FTW
Lori says – reply to this

14

First!
Nurse says – reply to this

15

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gonna says – reply to this

16

Let's vote for McCain! Republicans have this whole economy thing figured out!
Andre says – reply to this

17

SO SICK OF STARBUCKS MYSELF.
I HOPE ANOTHER CHAIN OPENS SOON
STARBUCKS SUCKS
Reali says – reply to this

18

Probably a good thing. You know things have gotten out of hand when there's a Starbucks next door to a Starbucks. I'm sure their profitability was starting to take a hit from too many stores competing with EACH OTHER.
CAley says – reply to this

19

Let me see what is more important that $4 coffee or that gallon of gas? hmmm
paige says – reply to this

20

About time people realize how overrated this place is!!

Most peeps I know that would go to Starbucks everyday were
broke idiots……………
Leyla says – reply to this

21

I'm really sorry as I am a customer of Starbucks, but their prices are outrageous. The Venti Chai Lattes which I adore are $4.98. A Grande Americano is almost $4.00. Also, I can't drink their coffee, not even the house blend as it's too strong….I'm thinking "rotgut" would be a good word for it. If they got some different coffee, lowered their prices, wouldn't that help?
Hatch says – reply to this

22

Boo Freaking Hoo, there is a stupid starbucks on every damn corner. Now some of you caffeine addicts will have to drive a whole two blocks!!
Laura says – reply to this

23

Not surprising as there is one on every corner. However, I feel sorry for the people that are losing their jobs. I am addicted but their drinks really are overpriced.
DSumm says – reply to this

24

People can't buy such of expensive coffee anymore as used to because now people need to buy a very expensive gasoline to go to work everyday !! SAD for people that work in those places !
Ashle says – reply to this

25

Perez the economist..haha I find it hilarious when he comments about the state of our economy. Thankfully its not reliant on Starbucks.
JULIE says – reply to this

26

HOW CAN THIS BE??? STARBUCKS IS A MONEY MILKER? IT ALL BEACUASE OF MCDOANLDS CHEAP ICED COFFEES THOSE THINGS ARE BOMB!!! AND CHEAP TOO
kevin says – reply to this

27

They are actually closing "600" stores not "500"
Cryst says – reply to this

28

Actually dumbass they are closing 600 stores BUT they are transfering employees to other stores that are staying open. Get a story right before you post it!
dmd says – reply to this

29

600 stores fat body…read the AP feed. no more jelly doughnuts for your fat ass
deann says – reply to this

30

Idiots…..to much of NOT a good thing
hot mommy says – reply to this

31

hahaha! now maybe those snotty little "barista's" can get jobs in real coffee houses and find out what making coffee is all about! i don't feel sorry for Starbucks, in the area i live in, they are constantly popping up right next to independently owned, excellent coffee shops and stands and pushing them out of business because ignorant tourists will always choose Starbucks/McDonalds if they see it…ok, i guess i had to rant a little, sorry
wack says – reply to this

32

they just opened TWO starbucks in my city, one in a mall and the other is a stand-alone with a drive-through. also, an Indigo bookstore is opening soon and will have SB inside. Both the stand-alone store and the Indigo are ACROSS THE STREET from the mall, so that is 3 *new* Starbucks across intersections from each other. i can't imagine WHY, because this is east coast canada where we're all addicted to Tim Hortons, so i doubt that Starbucks will take off here, especially with their ridiculous prices and shitty "normal" coffee. I do love a caramel macchiato as a special treat though. YUM.
norma says – reply to this

33

Gosh things are getting worse and worse …. I can't wait for those Republicans to leave the White House !!! The Rich is Richer and the poor and poorer
AAAA says – reply to this

34

AS MUCH AS I HATE ADMITTING IT…
I FUCKING LOVE THEIR CHAI TEA LATTES EVEN AT 4 BUCKS A CUP.
I TRIED THE COFFEE BEANS…IT TASTED HORRIBLE.
I CANT FIND ANY OTHER PLACE THAT REALLY MAKES IT AS GOOD AS STARBUCKS..
THEN THE OTHER DAY I WATCHED THE GIRL MAKE IT AND SHE FILLS THE VENTI CUP HAAAAALF WAY FULL!!! THEN LOADS THE REST WITH ICE.
I WANTED TO KILL HER..
mimi says – reply to this

35

ABOUT TIME.. thank you…
time to share the piece of the pie with small coffee shops…
besides starbucks is overpriced and is making people fat with their drinks..
is the Macdonalds of the Posh
peets says – reply to this

36

$4 a cup of coffee was fine when stocks were flying high, houses were appreciating at 20%+ a year. Starbucks is not immune to the same forces that are squeezing the rest of us. What was surprising is that people did not switch to cheaper options sooner!
Danie says – reply to this

