Starbucks says these LA stores are too unsafe to operate. Not everyone buys that
LOS ANGELES — Anna Gonzalez grabs a coffee at the Starbucks on 2nd Street in downtown Los Angeles across from her office most workdays, a favorite part of her morning routine.
She admits the store two blocks from the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters and City Hall is surrounded by a growing unhoused population and struggles with petty crime. But she and other customers were disappointed and slightly alarmed to learn it was one of six locations in the L.A. area and 10 locations in other major cities the coffee giant said this week was closing because of safety issues.
“Everyone in there is really sweet, but it is kind of dicey around here,” Gonzalez said, leaving the downtown store Wednesday morning with her iced vanilla latte. “It’s only going to get worse without the business.”
As Starbucks have proliferated in the last decades, the stores have become more than just a place for a quick caffeine fix for many neighborhoods. Their iconic forest-green siren logo
