Starbucks PH hits pause on reopened stores after long drive-thru lines

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – In what might be one of the more uniquely upper middle class problems in a pandemic, Starbucks Philippines has decided to “pause” reopening select branches following long lines at their drive-thru stores on Thursday, April 9. 

The decision to close down their stores again happened even before their second day of drive-thru only operations ended on Thursday. 

“Due to the overwhelming reception, we have decided to once again pause operations for all our currently opened Drive-Thru stores to support the government’s enhanced community quarantine protocols,” Starbucks Philippines said in a statement posted Thursday afternoon. 

The Philippine operator of the Seattle-based coffee shop chain had resumed operations on April 8 at select branches in Metro Manila. Only drive-thru transaction were allowed in those select branches.  

They first reopened their Capitol Commons branch in Pasig City and their Taguig branch along 32nd and 7th street on April 8. Several other branches in Pampanga, Paranaque, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna were opened the next day, on April 9. 

Starbucks Philippines earlier closed all of their branches nationwide on Thursday, March 23 following the declaration of a Luzon-wide lockdown and subsequent community quarantines around the country. – Rappler.com