The Santa Monica
Starbucks on the corner of Wilshire and 26th Street opens at 4 a.m.,
and normally has plenty of customers by 5 a.m. But not since Sunday.
I entered on
Sunday, March 15th, shortly after 5 a.m., and saw that all the seats
and tables had been stacked against a wall. It's "take-out
orders only" for the immediate future. The reason, obviously, is
the COVID-19 Coronavirus. "Take out orders only" is
Starbucks way of encouraging "social distancing" to stem
the spread of the virus.
These photos were
taken March 15, at 5:18 a.m.:
And it isn't just
that Sunday is a slow morning. The following three mornings -- Monday through Wednesday -- there were even fewer customers. Instead of three customers, it
was only me.
I expect that many people aren't coming in for "take out orders" because sitting for a spell was always part of the pleasure of going to a Starbucks. It's why you paid such high prices for a cup of coffee. The ambiance.
The bathroom is
also closed to the public.
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