Westchase Neighborhood: Don't Close Our Starbucks

WESTCHASE, FL - The neighborhood Starbucks in West Park Village is closing, and a new coffee shop is opening about a mile away in a shopping center anchored by a Costco Wholesale store. Westchase neighbors are not happy. Actually, they are so unhappy that they have started a petition drive to stop the closure.

The petition can be viewed here. So far, 159 people have signed. The new Starbucks will feature a drive-through window, which the current neighborhood Starbucks can't accommodate because it is located at the entrance to West Park Village, a center of restaurants, small businesses and a dry cleaners.

Hundreds of residents can walk to the neighborhood's Starbucks, located at Linebaugh and Montague streets, as townhouses are located behind the businesses in the Village and several housing developments are nearby. Students from Davidsen Middle School congregate there after school since it is within walking distance. Though rumored for months, news of the closure became official this week, according to Starbucks employees.

The petition says:

"The Starbucks at West Park Village in Westchase, Tampa , has been open for a very long time. It is located in the core of our community. People get together to enjoy cold tea on a sunny afternoon, or a hot coffee on a cold night. People in Westchase walk to the Starbucks in the morning to have breakfast, share with their families and friends, and have a good time. Starbucks is opening a new location half a mile away and decided to close the (West Park Village) location. We are creating this petition to keep our Starbucks open. #starbucks #keepitopen #wpvstarbucks. #starbucks should consider keeping this location open because not everybody wants to use a drive thru, we want to walk and have a good time with our families, kids and pets in your patio. We don't want to enjoy the view of Costco or a busy interception, we want to enjoy the Starbucks experience in our community, not somewhere else. People around the country are boycotting Starbucks, we are actually trying to keep our Starbucks open! So hey #Starbucks , #keepitopen !!!!!

Patch photo by Don Johnson