37

This Only reflects the bad administration politics Bush is following
howie says – reply to this

38

McDonalds went gangster on Starbucks! Those 1.89 iced coffees CAN NOT be fucked with!! Didn't Starbucks know that Rule #1 is you ever fuck with a dude in a clown suit!
MeMee says – reply to this

39

well, this will be good for investors as they company is opening up new chains in growing economies like china and maybe even India. They have a duty to retrain the lost employee's however.
o.O says – reply to this

40

There are too many Starbucks anyway. I hate those people who think Starbucks is life. Haha, say goodbye to your precious coffee. Find a real coffee shop, not some corporate crap. Even though I don't mind a Iced White Chocolate Mocha once in a while.
Why says – reply to this

41

The reason why this is not the downfall of the economy is that it cost 4 bucks for a cup of joe and if people are trying to budget, than the smart thing to do would be to NOT go to starbucks. So, really this is an indication that America is getting a CLUE.
Jon L says – reply to this

42

In the begining of Starbuck we got stock shares for free every quarter. When the stock was good all of the employees were happy. The Stock increased 25% for 16 strait quarters. When the stock started steadily decreasing then everything except availability went down from there. I left the company after learning many lessons about corporate america.
Bridg says – reply to this

43

Who the hell has $5 bucks to put down on a coffee that tastes likes Brazilian mud. So what if Linday Lohan walked around previously with a cup in their hand or Paris Hilton - it's all old now and nobody could care less - the only thing that counts about who u r are is what u can say u achieved by the time u r 60 and endulging in some crap coffee does not make me a better person.
Rawr says – reply to this

44

Overrated cup of "JO"….

Chock Full of Nuts is ok with me. lol
Glori says – reply to this

45

Howie, I agree! McDonald's is offering a lower cost alternative. Those 500 stores should never have been open. Do we really need a starbucks on EVERY corner in San Fran?
deidr says – reply to this

46

McDonalds is systematically taking Starbucks out of the game with their 1.89 iced coffees…they come in a bunch of yummy flavors. I'd put them up against any of Starbucks iced coffees and they BIG are less than half the price of what a Starbucks ice coffee tastes like!
WTF says – reply to this

47

I hope that don't close the one in my neighborhood…..I love their cafe moccas…..a extra shot of expresso is just like hitting a crack pipe!
silly says – reply to this

48

its just starbucks…
javam says – reply to this

49

I'm a Peet's man, myself. For me, Starbucks passed away a long time ago, after they started coming up with all these supposed "blends". To me, it was just a fancy way to sell weak coffee at strong prices.
Kate says – reply to this

50

hopefully this will make room for some of the independent coffee shops that starbucks put out of business.
CPW says – reply to this

51

I live within 2 minutes by foot to three separate starbucks shops. That's f'ing ridiculous. No one needs that much coffee, ever.
@v@ says – reply to this

52

Why don't you list the economic reasons why Starbucks is doing this and educate, instead of simply inflaming and worrying readers? I read the above and thought, 'why?' Now I'm going to go elsewhere and find out why. Look up the five W's.
Cassi says – reply to this

53

I'm a barista and I know that the company tries to find the partners from stores that are closing new locations. Not to mention the fact that Starbucks' sales have been going down and down. Look at the stock prices. These stores need to close. And you got the number wrong, it's more around 600.
@v@ says – reply to this

54

I've always thought that five or six dollars for an iced frappucino drink was a form of legitimized and sanctioned highway robbery anyway.
xstrx says – reply to this

55

it's not the end of the world. There are other coffee companies out there. Man, anything to be a downer eh?
abbey says – reply to this

56

yeah, they do that every year.
…and then they open new ones.
conni says – reply to this

57

well if they didn't get so gready and charge 5.00 fucking dollars for a frappacinno perhaps they would be OK today.
realn says – reply to this

58

Starbucks closing 600 stores in the US- NOT 500 600
Tuesday July 1, 6:57 pm ET
By Jessica Mintz, AP Business Writer
Starbucks closing 600 US stores, most opened in the last 2 years
*******************************************************

Well I am not paying and arm and a leg for a cup of java.
MARIE says – reply to this

59

it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
it's 600 stores, not 500 you douche.
Steff says – reply to this

60

Ouch! That blows a big one.
Pixie says – reply to this

61

It will be great for the economy. It's strained because of the oversaturation of places like Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Circle K, etc. The economy is not as fucked up as you think it is. Just because 600 SBUX are closing does not mean it's the sign of the times. What it means is that there were too many.
Emmy says – reply to this

