Seattle’s Best Coffee cafes within Borders locations ceased operation late last week as close to 400 remaining bookstores across the country began liquidation sales over the weekend.
The 248 Seattle’s Best Coffee outlets, which were all in Borders Superstores across the country, ceased operation Friday under an agreement with Borders, which had planned to rebrand the cafes if the chain had been acquired.
Since that didn’t happen, the cafes were closed, said Mary Davis, a spokeswoman for the bookstore chain, which on Friday began the process of liquidating 399 locations that are scheduled to be shuttered by the end of September under ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.
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A secondary brand owned by Seattle-based Starbucks Corp., Seattle’s Best has operated cafes in Borders bookstores since 2004. The coffeehouse chain has already lost about 225 café locations as Borders locations closed across the country after the bookstore chain filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February.
The remaining Borders location closures leave Seattle’s Best with fewer than 100 retail outlets.
Jenny McCabe, Seattle’s Best director of communications, said the Borders location closures were a significant hit to the brand’s retail presence, but the chain remains committed to growth as “the most accessible premium coffee brand in the world.”
Seeing the secondary brand as having billion-dollar potential, Starbucks has been positioning Seattle’s Best as an alternative option in places where premium coffee typically isn’t served.
For example, last month a franchisee opened a Seattle’s Best location serving Caribbean pastries and snacks in a rental car center outside the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
Earlier this year, the secondary chain surpassed more than 50,000 points of distribution, ranging from Subway and Burger King restaurants to a line of vending machines.
In Canada, Seattle’s Best has been exploring a new retail partnership with Walmart Supercenters, where a new store-within-a-store concept is being tested, with 10 scheduled to open by next year.
As part of a larger realignment of Starbucks’ top executives earlier this month, Seattle’s Best also beefed up its management team, McCabe said.
Jeff Hansberry was named president of Seattle’s Best Coffee, in addition to his role as head of global consumer products and foodservice.
In addition, Jim McDermet, who was Seattle’s Best’s senior vice president of retail and business development, has been named to the elevated role of general manager of Seattle’s Best, reporting to Hansberry.
And Chris Bruzzo, the creator of My Starbucks Idea, who previously headed Starbucks advertising, social media and other marketing efforts, has been named senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Seattle’s Best, McCabe said.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
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