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Tag: midtown Atlanta

  • Which Starbucks in Atlanta are closing and why?

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    The Starbucks at 100 Peachtree Street (above) is also across the street from a Georgia State University building. Students could often be seen working at the indoor and outdoor tables. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    In Atlanta, it seems like there’s a Starbucks on every corner, but on National Coffee Day, that expectation is shifting. The multinational coffeehouse chain recently announced that it would be shuttering the doors of hundreds of stores. 

    In a statement on Sept. 28, Brian Niccol, the Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer, said they’d been reviewing their North American coffeehouse portfolio to identify and close underperforming stores. The restructuring is part of a “Back to Starbucks” plan focused on returning to its roots through a simplified menu, an elevated store experience, and a redesign.  

    “During the review, we identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed,” Niccol said.  

    Coffeehouses scheduled to close were notified last week. In Atlanta, those closures include the location on the lower level of the Equitable Building at 100 Peachtree Street, 21 14th Street, and 1870 Piedmont Avenue. The closure of over 400 stores will impact “non-retail partner roles,” resulting in 900 corporate layoffs. In the statement, Niccol shared that they are “working hard to offer transfers to nearby locations where possible” and will offer severance packages for partners they can’t immediately place.

    The decision comes after Starbucks reported a decline in sales for six consecutive quarters as of July 2025.

    Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell began his career covering sports and news in Atlanta nearly two decades ago. Since then he has written for Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Southern Cross…

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    Donnell Suggs

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  • Atlanta Streets Alive closes Peachtree Street in midtown for walkers, bikers, skaters, and more

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    Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta is closed to motor vehicles for several hours today as pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters, dancers, and more enjoy another Atlanta Streets Alive event.

    The event is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the closure active between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. on a 2.8 mile stretch of Peachtree Street between Alabama Street SW and 15th Street NE.

    This is the final Peachtree Street event of the year. The final Atlanta Streets Alive event for this year will be held on Sunday, October 26, along a route from the West End to Grant Park.

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    The free event is held several times a year, allowing a family-friendly setting where kids can ride, roll, and play in a car-free environment.

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    Dogs on leashes, strollers, e-scooters, and bikes are all welcome, at a people-friendly speed.

    You can get more information at atlantastreetsalive.org.

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  • Lyft launches autonomous fleet with May Mobility in Atlanta

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    Lyft and May Mobility have teamed up to launch a fleet of autonomous vehicles in Atlanta. It’s a pilot program, so it’s currently only available to Lyft riders in the area of midtown Atlanta. The companies promise a “measured, safety-first approach” with this rollout.

    The fleet consists of hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicles equipped with May Mobility’s self-driving technology. Lyft and May Mobility announced this partnership last year, but Atlanta is the first city to get a fleet of self-driving vehicles.

    The rides will be fully autonomous, but each vehicle will feature a human just in case something goes wrong. These standby operators are trained to take the wheel if needed. The companies haven’t announced a timeframe for when these standby operators will no longer be required.

    Customers will have access to temperature controls, which is nice. However, hailing one of these cars is something of a crap shoot. You have to be in the service area, use the app and hope for the best. Lyft and May Mobility say they will increase the number of available vehicles and expand service hours in the “months ahead.”

    This is May Mobility’s second launch in Georgia, as it operates a fleet of driverless vehicles in the Atlanta suburb of Peachtree Corners. Lyft’s primary rival Uber has also been making serious moves in this space. The company has entered into a partnership with Lucid to create a massive fleet of 20,000 autonomous vehicles. It also has plans to launch self-driving pilot programs throughout the globe.

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    Lawrence Bonk

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