Starbucks Just Announced Their Plan for Reopening Stores

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Starbucks has closed all of its stores with the exception of select drive-thru and grocery store locations. While you can still pick up your latte on the go, many Starbucks devotees are wondering when they'll be able to get back to their daily routines and safely enjoy a cup of coffee.

CEO Kevin Johnson posted a letter yesterday providing an update on the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and Starbucks' business plan. In his letter, he was hopeful that some stores could open as soon as next month.

"After several weeks of isolation, as many markets around the world have directed people to 'shelter at home,' we are beginning to see progress," Johnson said. "With governments, health care professionals, businesses and citizens all working together, there is evidence many markets have in fact 'flattened the curve' and are now beginning to see a decline in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases."

So, what exactly does that mean for Starbucks' timeline to reopen its stores? Turns out, there's no hard-and-fast answer.

In a video on Starbucks' website, Johnson says, "As you see us transitioning through early May and throughout the month of May, we're going to go into this 'monitor and adapt phase' where a significant amount of stores are going to reopen."

Johnson says they're going to start "dialing up the reopening of stores," but rather than making blanket, nationwide decisions, Starbucks will monitor the COVID-19 situation in each community and respond accordingly. Johnson says, "Stores are going to reopen with appropriate store protocols, whether it's drive-thru, mobile order, for contactless pickup, curbside and even to-go types of models."

Johnson says that Starbucks' leadership team is monitoring local statuses of COVID-19, heeding guidance from health and government officials, feeling out community sentiment and store operational readiness. Johnson adds, "Not all decisions are financial, and in a crisis like this, they must be secondary to the health and well-being of our partners and customers. Your local leaders will continue to keep you informed of what to expect, when your store may begin a reopen process, what type of store operation format will be used when it does reopen and what you can expect from a staffing and scheduling perspective."