STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A Starbucks location on Staten Island briefly appeared set to close Saturday after the company mistakenly notified customers of a shutdown — only to retract the message hours later with an apology.
The Staten Island Mall Starbucks sent customers an email at 8:01 a.m. Saturday stating, “We’ve made the very difficult decision to close the Staten Island Mall Starbucks location by the end of the day today, September 27.” The message described the location as “your coffeehouse, a place woven into your daily rhythm, where memories were made, and countless cups of coffee were enjoyed.”
Starbucks sent out this message erroneously to regulars on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
However, at 6:16 p.m. that same day, Starbucks sent a follow-up email acknowledging the error: “Your local coffeehouse is still open. Earlier today, you may have received an email saying your coffeehouse was closing. That message was sent in error, and we sincerely apologize for any confusion it may have caused.”
Big oops: Several hours later, the company issued a reversal in the news — the Mall location would remain open. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
The incident came amid a wave of closures across New York City.
A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed in a phone call that the Mall location remains open. The company did not provide further details about how the erroneous message was sent.
As compensation for the confusion, Starbucks awarded affected customers 200 bonus reward points. “Stop by and enjoy a handcrafted drink or breakfast sandwich on us,” the corrective email stated.
The mix-up occurred during a period of significant downsizing for the Seattle-based coffee chain. According to “Time Out New York,” 34 Starbucks locations have closed in New York City in 2025 as part of a nationwide effort to streamline operations. The closures span Manhattan locations including 34th Street, 6th Avenue, Broadway and Lexington Avenue, as well as Brooklyn spots on Flatbush Avenue, Gold Street and Atlantic Avenue, plus Queens locations in Astoria and Long Island City.
In a Sept. 25 message to employees, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol explained the company’s broader strategy. “During the review, we identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed,” Niccol wrote.
The CEO emphasized that stores were selected for closure based on their inability to meet physical environment standards or financial performance goals, not based on union status. Affected employees are being offered transfers to nearby locations where possible, and those who cannot be placed are receiving severance packages.
Despite these closures, Starbucks plans to end the fiscal year with nearly 18,300 total locations across the U.S. and Canada. The company also announced plans to upgrade more than 1,000 locations over the next 12 months “to introduce greater texture, warmth, and layered design.”
In contrast to the citywide closures, a Woodrow location on Staten Island was briefly shuttered last year before reopening with a refreshed look. More recently, the borough gained a new Starbucks store in Oakwood. The café opened on Aug. 1, 2025, at the corner of Clarke Avenue and Amboy Road, marking the 16th Starbucks on Staten Island. The 2,129-square-foot space occupies a former Chase Bank branch that closed in 2021 and features outdoor seating in a strip mall alongside NetCost Market, Duane Reade, and Ambrosino’s Pizza.
Separately, the Starbucks at Empire Outlets in St. George was temporarily closed in July by the New York City Department of Health for operating without a permit, according to a previous SILive.com/Advance report. That location has since reopened and currently holds a “B” grade, based on its most recent inspection on Aug. 6.
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