All of Target's Starbucks locations are temporarily closed, and many baristas are transferring to work in the superstore itself
- Effective Monday, all Starbucks locations in Target stores will be temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns, a Target spokesperson confirmed in an email.
- Target employees who had worked in Starbucks cafés have the option to transfer to other jobs in the superstore.
- "This decision is aligned with the action that Starbucks communicated on March 20," a Target spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement, referring to Starbucks' recent decision to close thousands of café-only stores across the US.
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Baristas and servers who were previously employed at Starbucks locations in Target stores across the US now have the chance to work in other jobs in the superstore, a Target spokesperson confirmed.
As of Monday, all Target Starbucks cafés are temporarily closed as a hygiene measure against the coronavirus. A Target spokesperson confirmed that the decision was made to align with Starbucks' move to close thousands of café-only stores across the US, which was communicated on Friday.
"Target team members who work in a Starbucks café location will have the opportunity to be placed elsewhere in our stores," a Target spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement.
Adrienne Roberts, a former Starbucks barista in North Carolina Target store, said she had heard she was going to be placed in another area of the store since her Starbucks closed. As of Monday morning, she had yet to receive training for that, she said. Target confirmed that "each store will support team members with training as needed."
Starbucks is switching to a drive-thru- and delivery-only model for the next two weeks and is temporarily closing thousands of locations across the US. Whether working or not, Starbucks workers at company-owned stores will be paid for the next 30 days.
A Starbucks representative declined to comment further on locations in Target, which are among the more than 8,000 licensed Starbucks stores in the US and Canada. Starbucks' licensed stores, many of which are in grocery chains and travel centers, will not be directly impacted by Starbucks' decision to close cafés.
Target recently announced it would pay raise its pay for employees by $2 an hour through at least May 2. The superstore is one of many chains that have been overrun with panicked shoppers who are overbuying essential goods like toilet paper and eggs.