Over the weekend, the Starbucks in the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort unexpectedly closed. The location, which opened over a decade ago, remained closed on Monday morning after initially closing on Saturday. It remained closed all day Sunday with stanchions blocking the patio seating area and doors. The patio also had all of its furniture removed.
A sign on the door said the following: “Our location is temporarily closed. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please visit one of the locations inside Disneyland Park or Disney’s California Adventure Park. Thank you.”
The Disneyland Resort confirmed that the location is closed due to staffing.
Starbucks Worker Dispute
The closure is related to a dispute between workers and management. On Sunday, workers protested on Harbor Boulevard outside of the entrance to the Disneyland Resort. In a post on social media, Starbucks Worker United said: “Baristas at Downtown Disney couldn’t stand another day of their managers’ unfair labor practices & kicked off our nationwide strike this weekend. These workers have shut down one of largest Starbucks stores in the country — and we’re just getting started! #NoContractNoCoffee“
Daps Magic reached out to Starbucks Workers United. In response, the union shared this statement from Jeremiah Pettus, a barista of 2 years at the Downtown Disney Starbucks location, who said: “We walked out on an unfair labor practice strike to protest unlawful union busting by Starbucks. We’re striking to fight back, to end the union busting and settle a fair contract that actually supports baristas. We’ve repeatedly called on Starbucks to offer new proposals that meet our demands for more take-home pay, better hours, and to resolve hundreds of unfair labor practice charges. Starbucks knows where we stand. They know our demands. The ball is in their court.”
The strike comes after an authorization for Starbucks Workers United members to strike on November 13, 2025. Also known as Red Cup Day, this is always a very big day for Starbucks, and the strike on Thursday undoubtedly aims to disrupt the day and garner attention. Previous strikes have led to less than 1% of Starbucks locations being impacted. It appears that the workers from the Downtown Disney District Starbucks are the only workers who have decided to start the strike early.
Regarding the authorization to strike, a Starbucks spokesperson said, “We are disappointed that Workers United, who only represents around 4% of our partners, has voted to authorize a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table. When they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk. Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks already offers the best job in retail, including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners. The facts show people like working at Starbucks. Partner engagement is up, turnover is nearly half the industry average, and we get more than 1 million job applications a year. Our customers can be assured that our partners will be ready to serve them at the vast majority of our more than 10,000 company operated coffeehouses and nearly 7,000 licensed locations throughout the holiday season, regardless of the union’s plans.”
It appears that both parties acknowledge that the Workers United representatives walked away from discussions. While Starbucks continues to assert it is open and willing to make a reasonable deal, it is unclear what is stopping the union from re-entering discussions.
Since unionizing, the Downtown Disney District Starbucks has seen occasional disruptions to its operations as workers have spoken out on the floor in protest on multiple occasions. This has not led to the complete closure that is currently being seen.
Starbucks Workers United Demands
According to Starbucks Workers United, their demands are as follows:
For over six months, Starbucks has stonewalled union baristas by refusing to put forth new proposals to address their core demands:
- Better hours to improve staffing in our stores. Understaffing is rampant, leading to longer wait times as customer orders stream in. Yet too many baristas still aren’t getting enough hours to pay the bills or meet the threshold for benefits. Starbucks needs to invest in increasing barista hours.
- Higher take-home pay. Too many baristas struggle to get by, while executives make millions. Starbucks needs to put more money toward barista’s take-home pay.
- Resolution for hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges for union busting. The coffee giant has committed more labor law violations than any employer in modern history. Starbucks needs to fully resolve legal issues impacting baristas.
Negotiations Stalled
In the last couple of years, since Starbucks stores began to unionize, there have been attempts at negotiations. These have not led to a contract for the unionized members. The negotiations appear to have broken down after union members attempted to stream private negotiations and then rejected an offer from the coffee company. The talks ended in April 2025 after 200 hours of negotiation and over 30 tentative agreements reached.
Starbucks currently states that it is ready and willing to talk. It has also stated that it currently offers “the best job in retail.” Workers can get benefits when they work 20 hours or more, which include healthcare, parental leave, and tuition for online classes at Arizona State University.
At this point, it seems that a solution between both sides is at an impasse. It is also unknown when the Downtown Disney District Starbucks will reopen. Daps Magic is currently seeking out more information about this closure and how long it could last. As more details are known, the news will be shared.
Outside of Anaheim
Outside of Anaheim, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is working on a plan to “get back to Starbucks.” This has led to initiatives to return Starbucks to being a third-place destination for its consumers. Part of this initiative includes investments in the workforce. In a letter announcing the initiative, Niccol said, “For our partners, we’ll build on our tradition of leadership in retail by making Starbucks the best place to work, with career opportunities and a clear path to growth.” In Washington, D.C., lawmakers have written a letter to Starbucks seeking a solution to this conflict. It urges the company to resume talks with the union. Starbucks has made it clear that it is open to talks.
Coffee at Disneyland Resort
The Downtown Disney District Starbucks is one of two that have been in the Downtown Disney District. Another Starbucks could once be found on the west side of the district, basically where the new Parkside Market can be found. For those who are looking for coffee in Downtown Disney District, the Parkside Market has a coffee shop that remains open. Coffee can also be purchased at the Disneyland Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel, or Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. In the parks, there are Starbucks locations on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland and on Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure. Joffrey’s Coffee can also be purchased at multiple locations throughout the Disneyland Resort in person or by utilizing the Disneyland App.
Daps magic will continue to closely watch this story and provide any updates that become available.
This post has been updated with statements from Starbucks and Starbucks Workers United.
