Jul 18, 2008 5:29 am US/Central
Starbucks To Close 20 Chicago Area Locations
About 600 Stores Closing Nationwide
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Starbucks has announced they are closing 20 locations across the Chicago area, as part of a move to regain its footing and get rid of unprofitable locations.
The gourmet coffee retailer is closing five stores in the city, 13 in the suburbs, and two in Northwest Indiana.
Starbucks announced July 1 that it would close about 600 company-owned stores in the United States, between July and the first half of fiscal year 2009. Staff and management in the stores have already been notified, Starbucks said.
The move to close the stores is a retreat from the aggressive expansion plans that had previously been a company hallmark. But Starbucks has watched its traffic and its profits decline recently as the faltering economy has led some consumers to question their spending on pricey coffee.
The following Chicago area Starbucks locations will close:
2475 N. Lincoln Ave.
2454 N. Ashland Ave.
2347 W. 95th St.
3350 W. Roosevelt Rd.
1753 E. 95th St.
617 Stratford Square Mall, Bloomingdale
627 E. Boughton Rd., Bolingbrook
96 River Oaks Center, Calumet City
27243 W. Saxony Dr., Channahon
4019 W. 167th St., Country Club Hills
291 N. York St., Elmhurst
2848 N. Harlem Ave., Elmwood Park
8738 S. Kedzie Ave., Evergreen Park
10335 W. Grand Ave., Franklin Park
14124 S. Bell Rd., Lockport
110 Etna Rd., Ottawa
7601 W. North Ave., River Forest
401 E. 162nd St., South Holland
10761 Broadway, Crown Point, Ind.
6200 U.S. Hwy. 6, Portage, Ind.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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