Starbucks to close 16 St. Louis-area stores

These stores are closing faster than Mike Smith closed Tipsheet. Let’s send an email to Mike Smith at mikesmith@post-dispatch.com and tell him to FREE TIPSHEET! Then let’s get a cup of joe…

I never did like Starbucks, only been once or twice. They over saturated the area and it serves them right. I hate the one at Delmar & North South because it’s on a bad corner and is an accident waiting to happen; backs up traffic badly going into Clayton. They must have paid off the officials in order to put one there. Obviously no one did a traffic study.

I derive a certain pleasure from watching Starbucks collapse under its own weight. Their aggressive expansion strategy included targeting mom and pop coffee houses by offering landlords double and sometimes triple the rent that these small businesses could afford. So goes the comeuppance of greed as the purveyors of burnt coffee and Wal Mart-style expansion tactics are now forced to scale back their burnt coffee operations. Sigh.

The one in Hazelwood just got built and opened up maybe a little over a year ago. It’s always busy and I stop in on my way into work constantly. I’m not a hug fan of paying so much for coffee. But the White Mocha is pretty dang good. Good news is that McDonalds is expanding its premium stuff. but for now…there goes convenience.

That’s crazy. The one at Elm & 370 has only been open for just around a year. What a waste — and now a brand new vacant building.

It would be nice to see some of these Starbuck’s re-open as Mom & Pop shops. Most of these stores are in very nice, newer free standing buildings. What a waste.

I hate to hear the Soulard starbucks is going away. It was brand new, and a great place to have a quiet cup of coffee and chat with friends.

Sorry to hear that any business is closing, but I personally will not be affected. I can’t justify paying the prices that Starbucks charges. Plus, their coffee tastes “burned” to my palat. I prefer White Castle coffee and McDonalds’ new blend.

Yeaaahhh! Mine survived the cut!

the horror… the horror… fewer Starbucks. No good. Now we need to get a few Dunkin Donuts in town. They have good coffee. There are quite a few newer stores in this list. Oh well, let’s see how well the Mom&Pop shops do. It’s getting increasingly difficult to get a decent cup of coffee, bagel or donut in this town.

I’m shedding no tears over the closure of Starbucks in Washington. There were two locations in town, including one inside the new Target store. This can only be good news for my favorite downtown coffee shop, Mannwell’s Coffee Alley. I’m going to go have one of their awesome (and really inexpensive compared to Starbucks) chai lattes to celebrate.

It’s funny that many of these are recently opened stores. The ones off of Hwy. N in Dardenne Prairie and the one off 94 & O’Fallon Road have literally been there for only about 9 months.

They really did get out of hand with saturating the market. The one in Dardenne was one of three in a 1 mile radius. And I’m not exaggerating. They have one across the street at Hawk Ridge and another one in Target that literally shares the parking lot with the one that is closing.

That is too bad. I will have a cup of Pike Place and mourn the loss.

…there goes my everything.

with $8 cups of coffee, they will be closing more than 600 stores.

Unfortunately, it only makes sense for Starbucks to close their quietest stores. The Webster Groves store on Lockwood is closing, and the other Starbucks in Webster is populated by skinny high school students with venti frappuccinos, fussy college kids, and some seriously overworked baristas. It’s no relaxing place to be. I’ll miss the better staff at the Lockwood store and only hope they each find new jobs quickly. Thanks for the coffees, y’all.

One can only hope that the overbuilt & ugly Walgreens will be next. There will be an emerging market for anyone who can figure out how to use retail spaces with drive-through windows. I’m thinking a combo shirt laundry, video rental, pizza parlor, fast food. Just pull up and tell them what you’re there for and window #2 will hand it through the window…

Don’t worry about the empty buildings — I’m sure some banking institution will come along and build yet another local office to serve our banking needs. We certainly need another local office because one every 20 feet or so is not enough!

Do you think if Starbucks made the price of a cup of coffee reasonable they would be closing 25% of the market?

xpresso or should I say Josh “I’m Sloshed” Hancock,

The reason it closed is becasue of you. give it up. Stop changing you name and leaving stupid comments all over the place, and it may open back up. What’s sad, is that it seems like you need it open. Like its an addiction. It’s pretty sad that leaving childish comments on message boards gets you off, and then when it gets shut down, you cry like a baby

LOSER!!!!!!!!

To the many complainers who have posted comments - Businesses that treat their employees well tend to charge more, and Starbucks treats its employees well. Fair trade goods tend to cost more also, and Starbucks has featured fair trade goods. I enjoy their coffee and wish them well as they restructure.

The one @ Telegraph & Erb hasn’t been there very long, but it seemed like it was *never* busy…except kids going there after school. Just as well..there is a little coffee shop right down the street called “Perk It Up” that has much better and less expensive coffee than Starbucks anyway.

