Afternoon updates: Starbucks closure news, USCG tall ship

| Seen at sea | WS miscellaneous

(USCG Eagle, photographed from Duwamish Head viewpoint, added 4:49 pm)
We are continuing to update the “West Seattle bank robbery leads to downtown gunfire” story. Also, we are at Duwamish Head watching for the Coast Guard tall ship to come into view. (3:45 PM UPDATE: Looks like it’s coming around Magnolia now; 4:24 PM UPDATE, well in view now – though its sails aren’t up – and fireboat is out too.) But we are working on other news too, starting, in this post, with the big news from Starbucks – 600 company-operated stores to close this year. So far, NO LIST AVAILABLE – but this “message from Howard” just posted at starbucks.com after a 2:30 pm conference call says that all stores will know “by mid-July” if they are staying open or closing. (A commenter at starbucksgossip.com claims word’s due tomorrow.) The earlier news release says more than two-thirds of those that will close are stores that have opened in the past couple years.

brj July 1, 2008 (3:29 pm)

Maybe one of the two that are in Jefferson Square? I so want to get a picture of those stores together somehow. A Starbucks with a view of another Starbucks, or two Starbucks that share the same parking lot. It’s the ultimate Starbuck stereotype!

WSB July 1, 2008 (3:34 pm)

The one in Safeway is a “licensee” so that one is apparently not involved – these are the company-owned stores only, which I believe includes the one in J-Square that is in the former Infinity spot. The 2nd-newest Starbucks in WS is the drive-thru next to Taco Time.

brj July 1, 2008 (3:36 pm)

I can’t see them closing the drive thru – there’s always a line there. So looks like we’ll still have 3 in the space of a 1/2 mile!

jIggers July 1, 2008 (3:48 pm)

You mean the economy is starting to affect them now. They are just closing the ones that aren’t making any money.

Indaknow July 1, 2008 (4:23 pm)

There are THREE located at Westwood Village. The freestanding store and then two stores within stores; one in Barnes and Noble and one in QFC. Not complaining.

barb July 1, 2008 (4:58 pm)

the one in B & N is not technically a starbucks, I found that out when trying to use a starbucks gift card.

k July 1, 2008 (8:20 pm)

The B&N one doesn’t do as good a job either…
I know it is a licensee but a poor one dilutes the brand,
so close it.

Diane July 1, 2008 (9:12 pm)

I so wanted to see the tall ship; looked for it while riding the 56 downtown at 4:30ish, could see the fireboat spraying in all its glory; once off the bus, ran down to ferry terminal, highest levels to look, still couldn’t see it; then saw a nice young man in uniform, and yes, he pointed out the tall ship was just beyond end of ferry landing, near Harbor Island, and he said the ship would be parked there overnight; I would love to see it with sails up

Erik July 1, 2008 (9:47 pm)

Got a nice view of the ship from the water taxi ride home. They found a nice spot to anchor near harbor island. When we floated by they were ferrying the crew to shore on CG skiffs.

Sorry, comment time is over.