COMMUNITY

SAVE OUR STARBUCKS!

By: Rob Christianson July 28, 2008

I recently submitted this article through Starbucks.com:

I was dismayed to read this article, on how the company is standing firm in it's store closure list, despite the outcry of those people who matter most - the customers: www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=75136

If Starbucks really wants to make a good business decision, it should pay attention to the cries of its customer base - the real people who keep the company in business.

As a dedicated Starbucks customer and a resident of the small town of Orting, I want you to know how important your store is to our small community. Not only does Starbucks supply much needed coffee to a small bedroom community to get us going on our long commutes each morning, it is a vital meeting place and a respite in a growing town. My wife and I love to come and sip a few beverages and sit in the comfy chairs for hours and just talk. It's a great time to build our marriage, and also a very condusive environment to creativity - since both of us are graphic designers.

I've had an idea to stage an S.O.S. (Save Our Starbucks) campaign and push the Orting Chamber of Commerce to rally the town's population and perhaps encourage each resident to buy a Starbucks beverage on one certain day. Perhaps then the company would see how important their store is to our small town.

Orting may seem insignificant compared to Seattle, where I pass 3 Starbucks stores on my short walk to the office from the train station, but I would bet that we value our Starbucks location more than most Seattlites who take their plethora of stores for granted. Every Orting resident I've spoken to about this feel the same as I do.

Please reconsider the immanent closure of our beloved Orting Starbucks, and listen to the outcry of your loyal customers. It may just seem like dollar signs to you, but it's a slice of small-town community for us!

Rob Christianson
Orting resident and Starbucks shareholder