All yuppies should burn! Close them all……

As an owner of a ‘mom & pop’ I appreciate the people who buy local and within their community. It is annoying that Starbuck’s seems to have set the lingo for the coffee shop industry. Not everyone serves ‘tall’, ‘grande’, and ‘venti’. Nor do they serve ‘frappachinos’. The same can also be said for the convenience store cappuccino drinkers who look at you like you are crazy when you hand them a cup with two shots and foam. All my complaining aside, Starbucks is a good employer that offers their employees excellent benefits should they choose to take advantage of them. Hopefully many of their displaced employees will find a place in the stores that remain open.

I am really not surprised they are closing the one at Hwy N, seeing as how there is one RIGHT NEXT DOOR inside target. Also that is the fourth one they opened within a 5 mile radius in a year in that area. We went from not having any in St. Charles county to having almost 10. Besides all the good drinks there are loaded with calories and fat, and not to mention I do not drink caffiene.

That’s just…sad. And pathetic.

The St. Charles store opened up a little over a year ago, and stayed open just long enough to put the other coffee shop across the street (It’s A Grind) out of business. That one had been there ever since that area started building up several years back, and it offered more selections for non-coffee drinkers as well.

Now they are closing that Starbucks. So there are two empty buildings out there now. Way to go, corporate America. And people wonder why folks are so disenchanted with big business these days…….

While it’s fun to be smug, commenters like Ken Kase demonstrate their ignorance when they chortle about the Starbucks stores closing. Starbucks is actually good for independent coffee shops and other small businesses because they have (had?) a good reputation for picking up-and-coming neighborhoods for development; therefore, banks were more willing to loan money to start-up businesses in that neighborhood. (For example, see here.) Impending economic doom for Starbucks is, I’m afraid, a sign of impending economic doom for us all. Whatever your opinion about Starbucks coffee might be, the closing of their shops is certainly nothing to celebrate about.

Keep in mind that the ‘Starbucks’ locations in Target, the airport and many hotels are not company-owned but licensed ventures – similar to the cafes in Barnes and Noble. So though Starbucks did ramp up market expansion in the last 5 years, the company didn’t necessarily inspire a portion of the growth. Also, consider that some of these newer stores were built for brand awareness and strengthening, and not meant to sustain long-term profit.

Starbucks is a great employer with an unparalleled benefits package and hopefully will take care of the employees. Best wishes to the employees at these stores.

Noooooooooo…my Starbucks is on that list!

I find myself amused that they are closing one of the Washington stores - it’s rather silly that they opened a stand alone location in the same parking lot as they have one inside of the new Target here.

Somebody in corporate planning should have paid attention to that.

I’ve only been in a Starbucks once and that was to meet someone for a job interview.

I’m just glad they didn’t close the Starbucks at 6th & Olive. I could handle losing my 5:30am French-press.

North County was hit pretty hard with these closures. Amazingly, there are two stores in Clayton literally walking distance from one another — untouched.

I am glad to see them leave because there java is no good. Try going to the Mom and Pop places especially SHAW’s coffee. The best coffe in St. Louis.

Americans LOVE to see icons fall…we also love comeback stories, but I don’t sense one here. I do think that greed plays a part in this…I also think that their coffee tastes like burnt socks boiled in bong water.

Great story: a girl whom I used to work with was mall-walking in the West County Center with her mom one morning before the mall opened…she said their was a “hideous” smell wafting through the place that smelled like the jungle house at the zoo. A passer-by commented–”oh that’s just the folks at Starbuck’s ‘brewing’ their coffee.”

YUCK.

I gave up drinking coffee over 15 years ago. I laugh when I think about all the money I saved since the Starbucks phenomona started.

I met one or two match.com dates at the Clayton and Baxter store because they had few customers. The dates were lousy, for what its worth.

I never did like Starbucks. Starbucks collapse under its own weight. with $8 cups of coffee, they will be closing more than 600 stores. I’m all for Mom and Pop places. The best coffee in town…St. Louis, on the HILL…is SHAW’s Coffee. They have great coffee, very nice environment, etc., but most of all lots of friendly people that goes with a great cup of java…only at SHAW’s Coffee…located on the HILL.

This bites! I am a self admitted Starbuck’s addict and consider it my one indulgence. Thank goodness the ones on Olive Blvd. aren’t closing! That’s my start to the 12 hour workday!

They’re closing the store at 7th & Russell? I think that one still has the grand opening sign up! It just opened. Could they not see that in a few months they were going to start closing these stores enough to not build a new location?
Starbucks needs to fire some people and start again. Their business strategy is extremely wasteful.

