Residents Petition to Stop Closure of Neighborhood Starbucks

With less than 10 days before residents say Starbucks on Washington Avenue is slated to close, customers are gathering signatures in an effort to to keep the Frappuccinos and lattes flowing.

Two customers in particular, Cheryl Cameron and Lisa Raines, said they were told by employees of the Starbucks in west Murrieta that the corner coffee shop would be closing Sept. 22.

Cameron and Raines were collecting signatures individually, but joined forces Friday and told Patch that several hundred people have signed their petitions.

In the above video, Cameron and Raines tell Patch what the Starbucks means to them and the community.

Patch has reached out to Starbucks for comment on the impending closure but has not received a response as of publication time.

If the doors are shuttered on the Washington Avenue Starbucks, it would mark the second closure in Murrieta this year.

When the Starbucks at 25030 Hancock Avenue closed in March, a company spokesperson provided this statement:

"As part of Starbucks standard course of business, we continually evaluate our business to ensure a healthy store portfolio. After careful consideration, we’ve determined that it is best to close the location at Hancock Avenue at this time, but look forward to opening a new store in Murrieta later this year."

The last time Patch checked, there was no news on that possible new location.

Other Starbucks in Murrieta are located on Madison Avenue, California Oaks Road, Murrieta Hot Springs Road and Clinton Keith Road. Patch has not received word about the status of those remaining locations.

Within the last year, the Starbucks on California Oaks Road was remodeled.

The most recent Starbucks company profile—dated August 2012—stated the company has nearly 18,000 retail stores in 60 countries.