Kleinburg Starbucks shuts down, new cafe on the way

‘It’s sad,’ says one Kleinburg resident after the town loses its ‘only Starbucks’

Yorkregion.com
March 17, 2020
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Don’t fret! A new cafe is coming after Starbucks shut down its only java joint in Kleinburg.

The landlord, who does not wish to be named, told the Vaughan Citizen Monday, March 9 that she is in talks with “another cafe.” However, she doesn’t want to disclose any further details.

People in Kleinburg have long been proud of their local Starbucks since it’s situated at the Arthur McNeil House historic house, giving it an authentic vintage feel.

Residents found out about the sudden closure over the weekend of Feb. 22.

“I was shocked,” Tracey Kent, a veteran resident of Kleinburg, told the Vaughan Citizen in late February. “I know most commercial owners getting a Starbucks isn’t for leasing. It’s sort of like a gold mine. It’s a consistent business you are making money off,” Kent added.

Before speaking with the landlord, Kent expressed how she hopes "it’s not another office.”

“The McNeil House has been a centre of Kleinburg for well, at least the last 15 years,” Kent explained.

It’s great news for Kleinburg that the owner to bring another cafe, since there aren’t many coffee shops in the village.

“At the moment, we only have one coffee shop. That’s the Cookie Crumble where she (manager) opens every day,” Kent said, adding there is another coffee shop but it isn’t “open all the time.”

Interestingly, there are no Tim Hortons in Kleinburg. About six minutes drive southward, there is the popular Tim Hortons on Islington Avenue, but in Woodbridge.

Kent has also expressed earlier fear over how she doesn't want to see the McNeil House become another historic building that’s left to “rot” in Kleinburg.

When asking the heritage home landlord why some homes were left empty and unattended, she said, there is a “significant issue” when it comes to parking, however, emphasizing how these “buildings make the character” of Kleinburg.

Starbucks still doing great

With more than four out of five new Starbucks are drive-thrus, the coffee giant wants to open even more. One could speculate that was the reason why Starbucks closed down in Kleinburg, because it did not have a drive-thru.

But Starbucks told the Vaughan Citizen: “We continue to experience high growth in Canada and are proud of our success.

“As a normal part of doing business, every year we open many new stores, we close some, and renovate/relocate a few others,” the statement explained. “We consider many factors when we make these decisions.

“When we decide to close a store, we go to great lengths to minimize negative impacts: we offer affected store partners roles at other stores, we communicate to customers and community neighbours in advance and advise them how we will continue to support them moving forward.”