My wife and I were recently returning from a few days on the California coast. On the drive home, it was time to take a bathroom break and get some caffeine. While not my favorite coffee choice, it’s hard to beat Starbucks for the convenience of their eight zillion locations along the freeways.

Strike 1

My wife found one just off highway 101 in Salinas so we stopped there. She went inside while I got the dog out of the car. She quickly came back out saying “They have no bathrooms.”

Huh?

A coffee place without bathrooms. Clearly that couldn’t be the case or their employees would be peeing on the plants. Strike 1. Back in the car.

Strike 2

My wife found another one just another exit up the freeway. It happened to be on what must have been the busiest street in Salinas. But we finally got there. My wife goes in to order while I (again) got the dog out of the car.

This one is “Pick Up Only” my wife says as she exits the Starbucks.

Huh?

“You can only order online and then pick it up.”

Huh?

Yes, true, on the windows of the store, it said “Pick Up” which is nice but, to me, meaningless as I guess I don’t follow Starbucks news closely enough. The staff member said my wife could order online and I could use the bathroom at the grocery store across the parking lot. That's great customer service for ya.

Why?

As a marketing guy, this whole concept made me wonder: What was the thought behind this?

• If you wanted to get a cup of coffee and sit there and enjoy it, there were no tables.

• You can’t order it in person, you could only order it online. So, in our case, we would have had to enter our order on the phone (and we could stare at the staff member standing helplessly in front of us while doing it) and then find someplace to sit down.

• It had none of the convenience of a drive through. You had to park your car, get out, go into the store and then, presumably, walk back to your car.

No Strike Three

Fortunately, my wife found another Starbucks a few miles down the road. That one was what you’d expect with a drive through, indoor seating and a patio. Oh, yes, they had restrooms too. That left only my dog needing to pee on the shrubs.

(In deference, I have visited numerous Starbucks along my travels and I have found their staff to be generally quite friendly and helpful.)

A Failed Idea

This concept of pick up only baffled me. Now I see online that Starbucks has decided to close all of their pick up only stores.

In an earnings call on July 29, 2025, Starbucks CEO Brian Nichol said “… the locations were no longer compatible with the Seattle-based coffee chain's plan to get ‘back to Starbucks’. We found this format to be overly transactional and lacking the warmth and human connection that defines our brand," he added.

According to the article:

Launched in 2019, the “Pick Up” concept was first introduced in New York and later expanded to more than 20 states. The storefronts were designed to handle mobile orders only, often located in dense urban centers, airports and hospitals.

All 96 locations will be impacted by the shift. Some will close permanently, while others may be converted into traditional Starbucks buildings. The company declined to provide details about which stores are closing and whether any workers will be affected.

OK, hospitals and airports are very different than shopping malls and freeway area. But still, not being able to order in person? Don't worry, the Starbucks app will continue to work.

But I’m glad I won’t have to deal with that anymore when I’m in the need for a quick dose of caffeine and a pup cup for my dog.