Starbucks expanded far too quickly and put stores in places that would not support them (Graham & I-270) or where they were vulnerable to established competitors (Clayton & Baxter, a stones’ throw for a very busy St. Louis Bread Co.). They far overestimated the market for overpriced coffee and niche products.

How many “mom and pop” coffee shops existed before Starbucks? Starbucks can be credited with creating the demand for upscale coffee and giving a market place for the so-called “mom and pop” shops. By the way, how many

This is the free market at work. Starbucks lacked the demand to sustain their aggressive growth plans, so now they are adjusting. Their company as a whole is not going anywhere. Check out most Starbucks locations during peak hours.

Four of the sixteen stores (25% of the closings) are located in st. charles county…apparently, st. charles county won’t accept $2.00+ coffee.

I guess they grew too fast and/or and at the wrong time, the last 5 months they added 2 near my house that is closing and one near my work. It is a shame they seemed to be a good company, but I guess with the economy the way it is, one of the first things people cut out is the $3.00 coffee when you can get a coffee at McDonalds for $1.00 (even though it may not be as good). I am anxious to see how this affects the small coffee shop owners that are across the street from the Starbucks that are closing, I bet they are happy.

Starbucks needs to have a better/larger dining area for customers who prefer inside seating.

Tried one cup of the stuff years ago. I’d rather just put coffee grounds in my check like snuff than pay those prices for that crap! TOO STRONG for me.
I have seen several comments that it tastes like it has been burned. This conversation came up around the coffee pot this morning in the break room and several people mentioned the burned taste as the reason they don’t like it either and others can’t get enough.
My favorite Starbucks story is in New York City in which they have two Starbucks right across the street from each other.

Free Tipsheet. Do me a favor, and email mike smith at mikesmith@post-dispatch.com and ask him to FREE TIPSHEET. It will take you 10 seconds to fight tyranny!

There seems to be confusion on how much the coffee costs. The only way your drink is going to be $8 is if you bought the most expensive thing on the menu and then added 10 additional espresso shots.

Both me and wife for some time have been saying that there is no way in this marketplace that all these stores can survive. Starbucks is competing against itself in this marketplace. Take for example in Wentzville (which hasn’t closed yet). There is a free standing store on the Parkway in front of Target. You go in to Target there is a dedicated in store Starbucks. I’m not talking a kiosk but a true dedicated store with lots of seating. This reminds me of Krispy Kreme. A hot IPO that has brewed no business in the future.

I hate to see any more vacant buildings in STL as well. Unfortunately this is not the end of this economic slide. Good thing is St. Louis Bread continues to sell great coffee and expand into more neighborhoods in their hometown. I support spending money in St. Louis based companies who continue to provide more jobs for our friends and neighbors. And they have Free wifi too.

Too bad I am sad. I might have to go more than 2 blocks to get my overpriced overcooked, bad coffee.

Greedy hogs get eaten, and that clearly was the case with Starbucks.

@ support locals

“Good thing is St. Louis Bread continues to sell great coffee and expand into more neighborhoods in their hometown.”

I disagree. Breadco coffee is bland. And I ordered an espresso the other day and the young African Amer. girl behind the counter politely ridiculed my purchase: “I don’t know how anybody drinks this. It stink.” So much for being a place for coffee connoisseurs. Every time I go in there, at least one thing is wrong. At Starbucks, everything was always *right*.

Plus, with the lo-carb diet finally being vindicated yesterday as the best all-around diet, who wants all that bread? Watch for some breadcos to do a folderoo soon.

buy a cuisanart grind and brew, get maple bacon coffee beans from boca java and brew at home. great smell and great taste. know the maple bacon sounds gross, but it is really great. plus the coffee maker sounds like a fighter jet taking off, so you program it for when you want to wake up and you won’t need an alarm.

Three Starbucks that I have frequented are listed (just didn’t go everyday!) It’s always sad to see a business close, I don’t like seeing the empty stores. There are still three that fall into my general commute. I agree that Dunkin’ Donuts would be a good addition to the local economy. Being a New Englander it’s something that we miss.

Maybe they’re closing all those Starbucks to make room for more Walgreens.

Great-Starbucks opens on every corner out in O’fallon, puts the good coffeeshop out of business (Picasso’s) and now closes. Actually the one that affected Picasson’s is n’t closing, but I wish it was too. Good riddance.

They were getting too far ahead of themselves with rapidly building that many stores in such a short span of time. With that and the economy crisis, it was only a matter of time. Aside from that, I dislike their overpriced coffee and they charge waaaayyy too much for internet access.

WHEW! Mine survived.

