Starbucks Shuts Down Due To Increasing Crime RateIn a move that is not staff-friendly, Starbucks will be shutting down 16 store locations after store managers reported a surge in drug use among customers and outsiders, as well as an increase in crime in certain areas.

For starters, six Starbucks locations will be closed in the company’s hometown of Seattle, and six more will be shuttered in the Los Angeles metro area. Two Starbucks restaurants will stop operating in Portland, Ore, while one store each will close in Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

Due to increasing crime rates and incidents of assault, the staff has been feeling unsafe. Already, the company has taken the decision to deny free access to store’s bathrooms that were open to the public as per their corporate policy.

However, the company has been rethinking its open bathroom policy due to increasing concerns about public safety. There has been increasing concern from people coming to the store with regards to the stores being used as public bathrooms.

Also, Starbucks management is concerned about the mental health crisis in the country, which is currently severe, acute, and getting worse. Also, managers have been given leeway in rearranging the seating layouts and even adjusting hours of operation in order to address employee safety concerns.