Another midtown business has closed up shop, this time a major retailer.
Starbucks announced its 1901 J Street location is among at least six stores in the Sacramento region they are closing in a sweep of nationwide store closures.
"The approximately 1% of coffeehouses affected by this announcement reflect locations where we do not see a path to delivering the customer experience or long-term performance Starbucks expects," said a Starbucks spokesperson in a statement to CBS Sacramento.
The local locations closing include:
• 1901 J. St., Sacramento, CA 95811
• 2648 Watt Ave., Sacramento, CA 95821
• 3511 Truxel Rd., Sacramento, CA 95834
• 8240 Calvine Rd., Sacramento, CA 95828
• 8341 Elk Grove Florin Rd., Sacramento, CA 95829
• 10441 Fairway Drive, Roseville, CA 95678
Still, small business owners in midtown say they can understand why the J Street location could not survive, as they deal with it every day.
One local business owner told CBS Sacramento that crime is a growing problem for businesses in the busy district.
Next door to the now-closed Starbucks, an employee with Noah's Bagels said crime is a daily occurrence.
"It's just people coming in stealing things. We can't catch them because we're busy and it's recurring. Someone slept outside with a gun. Someone tried to set our building on fire. Someone exposed themselves to customers," said Alicia Will, a morning shift cashier at Noah's Bagels.
Several customers showed up to Starbucks all morning and afternoon, not realizing it was closed. They found the doors locked and a note on the door.
"We'll go to the next one. I'll make this one last," said loyal Starbucks customer Audra Lopazan, holding her nearly-empty to-go cup.
She stops at the midtown location for a refill while out on walks. Even her dog Dixie was waiting for a pup cup.
Lopazan says she is shocked, but not surprised, to see the store closed.
"You pull in and they're just gone and there's no warning. There's just a note that says, sorry, we love serving you. Goodbye," said Lopazan.
Will told CBS News Sacramento that she often does not feel safe at work and said she herself has been the victim of harassment.
"When we call the police. It's hours that we have to wait. So by the time they come, these people are gone. And then they come back every day," said Will.
The Starbucks closure comes just days after Azul, a restaurant and bar just a block away, closed its doors after nearly two decades in business. They say the decision was due to declining sales and crime impacting their customers.
It also follows a string of recent midtown small business burglaries and last week's announcement of ramped-up private security patrols in the nearby Lavender Heights district after multiple physical attacks on late-night bar-goers.
The J Street corridor has become a hotspot for transient activity, as several businesses tell CBS Sacramento off-camera.
"It's hard because they're people. But we have to tell them you're not allowed here. It's every time I work and it's not just one incident. It's multiple incidents," said Will. "This is what we have to deal with and we don't really have much support."
The sentiment from many businesses and employees in midtown is: If Starbucks cannot survive here, how can the small businesses?
The Midtown Association told CBS News Sacramento on Monday that it is aware of the challenging business climate and they are working to address it.
"Midtown Association is actively engaged with and fully supportive of our city and law enforcement partners as we all work collaboratively to ensure Midtown remains a safe and welcoming place to live, work, visit, and do business. At the same time, we recognize that a dynamic and growing district requires appropriate and sustained public resources. We will continue to advocate with the City for the staffing and services needed to effectively support the district and its businesses, residents and visitors. Additionally, our organization continues to make significant investments in enhanced lighting, public safety and response capabilities, and the intentional activation of underutilized spaces. At its core, Midtown Association's mission-critical focus is on providing a clean and safe district. We have a 13-member team dedicated to that specific purpose, a team that visibility and diligently supports the district and works to uplift the overall safety, cleanliness and livability of Midtown 365 days a year," said Emily Baime Michaels, Executive Director if the Midtown Association.
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