Can of off brand columbian coffee at Wal-mart: $6.88
Package of off brand sugar: $2.00
Jar of Vanilla Caramel creamer: $3.50
Total cost per cup of coffee: Priceless

ironic to see all the negative remarks about starbucks. don’t visit often, but when i do i ALWAYS get a quality product. hmmm, growing too fast, saturating the market, is the discussion about starbucks or ab’s dominance in the u.s. beer market?

If Starbucks actually knew how to make a decent coffee, closing stores might be a sad thing. Unfortunately, they don’t now nor have they ever made a decent brew.

Well one good thing about this site is that D.Walker hasn’t found it yet. I was having nightmares over his or her posts over on the AB site. As far as those walgreen’s go. did you ever notice the parking lots are almost always empty? how do they do it?

Starbucks got voted the worst coffee in the world.Go to coffee exposed.It tells it all.Try Barnies!!!! Or McDonalds.

I hate to see any business close up because some people depend on these places for jobs but on the other hand, this company doesn’t support our troops in Iraq. So I guess now they get to see how it feels to lose out.

I’m sad to see the howdershell and dunn location close! I stop there often and it’s convenient to get in and out of, easier than the one at lindbergh and 270.

Headcheese: I am with you on the D.Walker posts.But you know if they get too nasty,hurtful or otherwise you can email the moderator and have his posts taken off.I have done it.

Thank God. Saint Louis Bread Company(a locally based company!!) has better coffee and great food! I don;t know why anyone buys starbucks when we could be supporting a locally owend chain that creates jobs and donates free bread to charity everyday right here in STL!!!

Jeem is correct, what a waste. The location in Weldon Spring has only been open a few months. Another brand new brick building that will be vacant.

I am glad the Starbucks I visit now and then on Manchester & Ball Drive in Ballwin isn’t closing.Even though its a small store the people watching is great plus the coffee gets you really wired if you are lacking in energy.The strange thing is they tore down the Starbucks futher down by Home Town Buffet and are completly rebuilding it…..go figure.I don’t know if anyone truly loves Starbucks coffee its just more of a lifestyle thing….’Lets go to Starbucks ,drink coffee and play on our laptop!!’

Grand Opening….Grand Closing !

Cafe Breve®, a 14yr old St. Louis based franchisor, is looking for potential franchisees for these locations. Contact information is at brevecoffee.com.

Starbucks, Shmarbucks. I don’t get it. It’s just coffee, right?

Free Tipsheet Mike Smith. Email him at mikesmith@post-dispatch.com and tell him to Free Tipsheet! Let the bloggers post…

OH NO! Mine is on the list. This is such a sad day. I LOVE my daily venti frappuccino. I cannot live without it so I guess I will have to go out of my way to go to a different Starbucks. Why? Why? I wish it wasn’t so.

Have no fear…eight o clock coffee makes a dark italian roast that brews up better than starbucks at half the price. You’ll have to figure out how to pose like an elite ‘bucky holding the eight o clock on your own.

I am genuinely sad to see the Webster Groves Starbucks close. Never mind that people are angry with the company. The employees are very hurt by this and probably are not feeling like “partners” right now. I can only ask what were they thinking when they so carefully selected such fine young people only eleven months ago and now are letting them go with two weeks severance. I will miss all of the delightful people, the strong coffee and the friendships I have made. Starbucks is more than a corporation like all businesses it is made up of people needing health care benefits, a lonely people like myself just wanting to chat with someone. Perhaps, this can not be supported by stockholders but these are certainly difficult times.

Good riddence to Starbucks. Overpriced coffee. BORING place to go. I got stuck going there with a group of people, and there was NOTHING on the menu I wanted. Not everyone likes coffee. Don’t cry over this, it’s just a cup of COFFEE. One cup of their COFFEE costs as much as my entire LUNCH. What a waste of money. Trendy people and their trendy habits.

The problem with Starbucks is human resources and quality… They used to offer a good product because they had “select” employees who were compensated well, had spectacular benefits, etc. When you have to hire people that don’t know what they are doing to higher other people that don’t know what they are doing because you are growing too fast, you get a disaster. It really is a shame… Now I hope Kaldi’s hires the talent and opens a fraction of these stores. The rest of the employees will need to go back to fast food.

“West Florissant at Lucas & Hunt, 8031 West Florissant Avenue, Jennings”

SERIOUSLY! Is ANYBODY surpised about that? I was more suprised when that opened on the site of the old Northland Mall. What will they closed next in Jennings… Banana Republic, GAP, H&M, Abercrombie, Nordstrom?

Oh wait… they can’t because those chains don’t have stores in North County… especially not so close to North St. Louis City.

In Jennings, approx 20% of the community lives in means that are BELOW the poverty line. It’s a sad but true fact of the last census in 2000.

It serves Starbuck’s right for having to close some of these stores. Not doing demographic research can be a REAL b**ch, huh?