Recently, there has been a mass shutdown of Starbucks nationwide. You may not have noticed, but cafés from corner to corner have been closing. One you may have taken notice of is Northside’s and North Park’s adored Starbucks on the corner of W. Foster Avenue and N. Sawyer Avenue. Students now question how such a frequented and recently renovated location could close its doors so suddenly.

Brian Niccol, the recently appointed Starbucks CEO, has led the mass closure of Starbucks stores due to customer satisfaction not meeting expectations. Whether that is for the greater good of the company is unclear, but what is clear is the disappointment of the affected customers at Northside.

The Starbucks on Foster served as a reliable spot for students in many ways. Will Markevich, a Northside senior, shared how the café became a part of his routine, saying, “I would visit about twice a week, usually swinging by for a chai or a matcha. It was a few blocks away, and it always had a seat and an outlet when I needed one.”

For Hazel Tabora, another Northside senior, its convenience and comfort made it a frequent destination. “I visited Starbucks 3-4 times a week,” she said. “It was very close to my house and newly renovated. I mostly used it to grab my drink on the way to school, and sometimes to study after school.”

The café’s proximity to both Northside College Prep and North Park University made it a hub for students seeking a quick coffee, a quiet study spot, or just a moment of calm.

The Foster Starbucks officially closed Saturday, September 27, leaving students and residents in the area disappointed. As Starbucks continues to restructure locations across the city, Northside students are already feeling the change, finding new spaces to fill the void left by their once-favorite corner café.