SEATTLE — Starbucks will close its Seattle store at Broadway East and Denny Way next month, the company told workers Monday night. The closure will take effect Dec. 11, according to the company.
The Seattle-based company said that its attempts to address the safety concerns at the location were not effective.
“Unfortunately, despite several mitigating efforts, safety and security incidents at our Broadway and Denny store have continued to escalate,” Andrew Trull, a Starbucks spokesperson, said.
In a statement, the Starbucks Workers United said the closure of the store is a form of retaliation since Dec. 9 is the last day before the store will be closed to the public, which also marks the anniversary of the first union being formed in Buffalo, New York.
“The Broadway and Denny location was the first store to unionize in Seattle, and one of the first locations to organize in the country,” a union spokesperson said.
Starbucks said it will bargain with the union regarding how the closure will impact the workers, including possible transfers to other stores.
Broadway and Denny store workers walked out during last Thursday’s “Red Cup Rebellion,” joining more than 100 Starbucks stores that went on strike. The walkout took place on Red Cup Day, an annual event in which customers can buy reusable red cups at Starbucks.
In July, Starbucks announced the closure of five stores in Seattle and 16 nationwide citing safety concerns. One of the Seattle stores was also in Capitol Hill, on Olive Way. The Starbucks Workers Union countered the company’s claim, saying it is a tactic to slow down unionization campaigns.
