Bluffton Starbucks has been closing early. Is it a sign of a workforce shortage?
A Starbucks in Bluffton appears to be the latest business affected by the Lowcountry’s workforce shortage.
The store on U.S. 278 next to Target has temporarily shortened its hours and has been closing hours earlier than usual. Last week the store closed at 5 p.m. On Wednesday it was set to close at 7:30 p.m.
While a store employee said Wednesday that Starbucks has been closing early because they can’t find enough people to work in the evening, the store and district managers would not confirm this.
“Stores can and will occasionally adjust their hours based on local business and customer needs,” an unidentified spokesman from Starbucks’ press office wrote in an email Wednesday. “As such, store hours vary by location and our one store in Bluffton, South Carolina, is temporarily closing just a few hours early. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and, in the meantime, encourage our customers to visit the other four nearby stores during the later evening.”
Starbucks is nationally known for providing a higher pay than other companies of the same type along with benefits, such as a full college tuition paid.
Frank Ducey, a Sun City Hilton Head resident, said Wednesday that he visits the Bluffton Starbucks four to five times a week.
“They have had a lot of turnover recently,” he said. “I used to know everyone’s name and now I don’t think I know anyone’s.”
Ducey said he started seeing a change at the store about four to five months ago.
It isn’t unlikely that a workforce shortage could be burdening the local store as many restaurant owners and managers in the area have reported difficulty in finding employees this year.
Local restaurant owners and managers have said a lack of affordable housing along with public transportation are a few reasons the area is having difficulty.
Josh Cooke, owner of The Corner Perk in Bluffton, said Wednesday that the shortage also could be because of new businesses opening in the area, including large employers such as Walmart, Sam’s Club and Hobby Lobby.
“Eight years ago, we had the highest unemployment in the region that we ever had in my lifetime so it wasn’t difficult to find people,” Cooke said. “It definitely has been more difficult; we definitely struggled to hire people in the spring.”
Night shifts are always a little bit harder to fill at a coffee shop, Cooke said.
“It is a lot slower at night,” he said. “It is cleaning and restocking, so the hours are not as enjoyable to work.”
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Teresa Moss: 843-706-8152, @TeresaIPBG
This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Bluffton Starbucks has been closing early. Is it a sign of a workforce shortage?."