A longtime downtown Bellingham coffee shop abruptly closes its key corner spot
Starbucks has shut down its longtime downtown Bellingham cafe, creating an opening on a key corner of the district.
A sign on the front door noted that the cafe was permanently closed on Sunday, Aug. 30. Starbucks had occupied the corner of East Holly Street and Railroad Avenue since 2005.
The Bellingham Herald left a message with the Starbucks corporate office, which was not immediately returned on Monday afternoon, Aug. 31.
Starbucks announced earlier this summer that it was closing 400 stores. According to an article in USA Today, the company said that it was closing some traditional cafes and shifting its focus to more “convenience-led formats,” such as drive-through and mobile-only pickup locations. The downtown Bellingham spot did not have a drive-through option.
The company also plans to open 300 new locations this fiscal year, according to the article.
The coffee company was a key tenant for the Marketplace building, which was constructed in the early 2000s as a mixed-use building with 40 residential units.
That corner spot was the subject of controversy prior to the Marketplace building being built. After a building burned down on that spot, the property became known as The Pit.
When a decision was made by the city to sell it to a developer to be redeveloped in early 2001, protesters who wanted a garden/community plaza occupied the spot. In May 2001 about 30 protesters were arrested, while 10 others tied themselves to themselves and a wall.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 1:21 PM.
