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Starbucks closed a Seattle store after first case of employee diagnosed with coronavirusStarbucks closed a Seattle store after first case of employee diagnosed with coronavirus

Starbucks closed a Reserve store in Seattle over the weekend and quarantined staff after one employee was diagnosed with COVID-19

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

March 9, 2020

2 Min Read
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Starbucks has since reopened the affected downtown Seattle Reserve location.Starbucks

Joanna Fantozzi

Starbucks temporarily closed a Reserve store location in downtown Seattle after an employee was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was quarantined last Friday. This is the first case of coronavirus contracted by a Starbucks in-store employee. In order to further prevent the spread of coronavirus, the company immediately closed the affected store, initiated a deep-clean procedure and sent home employees that had direct contact with the infected partner.

Although Starbucks was given permission by the city of Seattle and King County’s public health officials to reopen the store the next day, the company waited until after the weekend to reopen the store. Per CDC protocol, all employees who were working with the diagnosed partner during that shift are being self-quarantined for 14 days.

“We have had these health and safety protocols in place for weeks and months so as soon as we learned of the positive test, we closed the store,” a Starbucks spokesperson said. “That evening, we conceivably could have had it ready to open next day but because [the roastery] requires specific partner training, we needed time to find employees to come in to work shifts.”

Additionally, all Starbucks employees now waiting out the 14-day isolation will be paid for shifts that they were already scheduled for during the quarantine, including the employee recovering from coronavirus at home, who is “being fully supported” by Starbucks.

This news comes on the heels of the new coronavirus-related guidelines Starbucks released, which include pausing the use of personal cups from home, restricting business travel and increasing store sanitation protocols.

Starbucks has also announced COVID-19’s impact on its China business, where sales were down 78% in February, though the coffee chain maintains that the impact is temporary.

“This is a moving target and right now we’re taking guidance from scientific facts,” a representative for Starbucks said. “We’ll continue to evaluate the options that we’ve been planning. We have learned a lot from our leaders in China on how to handle this. We’re ensuring that Starbucks partners and customers are safe.”

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected] 

Follow her on Twitter: @joannafantozzi

 

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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