Starbucks is putting its monthly happy hours on a temporary pause due to concerns about indoor crowding as COVID-19 cases continue to rise around the country.
Starbucks confirmed to Delish that it would not be holding its usual happy hour for December, and that it would not be holding one on January 7 either. This news was first reported on by Reuters. The coffee chain cited "the rise in cases and the current guidance from the scientific community to not gather indoors in large groups for prolonged periods of time" as its reasoning for pausing the promotion for these months.
Typically, during the monthly happy hours, Starbucks customers can buy any handcrafted drink (size grande or larger) and get another one for free from 2-7 p.m., a deal that obviously has become quite popular. Because of the happy hour pause, the chain added that it was "temporarily moving to other promotions such as Double Star Days and will reassess future plans as we continue to monitor the situation." You can check your Starbucks app for more information and deals.
Starbucks workers were alerted to this change on December 1 via an internal memo, according to Reuters.
"We will always prioritize your safety and in this moment, we all have a role and responsibility–as Starbucks partners–to protect each other, our customers and our business as we navigate this pandemic," Starbucks’ president of U.S. and Canada retail Rossann Williams wrote in a letter to U.S. Starbucks partners at the beginning of this month.
