Metro Vancouver Restaurant News thread

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by logan5

I wonder what will become of the Main and 14th Starbucks. It's a large space in a high traffic area, so I presume someone will take it quite quickly. Big patio space too.

Yep but I'm sure part of the reason Starbucks is leaving is the sky high rents.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Yet Starbucks stock is at all time highs while Tim Hortons languishes. I routinely have horrible customer service experiences at Tim's (I must be a glutton for punishment).

I'm not loyal to any brand, but do find Starbucks convenient.

As I’ve said before Sbux doesn’t break out Canadian results so while their new strategy might be playing well in the USA or the most suburban parts of Canada it’s not going to fly in cities. Take the example of Granville Street, if they close the ones at 2nd, 7th and 14th do they really think all those customers will prefer to stand in line at the Chapters location just because “they have the app”? Many will just go to a local shop. Or maybe they expect to vultch new locations from desperate landlords post-pandemic.

[memememe76]

Is the outdoors Starbucks really dead? There are so many people in that area and the Chipotle is always busy.

Of course, as a Guildford resident (who has been to the mall maybe a couple times since the pandemic), I would go the Starbucks across the street (if Coffee Monster is closed or too busy, they have so many customers dining in).

[NewfBC]

From what I've heard, most of the Starbucks locations that are closing are high rent with space that's no longer necessary.

Starbucks does have plans to open new locations, smaller, with little or no seating. These will service mobile and app delivery orders.

Ron.

[djh]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

From what I've heard, most of the Starbucks locations that are closing are high rent with space that's no longer necessary.

Starbucks does have plans to open new locations, smaller, with little or no seating. These will service mobile and app delivery orders.

Ron.

I was wondering if this was a great way to renegotiate rents in covid times. I'm hearing about commercial properties dropping by 66% as sublets, so landlords are in a very weak negotiating position with tenants. If tenants walk away from high-priced contracts, even in highly desirable neighborhoods, there are no retailers chomping at the bit to take their places. So perhaps Starbucks is orchestrating this massive temporary retreat, not too worried about this while covid still rages. In a few quarters, their old spaces will still be empty, and the landlords will be begging them to return, even at hugely reduced rates. Then they can be picky as to which locations they reopen.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

As I’ve said before Sbux doesn’t break out Canadian results so while their new strategy might be playing well in the USA or the most suburban parts of Canada it’s not going to fly in cities. Take the example of Granville Street, if they close the ones at 2nd, 7th and 14th do they really think all those customers will prefer to stand in line at the Chapters location just because “they have the app”? Many will just go to a local shop. Or maybe they expect to vultch new locations from desperate landlords post-pandemic.

They don't in their public releases. Obviously they are making the call behind the scenes. Do you think you are outsmarting the bean counters at SBUX?

Perhaps selling coffee and allowing patrons to sit around for 2 hours nursing it, isn't a viable business strategy anyway.

[SpongeG]

I was thinking of something else that must be affecting them. People can't go shopping with their drinks anymore cause you are discouraged from taking off your mask indoors now to sip away. I know its made me change my decision a few times.

[zahav]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Guildford Town Centre has two Starbucks one upstairs inside the mall, always has a lineup, and the one downstairs on the outside which is always dead, people just don't want to go outside to get a coffee there and it closes early so one can just go to the one a block down the street.

Strange that Brentwood still has two locations and keeping both.

I saw a Fresh Slice Pizza opening somewhere, it was in a previous Starbucks location, I just can't remember where I saw it though. I imagine the empty stores won't be too hard to fill.

The Starbucks at Station Square on the Kingsway side closed down a while back and a Coco is opening soon in that spot.

Are you thinking of the Fresh Slice opening in the old Starbucks on West Broadway near Heather?

[SpongeG]

ah yeah that was it thanks.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Just some of the Starbucks locations that I scanned that seem to be shutting down next week.

