The coffee landscape in the Las Vegas Valley is seeing a significant shift as multiple Starbucks locations appear to have closed their doors amid the company's broader strategy change. Information from FOX5 Vegas suggests that at least eight stores are off the grid, no longer allowing the public to place food or beverage orders on Yelp and the Starbucks mobile app. Notably, locations along bustling avenues—such as East Charleston Boulevard and West Sahara Avenue—seem to now just echo the memories of past coffee runs.
While the company has remained tight-lipped about the exact number of national closures, Las Vegas appears to be feeling the effects with significant storefronts shutting down. On Thursday, FOX5 Vegas noted that the CEO Brian Niccol deemed the closures "more significant," acknowledging both the employees and customers would feel the hit. "This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers," Niccol conveyed in a letter. "Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult."
Additionally, a report by 8 News Now references a circulating list of stores pegged for closure, identifying six locations in Las Vegas and two in Henderson. USA Today assembled said list including notable venues such as 3755 Spring Mountain Road and 3301 W. Sahara Ave. However, Starbucks has made no official statement regarding the accuracy of this compiled list.
According to the memo addressed to partners by Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, shared with 8 News Now, the shutdowns relate to the company’s inability to establish the desired physical spaces or reach satisfactory financial performance. Niccol stated, “During the review, we 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.” With an end-of-year goal of 18,300 stores, Starbucks illustrates a downward trend, trimming 124 locations from the previous year’s count.
