2 Starbucks In Vernon, Enfield 'Temporarily' Close Wednesday

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT — Two Starbucks — one in Vernon and one in Enfield — were closed Wednesday, but the moves are apparently temporary and are not related to last month's company re-tooling announcement.

The stores in question were in Vernon at 135 Talcottville Road and in Enfield at 9 Hazard Ave.

A sign on the door at the Vernon location offered an apology and said management was working to reopen as quickly as possible. No other explanation was given.

Frustrated customers were met with locked doors and dark drive-up windows at the Vernon and Enfield locations.

A staffer at one of the four Manchester Starbucks said the Vernon closure was related to staffing and the Enfield closure was maintenance-related. The staffer reiterated what the signs indicated by saying the closures appear to be temporary.

The Manchester Starbucks inside Target, at the Plaza at Buckland Hill and on Deming Street were all open Wednesday, as were the Enfield locations on Elm Street and in the Enfield Square Mall.

The closures seem unrelated to Starbucks' announcement last month that it is moving hundreds of North American stores away from the "cafe model" into pickup-only and to-go businesses.

The company said it plans to close up to 400 company-operated stores in the US and Canada over the next 18 months, while at the same time adding carryout and pick-up only locations.

In a federal filing, company officials said they expects to open about 300 of the new-look stores in North America.