Murphy saves NJ city’s only Starbucks after his policies almost killed it

🍵The only Starbucks in Trenton had been scheduled to closed March 30

🍵Gov. Murphy and congressional leaders pressed executives

🍵Starbucks would like to see an increase in downtown foot traffic

The Starbucks in Trenton will not close on March 30 but how long it remains open is yet to be decided.

Executives and officials revealed that it was not crime, which has plagued retailers in other U.S. cities, that prompted Starbucks to flee the city but the Murphy administration's post-COVID policies of allowing state workers to continue working from home some days.

The coffee chain announced the store, which is part of its community store initiative, would shut its doors following an evaluation given to all stores on how a location meets the needs of customers and the community.

"We had a conversation with Starbucks executives today and they would like to work with the city to ensure that there's a convenient presence of Starbucks in the city. And so for the time being, they're going to keep the store open and then work with us on the future presence in the capital city," Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora told New Jersey 101.5.

As part of their decision, the executives will visit the Trenton store.

“Governor Murphy has engaged top Starbucks executives to help keep its doors open in our capital city. The Starbucks in Trenton is not only a coffee shop - it’s a community hub and an anchor for the city’s downtown," a spokesperson for the governor's office told New Jersey 101.5.

ALSO READ: NJ governor speaks with CEO about Starbucks closing

Gusciora: "It was truly a team effort"

After learning from employees the store was going to close Gusciora enlisted the help of fellow Democrats Gov. Phil Murphy, Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J. 12th District. Booker and Murphy had conversations with Starbucks executives while Watson Coleman penned a letter about the importance of the store to the city and its workers.

"It was truly a team effort," Gusciora said. "We all worked together to make the pitch that this was important. We recognize that there was a Starbucks effect downtown in Trenton and we want them to be part of our business landscape."

One issue Starbucks is concerned about is the amount of foot traffic in the downtown area, which has decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to work from home. It's a habit that workers found they liked. New Jersey state workers are only required to work in person three days a week.

"As the state re-emerges and the business climate continues to improve, I think there's hope that that will be good for Starbucks bottom line as well," Gusciora said.

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More downtown foot traffic

The mayor has been adamant about the importance of state workers being required to return to the office full-time. After Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro required state workers to return to offices three days a week, Gusciora said that Trenton is no different than Harrisburg.

"Our local businesses depend on state workers, and we would welcome the return of all state workers to Trenton," Gusciora said in a statement.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the New Jersey state government employed 56,000 workers in Trenton before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

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