Chicagoland is getting closer to opening another Starbucks, this time with one coming to Carpentersville, located at 2276 Randall Rd.
The new 2,200-square-foot location will have an outdoor seating area and a drive-through window, according to The Daily Herald. Carpentersville trustees have approved the freestanding restaurant that will sit between Miller and Huntley Roads. The new Starbucks will be located near several other fast food options, many of which also serve coffee, such as McDonald’s, Dunkin’, and Wendy’s. Customers can expect this new location to open sometime next year. The other Carpentersville Starbucks can be found at 78 S Kennedy Dr.
The approval comes just a few days after the company shut down its first Chicago locations where workers unionized. Employees at the Edgewater site at 5964 N. Ridge Avenue went on strike earlier this year, hoping for better work conditions. Another Starbucks at 1070 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue is closing on October 30. While employees heard about the closing at the beginning of the month, some say they were not surprised by the closure. A bargaining date with union workers was set for October 26.
Employees at both locations claim the company failed to adequately cover shifts, especially during peak hours, and maintain cleanliness and safety standards, amongst other issues. Other cities to experience unionization include Buffalo, New York; Kansas City, Missouri; and Seattle. The new Starbucks coming to Carpentersville hopes to learn from these recent events and avoid them with better standards.
“While Starbucks is claiming to close down the Bryn Mawr location for safety & facilities reasons, workers at the store have been facing the same problems for years without any action from the Company,” union leaders said in a news release. “The store closures are apparent retaliation against union workers.”
