The global coffee chain, Starbucks, is looking to open another new location in Jacksonville, this time in St. Johns County, at 359 Harper Lane.
The Seattle-based company’s newest location will be a brand new 2,600-square-foot shop that will sit between a new Taco Bell and a Scrubbles car wash, according to Jacksonville Daily Record. Starbucks has about 50 locations in the area, and this new one will move into the southwest corner of St. Johns Parkway and Race Track Road. This new location proves that even though the company is experiencing some changes, the brand is still one of the fast-growing coffee chains in the world.
Starbucks has recently undergone massive changes following the company’s nationwide employee strike, in which workers were demanding the company stop union-busting and negotiate a contract. As a result, Starbucks hired Laxman Narasimhan to replace former CEO Howard Schultz after one year. When Narasimhan was brought on, he discussed plans to reinvent the company. Starbucks has already made over $1 billion in investments aimed at updating training, improving equipment and raising wages, and adding other benefits for non-union employees. Another way he plans to improve morale is by working certain shifts.
“The past six months of my immersion into the company have been shaped by so many of you who have taught me about our very special culture at Starbucks,” Narasimhan wrote in a letter to employees. “With you, I’ve experienced every aspect of the business to learn what it truly means to wear the green apron. You’ve welcomed me into our stores, and trained me in how to be a barista … all to help me deeply understand what we do, how we do it, and the challenges and opportunities facing us. To keep us close to the culture and our customers, as well as to our challenges and opportunities, I intend to continue working in stores for a half day each month.”
