You’ll Finally Be Able To Hang At Starbucks Again By The End Of June

Calling all caffeine fiends! In an announcement on Thursday, it was confirmed that Starbucks Canada is reopening patios and dine-in services. By the end of June, you’ll officially be able to hang out in many Starbucks locations across the country, but things will look a little bit different this time around.

In a press release shared with Narcity, Starbucks Canada confirmed that the company has big plans to reopen cafes and patio seating by the end of this month.

While not every location will be up-and-running as early as June, the coffee giant intends to have almost half of its stores fully open again in just a couple of weeks.

Select spots will reopen for dine-in on a “community-by-community basis,” with 16 stores in B.C. leading the way by restarting operations last week.

While it’s exciting news that your coffee won’t have to be on-the-go in the future, your local Starbucks is probably going to look a little different when it reopens.

A spokesperson explained, “As the company rolls out dine in service, Starbucks precautionary measures will continue to prioritize partner (employee) and customer safety.”

New protocol will include significantly reduced seating both indoors and outdoors, with six-foot spacing between tables to prioritize physical distancing.

In addition to reduced seating, the coffee chain will sanitize tables between each use, and use floor markers and signage to encourage customers to remain physically distant.

Like many stores, plexiglass shields will be used at all points of service areas, and staff members will be wearing facial coverings at all times.

Additionally, personal reusable cups and in-house mugs will not be available for the time being. This is a “precautionary measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

While any payment method is now accepted at most locations, the company is encouraging customers to use their new app to make contactless payments.

The updated Starbucks App was revealed at the same time that the brand-new summer drinks menu dropped.

Earlier this week, Starbucks revealed plans to close up to 200 locations across Canada over the next two years, as part of an overall restructuring process.

The company estimates a loss of approximately US$2.2 billion since the beginning of the global pandemic.