JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — As previously reported, the Jackson Starbucks located at 10 E Broadway is closing, permanently, at the end of the month.
The decision to close the coffee shop was apparently based on a revenue stream concern more than employee hiring or retainment, at least according to a corporate spokesperson.
“As part of Starbucks standard course of business, we continually evaluate our business to ensure a healthy store portfolio. After careful consideration, we’ve determined it is best to close the store at 10 East Broadway in Jackson, WY. Our last day at this location will be August 31, 2021,” stated a Seattle-based media relations staffer identified only as Daniela. “This closure is not due to staffing shortages, and as difficult as the decision to close a store is, we must do what’s right for the long-term health of our portfolio.”
The departure of Starbucks from the downtown coffee buzz market (Starbucks still maintains satellite locations in Smiths and Albertsons grocery stores) could be viewed as a David win over Goliath. When the Seattle heavyweights muscled into Jackson in 2014, it caused an outcry with local coffee shops.
Lisa Miller’s Shades closed not long after the arrival of Starbucks as a result, in part, of the direct competition. Nearby Jackson Hole Roasters, owned by Stefan Grainda was particularly miffed at the java giant’s entry into the downtown bean battle. He claimed, at the time Starbucks moved in, he himself was in the final stage of negotiations with building owner Lee Gardner only to be backdoored in the 11th hour by an out-of-town corporate powerhouse.
“I’m not going to gloat over it. I know how hard it is,” Grainda told JH Press. “With housing issues, hight rent, lack of employees with COVID taking away J1 visas—it’s been a challenge. Honestly, I’m wondering how they survived as long as they did.”
Grainda said adding breakfast food options at JH Roasters helped keep him afloat for 8 years. “We weren’t looking to go that direction but people wanted it,” he said.
In the end, it is Grainda’s place, along with the likes of Cowboy Coffee, Persephone, and Pearl Street Bagels, that is still standing while Starbucks makes its exit plan.
As late as January 2020, Starbucks said it was bullish on the future even after the pandemic put a $3.1 billion dent in their bottom line. The town square location appears to be the latest in what the company says will be a total of 800 stores closures in 2021.
