They give you your much needed douse of caffeine in the morning, get you through the day with delicious treats and take care of your late night study habits with a shot of espresso. It keeps you warm on those frigid winter days and nicely cooled on those hot summer afternoons. Some consider this their place of hangout with their friends, while others look at it as an area to do some last minute studying. Every college campus should be equipped with a one but unfortunately Starbucks corporations and West Chester University have come to their final decision last week about the future of our very own coffee shack. A verdict was reached early last week that they will indeed be closing the Starbucks on campus located right next to the library after this semester is over. Numerous workers, many of whom are students here at WCU, will be out of a job for next upcoming fall semester. No more iced Caramel Macchiato, Mocha Frappuccino’s or marshmallow squares; it seems we’re back to the old beverages sold at Java City in Sykes. Many students are now asking why would campus or Starbucks corporations do this to us?
Apparently, West Chester campus isn’t the only place to have experienced Starbucks loss. As many as 12,000 Starbucks employees lost their jobs last summer when the company began closing up to 600 U.S stores. Since the national economic growth has come to a halt, worried consumers have stopped buying their tall and venti mocha whipped fraps and have visited Starbucks much less. Last year alone, the coffee shops profits fell 28 percent compared to the year before. The company is cutting 5 percent of its U.S. locations as a part of its wide ranging effort to boost its stock price
But why would Starbucks close their store on campus when they have countless student and faculty customers waiting in line daily to get their caffeine fix? After talking with students, most have confessed the fact that if their looking for a quick snack or energy boost, Starbucks is the place to go. But it seems that campus students, just like everyone all over the nation, have taken a hit from the depleting economy and we are not spending as much money as we did last year when it first opened. Don’t let those long lines out the door fool you.
However, I do want to shed some light on the event: This year, the Starbucks company plans to open 140 new stores in the U.S. down from its recent goal of 200; and internationally they intend to launch 170 new stores down from the original 270. Maybe this means that the University will reopen it again in the upcoming semesters. Nothing is set in stone for sure about the future of the campus Starbucks, but for now it will be missed by everyone here.
Vicky Hoover is a fourth-year student who has been drinking Starbucks on campus sine the beginning of its time. She be reached any where on Starbucks grounds protesting its stay.
* April Fools!