- Starbucks is shutting down seating areas in stores to encourage social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak.
- The coffee chain will continue to serve customers who order at the counter, on the app, or via the drive-thru window.
- Local Starbucks locations and customers posted images of the stores that had removed or blocked off seats, showing how the coronavirus outbreak is transforming daily life in the US.
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Starbucks is taking drastic measures to attempt to encourage social distancing and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
On Sunday, the coffee chain announced it would be shutting down seating areas in stores and closing locations in particularly busy areas.
Customers have been quick to post photos on social media showing stores that have removed chairs or flipped them up over counters. The photos are an eerie contrast to the typically bustling Starbucks scene, showing how the coronavirus outbreak has transformed daily life across the US.
Here is a look into Starbucks across the US amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Many Starbucks locations across the US posted photos of stores, announcing the decision to remove seating.
http://instagr.am/p/B9y74d4nbyJ
A Starbucks in Indiana posted a photo showing that it had flipped all of its chairs to prevent people from sitting in the coffee shop.
http://instagr.am/p/B9ykY_Ln1iL
Starbucks locations across the US and Canada printed signs informing customers that seating areas were closed and that business had moved to grab-and-go.
http://instagr.am/p/B9yxjG4HYOs
Other locations announced that they had been shuttered temporarily.
http://instagr.am/p/B9yj91kHlEM
And, some were operating with limited hours.
http://instagr.am/p/B9zYFFoAfOd
On Sunday, a tweet showing a Starbucks that had removed its chairs went viral, with more than 62,000 retweets as of Monday morning.
Starbucks took all the chairs out so people can’t stay pic.twitter.com/Svd6uwzJmv
— D.Miles (@OctobersOwnTae) March 15, 2020
While some locations removed chairs, others tied chairs together to prevent customers from sitting down.
http://instagr.am/p/B9zUwpmgeub
Many Starbucks locations looked jarringly empty without seats.
http://instagr.am/p/B9yv4n6ANBw
The coffee chain has emphasized its identity as a place where people can gather and socialize over the years.
http://instagr.am/p/B9yuK3DDGwa
"All Starbucks had to take out their seating and it broke my heart," one person posted on Instagram. "There are so many people that hang out at Starbucks daily just for a connection. We will come out stronger than ever."
http://instagr.am/p/B9yypi9gmFC