The coffee chain Starbucks is closing one of its flagship locations in the city of Seattle due to a rise in crime in the area.
According to the Daily Caller, the company announced the closure of its location at the corner of 1st and Pike, near the Pike Place Market. In the announcement on Tuesday, the company said that it is a standard practice to “regularly evaluate our store portfolio to determine how we can best meet our community and customers’ needs and ensure partners are supported in crafting beverages in a warm and welcoming environment.”
“We look forward to continuing to serve the community and visitors at our other nearby locations, including the original store at 1912 Pike Place and 1st and University,” the statement by the Starbucks spokesman continued.
The decision comes as Seattle, like many other major cities in the U.S., faces a surge in crime. In 2022, the city’s rate of violent crime reached its highest level in 15 years. In 2021, the Seattle City Council voted to dramatically cut the Seattle Police Department’s budget, which ultimately led to 122 officers retiring or quitting in 2022, thus contributing to a rise in crime due to a decrease in the size of the city’s law enforcement.
“They will take anything that isn’t nailed down,” said local businessman Peter Morse. “No one wants to be a police officer now.”
Starbucks had previously closed five other Seattle locations due to crime and safety concerns in 2022. Various locations cited increasing problems with theft, assault, and drug use at or near their stores. The five in Seattle were among 16 Starbucks locations that shut down across the country that same year.
And, yet, they will never even see that the public policies they do vocally advocated are at the heart of why Seattle has become increasingly crime-ridden and unsafe.