62

Re: caffe – That's always the most reasonable answer
Pixie says – reply to this

63

And stop fueling the fire by reporting half the story Perez! This is why the economy is gonna get fucked up…The media and all media-types overhype and underdeliver the real news. So please, instead of saying oh this will be great for the economy, do the thing you do, and inform people. You're smart enough to post important causes. Why not do a little extra and deliver real news! (Notwithstanding the celebrity dish of course!)
xusze says – reply to this

64

Thank God! Peet's Coffee and Tea is way better than Starsucks any way.
alex says – reply to this

65

WHAT!
thats bullshit!
I live off of Starbucks!
Emmy says – reply to this

66

I'm not to worried cos I've got around 7 starbucks in a 5 mile radius of where I live…seriously.
Willa says – reply to this

67

Well, if they didn't charge an arm and a leg for a cup of coffee maybe they would still be around- Too greedy too much too soon…
Lilli says – reply to this

68

Which means there will no longer be four Starbucks at every intersection. One out of four people will have to cross a street to get their mochachockalattayaya.
hey says – reply to this

69

You amerikans have bigger worry than starbux.Your country is going down the drain but as long you read dirt you will be ok when the chineeeesee takes over you will be fine. You owe them over one trillion go to WalMart and buy some more that's all u can afford yeah WalMart baby amerikkans are classy.
B says – reply to this

70

well, i, for one, am glad to see this overrated, overpriced establishment be among the first of the big chains to go! honestly, you're nothing more than a sheep and raging idiot (wait, i guess that's redundant) if you loyally supported this establishment all along and are now shedding a tear upon hearing this news. wake up people - the party is over! it's time to grow and raise your own food, support your local economies/communities/businesses, and (gasp!) try brewing your own damn coffee (you'll save a pretty penny or two in the long run … hell, sans extra whipped cream and bucket loads of sugar, you may once again see your own two feet when you look down). it's about time folks started living sustainably - within their means.
sylvi says – reply to this

71

Or you can patronize your locally owned coffeeshops, which is better for your local city's economy!

I don't think Starbucks is the evil empire like some folks, since they do give decent benefits to even part-time workers … but it's always better to support your local businesses.
dede says – reply to this

72

They brought that shit on themselves. Their coffee is terrible and overpriced. There is a chain of coffee huts in Canada called Tim Hortons that puts out awesome coffee at a third of the price.
Did they actually think that when they charged more for coffee and put it in fancy containers that people would be fooled. THERE COFFEE IS SHITE! Won't miss em one bit.
ickyp says – reply to this

73

Noone really likes BigBucks Burnt Coffee anyway. Dunkin Doughnuts Java rocks.
Chai says – reply to this

74

Re: hot mommy – Sounds like somebody had a bad experiance with A"snotty barista" quit your yapping and stop categorizing all the baristas as snotty..you try to go back there and make a quad venti halfcalf 3pSFV 3pSFHZ nonfat XF 3 raw sugar latte then come back and talk your crap if you want.. but for now just shut it and go to dunkin donuts. I bet you you're one of those annoying customers that everybody hates anyway.
Karis says – reply to this

75

that's hilarious because Starbucks just opened a new store in a stopping center that already has one.
Valer says – reply to this

76

Actually, it might be great for the economy!
Perhaps people will save at least $150/month on their overpriced and overrated coffee drinks.

And this is coming from a Seattlite.

Plus I hate Howard Schulz, he is a horrible man, so I LOVE seeing Starbucks shut their door and family owned businesses or even Cafe Umbria or Cafe Ladro open up more of theirs.
FReal says – reply to this

77

Yeah, they're actually closing 600 stores…but hey, we're not in a recession coz George Bush said so.
Freak Speely says – reply to this

78

They better keep at least one open by Britney Spears's place!
Robin says – reply to this

79

yet… in canada Starbucks is booming and they keep building new stores poor america just wait til the elections ur economy is bound to change!!!
Pleas says – reply to this

80

How can you blame the economy for a company the had 4 stores on the same block? Just like the a-holes who live beyond their means. Just married, just out of college, buy a house for 500K knowing right well they can't afford it if one loses their job, and guess what, one lost their job. Guess what else, they can't afford their house. This is not rocket science people! The US had a good financial run and you idiots ruined it. Its not the government's fault you're idiots!!!!!
Bonst says – reply to this

81

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Viva the INDEPENDENT coffee shop!
JustM says – reply to this

82

Maybe they're closing because they provide overpriced swill with pretentious names and snotty service? Could that be it?? I get better coffee at McDonald's. Good riddance, Starbucks.
Isabe says – reply to this

83

I just got a starbucks in my town so for a ton of them to close sucks. I love starbucks.
sarah says – reply to this

84

WTF?… DEAR GOD NO! lol…
Kelst says – reply to this

85

WAT??!? NOOO..!
mea says – reply to this

86

Starbucks makes disgusting drinks. I would never classify that as coffee. Or anything edible.
Angie says – reply to this

87

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAY!!!!!!!

