Starbucks wants to open nearly half of Canadian locations for dine-in by end of June

Starbucks Canada is reopening its cafes and patio seating for customers, aiming to have nearly half of its locations across the country open by the end of this month.

The company says reopening will happen on a community-by-community basis, starting in BC, where 16 stores opened last week.

As restrictions start to lift across the country, the company is working with local leadership, health authorities, and provincial governments to roll out dine-in service once again — now, with precautionary measures in place.

Some of the measures implemented at Starbucks locations include:

• Indoor and outdoor seating significantly reduced to accommodate six-foot spacing between tables, and to prioritize physical distancing in the cafe lobby and customer waiting areas
• Tables sanitized between each customer
• Floor markers and signage to show customers how to navigate through the store and remain physically distant
• A plexi-shield at the POS and handoff area, as an added barrier of protection
• Staff will wear facial coverings and adhere to Starbucks safety measures

The company says that as reopening commences, customers can order to-go, or stay if seating is available. However, the use of personal cups and “for here” ware is still paused, for the time being.

Starbucks says that as of now, most Canadian stores are open for grab-and-go service, and customers can enter cafes to pay with their method of choice at the counter. Still, the use of the Starbucks app is encouraged so that contactless payments can be made.

The app is also useful for those looking to save time, and mobile orders can be picked up at the designated handoff area inside cafes or at drive-thru locations.

• See also:
  • Starbucks closing up to 200 locations across Canada over two years

Earlier this week, Starbucks announced the impending closure of up to 200 locations across the country.

The move is part of an overall “restructure” of the brand’s business in Canada, and some of the stores that close will be repositioned to store formats such as drive-thru, curbside delivery, and pick up.