Coronavirus restrictions in the United States are loosing, which means life is beginning to get back to "normal". At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Starbucks closed over half of its 8,000 U.S. stores in a move to prevent the spread then in mid-March some Starbucks stores opened to provide drive-thru service. Now, 85% of Starbuck locations are reopening with new protocols in place.
Starbucks is Reopening 85% of Locations
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson shares that the company's reopening approach follows one they used when reopening stores in China. Starbucks expects 90% of stores to be open by mid-June, depending on individual state safety protocols.
"We have adapted these protocols for the U.S. and our goal is to exceed the standards outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a safe experience, including heightened emphasis on cleaning and sanitizing protocols in our stores," Johnson said in a letter on the Starbucks website. the coffee chain is now offering contactless pickup, delivery, and in some units, curbside pickup and grab-and-go through the café. Customers can use the Starbucks app for mobile ordering to help keep social distancing protocols in place. The coffee shops will also shift towards a cashless experience, relying on the mobile app to handle cash.
The new Starbucks plans will be a natural fit for the coffee giant "since 80 percent of its U.S. orders were placed "on the go" via drive-throughs or the mobile app, even before the pandemic" according to The Washington Post. So the change won't be too drastic.
Starbucks is one of the first chains to announce reopening during the pandemic. The announcement came one day after The New York Times published a report that the "Trump administration predicts the death toll could reach 3,000 by June 1, nearly double the country's current COVID-19 deaths."
