Slate loves them their Zeitgeist pieces, and the closing of Starbucks locations across the nation was bound to be grist to their mill. But what a job they’ve done! The site breaks down Starbucks closures across the nation (Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama are the hardest hit, though New York is taking a substantial 7.49 percent Starbucks reduction factor), and even offers a map to help you find out which Starbucks near you are closing. But Slate doesn’t want to just put the facts out there; they’re reconsidering the cultural meaning of Starbucks now that the chain turns out not to be the inexorably conquering force it was once thought. Is it true, as they say, that “Save Our Starbucks campaigns are sprouting up organically across the country in an effort to keep the corporate giant in town”? How much will Americans miss their Starbucks, anyway? Slate invites its readers to use the Starbucks closure map to put in comments, and we’ll be looking to see what the always-vitriolic Slate commenters have to say on the subject. Something tells us the thread won’t be dominated by expressions of loss and regret. But then, you never know. That is the peril of gauging the winds of change.
Save Your Starbucks! [Slate]
Earlier: Starbucks Shortage in Midtown
How to Fix Starbucks [NYM]
