Starbucks opened a new Community Store in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif., as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to invest in traditionally underserved, diverse communities across the country and create pathways for those facing barriers to opportunity.
The Watts Community Store is the 17th Community Store in the United States and the second in the Los Angeles area. Community Stores are dedicated to providing economic opportunity by hiring locally, including working with diverse contractors for store construction and commissioning local artists to create murals in the store. Each store also features a dedicated space that will be used in partnership with local organizations to serve the needs of the community.
The new Watts store has a training room designed for community events, including programs hosted in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. The store also features two murals commissioned by local artist, Mike Norice. Titled “Community and Love,” this artwork was inspired by the important aspects and events that shaped the Watts neighborhood into what it is today.
Watts store partners have also nominated four community organizations that support local youth programs to receive donations from Starbucks: East Side Riders Bike Club, Sister of Watts, Operation Progress LA, College Track Watts. Each organization will receive $2,500.
This spring, Starbucks opened two other Community Stores in the U.S. in Prince George’s County, Md., and Anacostia, Washington, D.C. Since launching the initiative in 2015, Starbucks has opened community stores across the country in Queens and Brooklyn, N.Y.; Ferguson, Mo.; Phoenix; Englewood in Chicago; east Baltimore; Long Beach, Calif.; Trenton, N.J.; White Center in south Seattle; Miami Gardens, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Dallas; and New Orleans.
The company has committed to opening 100 community stores by 2025.
Source: https://www.studiobrandt.com/
