Starbucks is permanently closed at Cherry Lane mall

The Starbucks at Cherry Lane Shopping Centre is yet another victim of the Seattle coffee company’s ‘restructuring.’

Starbucks closed its doors permanently on Feb. 1, despite being a bustling coffee house. The closure is another blow to Cherry Lane, which has also seen Subway and EB Games close.

In January, Starbucks announced its plan to close up to 300 coffee shops across Canada. They said they would complete closures by the end of March.

The Seattle-based coffeehouse chain announced the acceleration of its five-year “transformation strategy” last year as it responded to changes in consumer habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most stand-alone Starbucks that didn’t accommodate a drive-thru, like the one at Cherry Lane, are the ones being eliminated.

The drive-thru at Main and Industrial and the drive-thru at Highway 97 and Riverside Drive are still open.

For now, the Starbucks inside Safeways will remain open, as is the case with Penticton’s Safeway.

Starbucks shut down its downtown Penticton location last year, leaving an empty storefront in the 200 block of Main St.

But then, Tickleberry’s took over the space and just opened up on Feb. 1, much to the delight of many eager to get ice cream from the locally famous shop.