I HATE STARBUCKS!!!!

THIS NEWS MADE MY DAY!!!!!!

Unfortunate for the ones who work there though.
Great says – reply to this

88

Soon there will be no economy, no more money, no more starbucks, and not even any Perezhilton.com We are moving from the 3rd dimension into the 4th. Anything that is inauthentic and outside of love will disappear because it won't fit with the new energy. The energy of love…………….In lak'ech
mo says – reply to this

89

so there's only going to be one every 100 feet now? But what if I get thirsty at 50 feet? I will perish.
mandy says – reply to this

90

First off, thanks to former CEO Jim Donald, starbucks rapidly expanded which was a dumb idea. Luckily for us, Howard Schultz returned to his position as CEO and has been pushing Starbucks in the right directions and getting back to Starbucks at its core. Instead of people having like 5 starbucks within half a mile to a mile radius, he is trying to reverse the over-expansion. Secondly, it isn't really bad for the economy and people aren't going to be out of jobs, they will just transfer to a new location. And lastly, please get your story straight. You talk about things you read on others sites without having any research done on your end. I love coming to your site, just get complete facts and don't act like you know what you are talking about. And I'm surprised this is just surfacing now. I used to work for starbucks, and I quit a month or two ago, and i knew about this for months. Oh well I guess.
Freem says – reply to this

91

FINALLY. Nothing worse than an operator that claims to be independent becoming SO ubiquitous that there is backlash. Good riddance. People should buy their coffee at interesting places, or cheaply at diners…
KrissyKat says – reply to this

92

good. they expanded too fast, are too expesnsive, make shitty coffee and refuse to donate to the troops overseas because they don't agree with the war. newsflash starbucks- most of us don't agree with the war, but we support our brothers and sisters that are fighting over there. also, did anyone else hate the fact that they gave the coffee monkeys the fancy name of "barristas"??? The kid just makes the coffee, nothing special with that ability….therefore, he doesn't need a fancy name……good riddance.
oil$1 says – reply to this

93

Oil ends at new record near $141 on supply worries
Tuesday July 1, 4:40 pm ET
By Adam Schreck, AP Business Writer
Oil climbs to new settlement record near $141 on concerns about global supply, Mideast tension.NOW THATS A BIGGER WORRY
Nubian Goddess says – reply to this

94

So a few Honky $5 to $10 a cup, coffee shops are gonna close. Whoopdeefuckingdoo. A few more yuppies in suburbia will have to drive a little further in their SUV's every morning to slug down their jolt of caffeine and ulcer-causing black acid.
All fads have births and deaths.
KrissyKat says – reply to this

95

Re: Chai – OMG- it's just SO hard to remember the name of a coffee that someone ordered. God, how did they all do it?!?!?! Am I to believe that this job is SO difficult that the 17-20 somethings that they hire there are all rocket scientists??? PLEASE. The fucking idiot in front of me who orders all that bullshit of a half-caf, raw sugar, blah, blah, blah is holding up the fucking line. Just order your coffee like a normal person….that is why people go to Dunkin's. "Hey, can I get a medium regular? Thanks" Simplicity. Baristas are nothing special. They are just monkeys that get coffee. Nothing more, nothing less. You stating that they have some ridiculous "talent" is stupid and insanely overstated.
James says – reply to this

96

Good Freakin Riddance! They should go bankrupt!
Jake says – reply to this

97

How will this affect Lewis Black's Starbucks routine?
matt says – reply to this

98

great news for coffee, really !
LEAHB says – reply to this

99

It's unfortunate, but the first thing people start cutting out of the budgets are things they survived without before. And we all survived without our $5.00 coffees. I lived in Seattle during the late 80's and 90's when Seattlites were about the ONLY people hooked on espresso drinks. I have calculated that over the last twenty years I have easily spent $15,000 dollars at Starbucks alone.

This year I finally broke the Starbucks addiction for good. I still get espresso drinks every Saturday, but I support a local coffee shop now, and keep the money local.

Sorry Starbucks, but you can't have another dime of my money. It's going towards my retirement for a new shopping cart and pup tent for the underpass I'll be living at age 65, with the rate the economy is going.

Signed-45 Year Old White Woman Who Has Had to Cash in her 401 K to keep paying the mortgage.
Stace says – reply to this

100

That's odd. This time last year my town had a grand total of ZERO Starbucks. We now have FOUR.