Starbucks’ original Vancouver Island location in downtown Victoria was among some 60 stores across B.C. and Canada that closed their doors over the weekend.
A South Surrey Starbucks where workers unionized earlier this year was also among those shut down as the coffee chain expects its U.S. and Canadian store count to drop by about one per cent, which is roughly several hundred locations, by the end of the 2025 fiscal year.
The groundbreaking Victoria store on Fort Street closed Saturday, Sept. 27 after more than 30 years.
“We’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to close this Starbucks location. We know this may be hard to hear, because this isn’t just any store. It’s your coffeehouse, a place woven into your daily rhythm,” reads a sign posted on the front of the building.
Employees were notified Thursday, Sept. 25, that the store would be closing two days later, leaving many without jobs.
A Sept. 25 statement from Starbucks chair and CEO Brian Niccol posted at stories.starbucks.ca notes a review of the company's "North America coffeehouse portfolio … identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed."
Affected employees – referred to as "partners" by the U.S.-owned company – were to be notified this week, and "we’re working hard to offer transfers to nearby locations where possible and will move quickly to help partners understand what opportunities might be available to them," Niccol continues.
"For those we can’t immediately place, we’re focused on partner care including comprehensive severance packages. We also hope to welcome many of these partners back to Starbucks in the future as new coffeehouses open and the number of partners in each location grows."
The statement notes plans to open new locations in 2026, as well as " uplift more than 1,000 locations to introduce greater texture, warmth, and layered design" over the next 12 months.
According to a news release from the United Steelworkers Union, the decision impacting the "thriving" Alder Crossing location in South Surrey came with no clear explanation for why this location was selected.
Workers at the site, located at 3278 King George Blvd., joined USW Local 2009 in March, "in response to concerns over new management practices that have negatively impacted workplace morale," a news release issued at that time explains.
The 17 employees of the Alder Crossing Starbucks – referred to as "partners" by the U.S.-owned company – noted it would be a "significant step in their fight for fair treatment and stronger workplace protections."
Union officials say the closures decision "raises serious questions" about whether they're aimed at stifling the voices of workers who unionize and "those who recently spoke out about the company's controversial changes to its appearance policies."
"Our members at Alder Crossing stood up to make their workplace better and safer. They should be bargaining in good faith for a first collective agreement, but instead will be looking for a new job without any warning,” USW's director for Western Canada Scott Lunny says in the release.
The short notice, Lunny adds, is "unacceptable treatment of people who have shown loyalty to the company."
Lunny said workers "have been blindsided and been left scrambling."
"Notwithstanding pay-in-lieu of notice or severance pay, workers deserve more respect than that," he said.
"This store is in a high-traffic, profitable area. Starbucks’ decision simply doesn’t add up unless it’s about silencing workers who dared to challenge the coffee giant," he continued.
“We urge Starbucks to do the right thing and support these workers, not abandon them.”
Vancouver Island got its first taste of Starbucks on March 11, 1994, when the Fort Street location opened with what former store manager Kerry Busheikin called “one of the most successful openings of that time.”
“Thank you for being part of our story. We look forward to seeing you again soon,” the letter on the front door concluded.
For regular customer Mark Linsten, the closure marks the end of a routine.
“I feel like it just won’t feel like my normal routine anymore,” he said. “I’ve probably been here 500 times or more since I moved to Victoria in 2013. Guess it’s time I change up my morning routine."
