Starbucks adds Cinnamon-Shaken Waffles to menu

Check out what's new at Starbucks for the holiday season. Cinnamon-Shaken Waffles are starting to pop up on menus at Starbucks locations across Montgomery County in recent days. Three bite-size Belgian waffles are shaken in a Cinnamon Dolce Shake Shake Topping, and served warm and golden brown. The waffles are available all day long, not just for breakfast.

Aspen Hill Starbucks to close

Starbucks at 13677 Connecticut Avenue in the Aspen Hill Shopping Center has abruptly announced it will close at the end of this week. The closure was announced on a sign posted in the window of the store yesterday. Simultaneously on Thursday, the coffee chain's corporate office declared that it would be closing hundreds of stores nationwide by next week. While some news reports have characterized this winnowing of locations as targeting unionized stores, a majority of the stores on the list - such as this one - are not yet unionized.

Hotel Starbucks reopens in downtown Silver Spring

The Starbucks store at 8777 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring has reopened. It is located in the ground floor of the DoubleTree Hotel. This Starbucks closed back in August of 2021, a closure that was announced to be "temporary." Now it has reopened again just in time for PSL season.

Starbucks closing at Downtown Silver Spring

The Starbucks store at 915 Ellsworth Drive at Downtown Silver Spring is closing. A notice from the store manager says it will permanently close at 12:00 PM on March 30, 2024. The official corporate notice does not say why the store is closing, but unidentified employees at the store told ABC7 News that crime was a primary factor in the closure. Customers are being directed to the new Starbucks store at 1316 East-West Highway at The Blairs Shops shopping center.

Starbucks opening new store in Aspen Hill

Another Starbucks is coming to Aspen Hill. The new store will be at 13677 Connecticut Avenue in the Aspen Hill Shopping Center. It is expected to open by mid-2024 in the former Dress Barn space. Starbucks has an existing Aspen Hill location at Plaza del Mercado.

New Starbucks opens in downtown Silver Spring

The newest Starbucks in downtown Silver Spring is now open. It is located at 1316 East-West Highway, at The Blairs Shops. The outdoor patio is also open. Starbucks replaces the departed Peet's Coffee at the development.

Signage installed at new Starbucks in downtown Silver Spring

A quick update on the new Starbucks opening soon at 1316 East-West Highway at The Blairs Shops in Silver Spring. Signage has been installed on the storefront. As of last night, it was already lit. Before you know it, you will be drinking your first PSL of 2023 at this Starbucks.

Starbucks construction update at the The Blairs Shops in Silver Spring (Photos)

Let's return to The Blairs Shops for a progress update on the interior fit-out of Starbucks at 1316 East-West Highway in downtown Silver Spring. Opening day is getting closer, as lighted menu boards have been installed, and some furniture has been moved into the future store. Patio furniture is already in place on the outdoor seating area. The "early 2023" opening date has slipped past in favor of summer 2023.

Starbucks under construction at The Blairs Shops in Silver Spring

The interior fit-out of the new Starbucks at 1316 East-West Highway at The Blairs Shops is underway. It replaces Peet's Coffee. Front and rear counters are in place. The store is currently hiring, according to a flyer taped to the storefront. 

Peet's Coffee closed in Silver Spring ahead of Starbucks takeover (Photos)

Peet's Coffee has closed at 1316 East-West Highway at The Blairs Shops in downtown Silver Spring. This is not a surprise if you are a regular reader, as I broke the news back in September that this location had been leased by Starbucks, which will construct a new store here. A farewell message has been left in the window directing Peet's customers to their Virginia and D.C. locations. Good luck with that! 

Nearby residents are far more likely to make the transition to a convenient Starbucks right here during the morning rush hour. The only real suspense will be whether or not the future Starbucks employees here decide to unionize or not.

Olney Starbucks engages in Red Cup Rebellion

Today is what is usually an eagerly-awaited annual event for Starbucks fans: Red Cup Day. A free, reusable holiday Starbucks cup has become a new tradition of sorts. Something else new on the horizon for the Starbucks company are aggressive efforts to unionize its stores across America. The Olney Starbucks store at 16806 Georgia Avenue is one where workers were successful in establishing a union this year, but then faced the challenge of trying to negotiate an actual labor agreement with Starbucks. As a result, today the Olney store's workers are participating in the nationwide Red Cup Rebellion.

The Red Cup Rebellion is a strike by workers at unionized Starbucks stores today. Workers are demanding that Starbucks stop short staffing stores, and sit down at the bargaining table with union representatives to negotiate labor agreements.

Starbucks to open new store in downtown Silver Spring

Starbucks will be opening a new store in downtown Silver Spring. It will be at 1316 East-West Highway at The Blairs Shops, where Peet's Coffee is located today. Starbucks has already had a kiosk location inside the Giant store at the same shopping center, has a store on Ellsworth Drive, and a kiosk inside the Safeway on Thayer Avenue. The new Starbucks is anticipated to open by early 2023.