Shaw Tower
Royal Centre
Seymour/Dunsmuir
1030 West Georgia (Burrard Building)
811 Hornby
930 Burrard (Burrard & Smithe)
Robson & Homer
West Hastings & Howe
Beatty
Brava (Davie & Seymour)
Main Street & Terminal
Granville Island (Granville & 2nd)
Broadway & Heather
City Square Mall
Boheme (E Hastings & McLean)
Century (Fraser St & 29th)
Broadway & Commercial
Marpole
Arbutus & Valley

I just updated the count of closed, and remaining open Starbucks in Vancouver. My earlier count was off because there are a lot of Starbucks in Safeway stores that didn't show up on the list I was using. These are from the Starbucks website. It still shows the stores that closed, but with no operating hours, so I assume those have closed. (1661 Davie is brand new, so it might just have its hours missing?)

There are three more than listed by jollyburger

Safeway Arbutus
Safeway 1661 Davie
Main Street Reserve Bar

That will leave 56 stores still operating, including 7 in Safeway stores.

[WarrenC12]

Broadway and Heather had a sign saying they were closed. But lights were on and uniformed employees running around doing things (closing up I guess?) A bit strange to see.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I just updated the count of closed, and remaining open Starbucks in Vancouver. My earlier count was off because there are a lot of Starbucks in Safeway stores that didn't show up on the list I was using. These are from the Starbucks website. It still shows the stores that closed, but with no operating hours, so I assume those have closed. (1661 Davie is brand new, so it might just have its hours missing?)

There are three more than listed by jollyburger

Safeway Arbutus
Safeway 1661 Davie
Main Street Reserve Bar

That will leave 56 stores still operating, including 7 in Safeway stores.

I tend to think the Safeway locations aren't closing since you would think there would be one or two outside of the "new" locations that would also get shut down. I think I remember seeing a Safeway location with no hours previously.

If you look through the app the dots of closed stores are actually black (they are just all green on the website). Toronto saw a huge chunk of their downtown core locations closed as well, they had huge number of stores there.

[dreambrother808]

You can see a few stores closed in the suburbs but the lion's share is in Vancouver proper.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I tend to think the Safeway locations aren't closing since you would think there would be one or two outside of the "new" locations that would also get shut down. I think I remember seeing a Safeway location with no hours previously.

Safeway Starbucks are licensed stores operated by Safeway, so I don't think that they would be connected to these closures.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

I tend to think the Safeway locations aren't closing since you would think there would be one or two outside of the "new" locations that would also get shut down. I think I remember seeing a Safeway location with no hours previously.

If you look through the app the dots of closed stores are actually black (they are just all green on the website). Toronto saw a huge chunk of their downtown core locations closed as well, they had huge number of stores there.

I don't have the app. I was looking at the website. I guess we'll see if the two Safeway locations with no hours stay open - the Davie one is very close to the company store down the street. At some point I assume the Starbucks website will remove the closed stores - it's a bit confusing as it is now. Retaining over 50 locations means they still have more stores than any other coffee business.

[jollyburger]

They seemed to be pretty quick in papering up windows and removing signage when they closed previous locations, but I expect there will be a backlog with so many closures in a day.

[Klazu]

Can't say I am sad to see Starbucks struggling. Are Tim Hortons and Cafe Artigiano expanding or closing locations?

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Can't say I am sad to see Starbucks struggling. Are Tim Hortons and Cafe Artigiano expanding or closing locations?

Neither has or had anywhere near the number of Starbucks locations in Vancouver.

Artigiano was struggling pre-COVID and locations had closed from what I remember. I'm assuming as per all such businesses downtown that things are now worse.

Tim's are franchises and it would be up to the individual franchisee. Giving up your personal business for nothing is not the same as closing nearby corporate-owned locations.

[Conrad Yablonski]

FWIW-The coffee kiosk near the Burrard entrance of St Paul's hospital is not a Sbux no matter they've left a few familiar signs up and kept the overall color scheme.

[PeterAKer]

Where can I see the List of Starbucks Closures?