Starbucks is now fleeing the capital city of NJ

☕The store on Warren Street was a "community store" that opened in 2017

☕Numerous charities have been supported by the store

☕Employees will be given the chance to work at nearby locations

TRENTON — Mayor Reed Gusciora has sad news for fans of Frappuccinos and Peppermint Mocha: the city's only Starbucks location is closing.

The store opened in 2017 on Warren Street at Front Street as part of the coffee chain's community store program to help disadvantaged youth from black and brown communities.

The store has helped employ countless youth in their first jobs, Gusciora told New Jersey 101.5.

"The community store principal was never about profits but about Starbucks community commitment to social vitalization or any disadvantaged youth," Gusciora said. "We just hope that Starbucks reverses this decision when they also realize how devastating loss this is for this community."

He said the employees were told Monday the store would be closed by the end of March.

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"Starbucks effect" on Trenton

A Starbucks representative told New Jersey 101.5 that the store is closing on March 30. She said the chain regularly evaluates its stores on whether they meet the needs of customers and the community. The spokesman did not provide a specific reason for the closing.

Gusciora said there has been a "Starbucks effect," with the store becoming the center of downtown Trenton

"Many state workers would venture out. Before they wouldn't come out of their cubicles. And this was an opportunity for a lot of state workers to come and to visit downtown and then also go to the restaurants. So it's part of the whole economic landscape of Trenton's downtown," Gusciora said.

The spokesman said that the store collaborated with Trenton nonprofits such as the Arm in Arm food pantry.  Nineteen neighborhood grants totaling $46,000 were awarded to organizations over the past six years and a $300,000 equitable food access grant was made to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. Starbucks will continue to support these charitable efforts.

The closest Starbucks to Trenton are in Lawrence Township on Business Route 1 and Route 206, Quakerbridge Road in the Mercerville section of Hamilton and Route 31 in Pennington. Employees will be offered the chance to continue working at those locations as well as the Princeton store.

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