KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Employees who worked at the Starbucks location at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, allege the store was permanently closed to halt union efforts.
A sign posted outside of the store at 302 Nichols Road confirmed the location will permanently close.
The sign reads:
"Dear Starbucks Customers, on August 22nd at 3:30 p.m., your Starbucks location at 302 Nichols Road will be permanently closing. We would like to thank you for being part of our store community; you are the heart of who we are at Starbucks. It has been a great pleasure to connect with you everyday. We are very thankful to have played a role in your daily routine and that you shared these moments of your life with us."
The sign also told customers they could get their fix of coffee at other Kansas City area stores.
KSHB 41 spoke with employees who worked at the location.
Josh Crowell was a barista at the location since last October. Crowell said he found out about the closure 15 minutes before the announcement.
Crowell said Starbucks cited "safety and security concerns."
According to Crowell, the location has been involved in union efforts since January. He alleges that is why the location was shut down.
"Obviously they're not gonna explicitly say that it's about the union," Crowell said. "I don't think it's suspect to say that union busting is probably part of this decision making process as well."
KSHB 41 also reached out to Starbucks for comment on the matter and will update this story if a response is received.
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