Starbucks temporarily closes at 8777 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring

One of the Starbucks in downtown Silver Spring has temporarily closed. The store at 8777 Georgia Avenue has a sign in the window stating it is closed temporarily, but does not give an explanation for why. The closest nearby Starbucks location is 915 Ellsworth Drive.

Starbucks now open at Thayer Avenue Safeway in Silver Spring

Starbucks is now open at the Safeway at 909 Thayer Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. The sign replaces the old Signature Cafe sign on the front of the store. Speaking of the front of the store, the renovation announced a year ago still is not finished. They are currently working on the facade above the front windows at this point.

Starbucks goes to delivery/drive-thru only; region on verge of coronavirus shelter-in-place lockdown

Montgomery County

coronavirus testing site

in the works

Starbucks announced Friday that it was moving sales at virtually all of its American stores to delivery orders and drive-thru service only. Deliveries are available through UberEats, the company said. Starbucks said locations in and near hospitals may be kept open to serve frontline health workers and first responders during the coronavirus crisis.

COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN

Leaks and statements from the District and Maryland suggest the region is nearing some form of a shelter-in-place order. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said his state is just one step away from declaring such an order. At least two journalists tweeted out yesterday that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser would order District residents to remain in their homes yesterday. Bowser's office quickly clarified such reports were false, but leaks from the DC government claim that the plans have been drawn up for implementation on short notice as needed.

National Guard units have been photographed on the move in many states across the country over the last week. A significant number of military vehicles were seen in the D.C. area Friday. As rumors began to spread online, the Maryland National Guard released a statement assuring citizens "there is not a threat of martial law." The Guard stated that the vehicles were headed to FedEx field, where troops are setting up a coronavirus testing site.

Military jets and helicopters were heard flying over Montgomery County early this morning, however.

ELRICH WANTS MONTGOMERY COUNTY

CORONAVIRUS TESTING SITE AT

WHITE FLINT MALL

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said at a press conference yesterday that the County hopes to establish a coronavirus testing site soon. MedStar would be the healthcare partner to staff and operate the site, he said. Elrich proposed using the site of the former White Flint Mall, of which only one store remains standing, for the testing location.

PIKE & ROSE RESTAURANTS

OFFERING TAKE-OUT AND DEALS

Restaurants at Pike & Rose are, like dining establishments countywide, rushing to adapt to the new abnormal of take-out/delivery only. Remember that they can also sell you beer and wine to-go under temporary alcohol sales rules.

City Perch in the iPic Theaters remains open for curbside pickup and delivery, even though the theater itself was forced to close under the sweeping statewide closures ordered by Hogan this week.

Here is a list of what other Pike & Rose restaurants are offering at this time:

• Kusshi Sushi is offering a:

• 50% discount to all medical and hospital workers
• $10 meal credit for students under 18
• 50% discount on wine
• 25% discount on beer and sake
• Must call to place order. Open until midnight!

• Julii is available on UberEats or call direct (301) 517-9090 for no fee delivery or curbside pick-up. They have also created a mini grocery with essential items currently hard to find in grocery stores: toilet paper, fruits, meats, vegetables, pastries, pasta, and sanitizer. Half price bottles of wine also available.
• Summer House Santa Monica created a similar mini take out market with such necessities.
• Stella Barra has “make your own” BBQ pizza-to-go kit for families to make family dinners at home
• Sweetgreen and &pizza are offering free meals to hospital workers

Starbucks warns of changes ahead as coronavirus panic accelerates

You could see coronavirus-related changes at your favorite Starbucks in the coming days and weeks - assuming American businesses remain open that long. Shortly after the Italian government shuttered all of that nation's businesses besides grocery stores and banks, and the governor of New York called in the National Guard to oversee a coronavirus "containment zone" in New Rochelle, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson emailed a personal letter to customers.

The coffee chain recently admitted what I said all along - that refilling dirty cups brought in by customers, and having them handled by the same people preparing your drinks, is unsanitary and a heightened risk to spread disease like the coronavirus - and axed that disgusting policy for now. Now Starbucks may go further. Johnson said that, based on the rapidly evolving situation, you might find your neighborhood Starbucks store only serving customers by delivery and mobile pick-up orders.

Stores that remain fully open could limit the number of customers seated inside, to facilitate "social distance" protocols. If the store has a drive-thru, that might alternatively be the only way to make an order. In the worst-case scenario, Johnson wrote, "we will close a store if we feel it is in the best interest of our customers and partners, or if we are directed to do so by government authorities. In any such situation, we expect store disruption to be temporary."

Johnson also added that the company is also watching out for its employees. Starbucks is now expanding catastrophe pay to cover employees who must miss work due to contraction of, or exposure to, covid-19.

Starbucks pop-up party in Olney today

The Olney Starbucks at 3126 Olney Sandy Spring Road is one of only four locations in Maryland that will host a pop-up party today. Stop by between 1:00 and 2:00 PM today for festive fun and a free, tall handcrafted espresso drink. Sounds good to me!