Starbucks pulls out of Morgantown development amid protests

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) - Starbucks has confirmed to 5 News the company is pulling its store out of a Morgantown development that is under construction.

The store was planned to be located at “The Deck” on University Ave. in Morgantown.

A letter from the company says " … we have made the decision to not move forward with the opening of our store on University Ave in Morgantown, WV. We have heard from members of the community and, importantly, many of you about the safety concerns you have for this location’s proximity to another business planned for University Avenue.”

The company also confirmed to 5 News all employees hired to staff the location will be offered a transfer to one of the other four Starbucks locations in Morgantown.

In a Facebook post, Protect Morgantown says they are grateful Starbucks “made the right call.”

This announcement comes after protests against Big Daddy Guns regarding concerns about the store being a short distance from WVU’s main campus and Morgantown High School.

Copyright 2022 WDTV. All rights reserved.