3 ms·

That makes sense for smaller businesses, where "closing" might mean closing the entire business. But the situation seems materially different for a large compa

That makes sense for smaller businesses, where "closing" might mean closing the entire business. But the situation seems materially different for a large company like Starbucks, where each physical location is only a small part of their overall business operations. What SCOTUS ruling was that? I wonder if it applies to e.g. shutting down a warehouse or dismantling a department within the business, as opposed to shutting down a business entirely.

enraged_camel 4y ago
One factor that might be relevant is that a lot (most?) Starbucks locations are franchises.
- asah 4y ago
  FALSE: Starbucks is famously company-owned. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+starbucks+are+franchised https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+starbucks+are+franc...
  - enraged_camel 4y ago
    Yeah, sorry, they are franchises where I'm from (Turkey). I guess it's different here.
  - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
    They have lots of franchise-like agreements, it just isn’t their preferred model. American airport locations are run by Marriott I think, QFC and Safeway run their own locations in grocery stores, many locations in China are JV owned, etc…
- brandonmenc 4y ago
  Starbucks does not franchise. There are licensed stores, which is what you'll see in a Barnes and Noble, hospital, or on a college campus. These do make up a significant ~40% of total locations.
  - everybodyknows 4y ago
    How does licensing differ from franchising?
    - throwaway1777 4y ago
      Basically they sell Starbucks coffee but they aren’t an actual Starbucks and therefore don’t usually have all the promotions, products, marketing that the corporate Starbucks do.
  - techsupporter 4y ago
    > licensed stores, which is what you'll see in a Barnes and Noble FWIW, Barnes and Noble operates its own brand, Barnes and Noble Cafe, that isn't a licensed Starbucks. Licensed stores have full branding and, these days, accept stars as discounts and purchases there accrue stars. The third category (corporate and licensed being the first two) is "We Proudly Serve", meaning the business isn't a Starbucks but has an agreement to sell some or all of the 'bux product line.
AnthonyMouse 4y ago
> But the situation seems materially different for a large company like Starbucks, where each physical location is only a small part of their overall business operations. Each location is differently situated. One might have higher real estate costs or taxes or more competitors or fewer customers or antagonistic local politicians etc. There are so many things that go into store closures that they could always find a plausible pretext. Then what do you do, have a rule that you can never close a store with a union?
- cool_dude85 4y ago
  >There are so many things that go into store closures that they could always find a plausible pretext. Then why did Starbucks, no doubt availing themselves of very well-paid labor lawyers, lose this case to the NLRB? For these examples at least they were not able to provide plausible pretexts.
  - AnthonyMouse 4y ago
    They did not lose this case for want of a plausible reason to close a store.

enraged_camel 4y ago

One factor that might be relevant is that a lot (most?) Starbucks locations are franchises.

asah 4y ago
FALSE: Starbucks is famously company-owned. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+starbucks+are+franchised https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+starbucks+are+franc...
- enraged_camel 4y ago
  Yeah, sorry, they are franchises where I'm from (Turkey). I guess it's different here.
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  They have lots of franchise-like agreements, it just isn’t their preferred model. American airport locations are run by Marriott I think, QFC and Safeway run their own locations in grocery stores, many locations in China are JV owned, etc…
brandonmenc 4y ago
Starbucks does not franchise. There are licensed stores, which is what you'll see in a Barnes and Noble, hospital, or on a college campus. These do make up a significant ~40% of total locations.
- everybodyknows 4y ago
  How does licensing differ from franchising?
  - throwaway1777 4y ago
    Basically they sell Starbucks coffee but they aren’t an actual Starbucks and therefore don’t usually have all the promotions, products, marketing that the corporate Starbucks do.
- techsupporter 4y ago
  > licensed stores, which is what you'll see in a Barnes and Noble FWIW, Barnes and Noble operates its own brand, Barnes and Noble Cafe, that isn't a licensed Starbucks. Licensed stores have full branding and, these days, accept stars as discounts and purchases there accrue stars. The third category (corporate and licensed being the first two) is "We Proudly Serve", meaning the business isn't a Starbucks but has an agreement to sell some or all of the 'bux product line.

AnthonyMouse 4y ago

> But the situation seems materially different for a large company like Starbucks, where each physical location is only a small part of their overall business operations. Each location is differently situated. One might have higher real estate costs or taxes or more competitors or fewer customers or antagonistic local politicians etc. There are so many things that go into store closures that they could always find a plausible pretext. Then what do you do, have a rule that you can never close a store with a union?

cool_dude85 4y ago
>There are so many things that go into store closures that they could always find a plausible pretext. Then why did Starbucks, no doubt availing themselves of very well-paid labor lawyers, lose this case to the NLRB? For these examples at least they were not able to provide plausible pretexts.
- AnthonyMouse 4y ago
  They did not lose this case for want of a plausible reason to close a store.