Starbucks Publishes Its "List of Doom"

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Starbucks was going to close 600 of its underperforming stores, and now, the company has released the list of all the stores facing closure nationwide. The list, which may be found here, includes quite a few stores in Texas, but only one in my immediate area.

Since my work keeps me on the move, I don't have a "personal Starbucks," like the Florida customers interviewed for this story. Or perhaps it would be even more accurate to say that I have several, depending on what part of town I'm in on that particular day. Sure, there's one that's close to my house that I probably visit more than others to meet with friends, read, etc., but there are plenty of others in the mix as well.

But as I said, only one in my neighborhood (and the only one on my favorites list, for that matter) is closing: the one inside Firewheel Town Center itself. I blogged about its opening day in '05, but I noticed that, except on weekends, its small size (it maybe seats 16 at the most) probably kept it from doing the business it needed to do. With a much bigger Starbucks in Firewheel Market out front (and a pseudo-one in Barnes and Noble), I could see how it would be a challenge. Still, I'll miss the opportunity to get a warm drink and carry it on The Walk™ on cold winter's days; I guess B&N gets that part of my business now, unless I'm parked out front in the first place.

Do you have a favorite Starbucks? If so, is it surviving the purge?

Amazing fact from the list: The corner of Preston and Park in Plano, which has Starbucks on three of the four quadrants formed by the intersection, has no stores appearing on the list.

Blowing out the candles: Happy birthday to Ben, my friend and former bandmate. (The Starbucks near where he grew up isn't closing, either.)