Hey Starbucks, clear the ice from your sidewalk!
We're having a little bit of winter in Chicago. It's not unusual. It happens every year. Yeah, it's a little early, but we've seen it before. Chicago folks know about snow and cold. We know how to deal with it.
Monday, we got a couple of inches of snow. No biggie. Tuesday it got very cold. It became January in November. The problem became that the streets and sidewalks became icy...and dangerous. You have to be careful if your out walking. Lots of slick spots...lots of losing balance...lots of people falling. Trust me folks, if you've never fallen on a sidewalk, it hurts.
Most of the businesses in my area are good neighbors. They either shoveled the snow/ice, put out salt to melt it, or did both. One exception is the Starbucks that's a couple of blocks away from my home.
This is a nice sized store. They take a corner on Lincoln Avenue where it meets with two other streets. On the two sidewalks that surround the store is ice that feels like you're on a skating rink. You need to grab the traffic light pole to keep your balance and to help you navigate the corner.
My question is why wouldn't they do anything about this?
Let's compare this to another business in the area:
On a corner a half block from me is a specialty ice cream shop. Scooter's is known for their frozen custard. When I walked past their store an hour ago, both of their sidewalks were clean. Spotless! You'd never know there was a hint of snow or ice in their location. At this time of year, it's not like people are clamoring for ice cream. They don't have to do this, but that didn't stop Scooter's from being a great neighbor. Thanks, guys!
Compare this to Starbucks. During weather like this, people want a place to warm up. What's better than a place to get a warm drink. Plus, this Starbucks is about a half block from the Paulina Brown Line train station. They get people coming and going from there. Multiple chances to get their business. Starbucks, don't you want to make it easy and inviting for people to come into your store? Don't you want to keep your customers safe so they'll keep returning to spend more money in your store?
In 2018, Starbucks took in $24 BILLION! I'm guessing Scooter's took in a little less money. Yet, the little ice cream store spent money at a slow time of the year to clean their sidewalks.
I'll be going to the Brown Line station again tomorrow. Hey Starbucks on Lincoln & Paulina, it would be nice if the sidewalks were clean and safe. Thanks in advance.
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