Businesses and customers in Sacramento’s Downtown Commons neighborhood say homelessness and crime are major concerns that are only growing. The Starbucks near 7th and K Streets in DOCO closed on May 20, according to a spokesperson. The company did not give a specific reason for the closure but sent KCRA 3 this statement: “As part of our normal business operations, we continually evaluate our store portfolio to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers using a variety of criteria. We do not make the decision to close a store lightly. Our relationships with our customers are very personal and we have been honored to have been their third place.” Regular customers Danielle Barker and Richard Clutter, both of Sacramento, were shocked to see a “Sorry we missed you” sign on the door of their Starbucks on Friday. “This store has closed. We look forward to welcoming you at another location,” Barker said. “We were coming here to get an iced coffee because this is a great place for us,” she said. “I come here at least twice a week, maybe three times a week… I’m sad to see it close.” While the specific cause of the closure is still a mystery, Clutter said she has an idea as to why it closed. Clutter said she was once homeless, and added that the behavior of homeless people in the DOCO area has affected Starbucks and likely still affects other businesses in the area. DOCO businesses did not want to go on camera, but several of them told KCRA 3 that homelessness in DOCO is getting worse. Businesses said homeless people are coming onto their property, asking for money or food, and leaving a mess, which is driving customers away. Residents, including Sacramento resident Kendall Banks, said security at DOCO is also a concern. Security guards and Sacramento Police Department officers can be seen in the area, but many say it’s not enough. A KCRA 3 investigation looked at where violent crime occurred downtown in 2023, most of which was reported near DOCO. KCRA When KCRA 3 inquired about police crackdowns on homelessness in the DOCO area, a Sacramento Police Department spokesperson responded, “DOCO has its own security team that manages the property and calls police when necessary.” Police also said the city’s incident management team responds to calls about homelessness. “It’s really sad to see businesses in the city feel they have to close due to the circumstances around them. It’s something we don’t want to see,” Banks said. “There’s only so much we can do. We know no one wants to close their doors.” A Starbucks spokesperson said the company is working with Worked United “on next steps, including relocation options for the seven partners (employees) who worked at the DOCO Starbucks.” KCRA 3 reached out to DOCO staff, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, the Sacramento Tourism Board, the City of Sacramento’s Nighttime Economy Manager, 4th District City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela and the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce to ask about concerns raised by DOCO businesses and customers. As of Friday evening, no immediate comment had been received. The City of Sacramento did not comment specifically on the Starbucks closing or the DOCO issue, but a spokesperson sent KCRA 3 the following statement: “The City of Sacramento encourages investment of all kinds and looks forward to the launch of any new businesses that will benefit our community and contribute to the vibrancy of the entire region.”
Businesses and customers in Sacramento’s Downtown Commons area say they have major concerns about homelessness and crime that are only growing.
The Starbucks near 7th and K streets in DOCO closed on May 20, according to a spokesperson. The company did not provide a specific reason for the closure but sent KCRA 3 the following statement:
“As a standard part of our business, we continually evaluate our store portfolio using a variety of criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers. The decision to close a store is not taken lightly. Our relationship with our customers is very personal and we are honored to have been their ‘third place’.”
Regular customers Danielle Barker and Richard Clutter, both of Sacramento, were shocked to see a “Sorry for your loss” sign on the door of their Starbucks on Friday. The sign read, “Our store has closed. We hope to see you at another location.”
“This is a great place for us, so we were hoping to come for an iced coffee,” Barker said. “We come here at least twice a week, maybe three times a week. It’s a shame to see it close.”
While the specific cause of the closure remains a mystery, Clutter said he has some idea as to why it may be closing.
Clutter added that, as someone who was once homeless, the actions of the homeless in the DOCO area have affected the Starbucks and likely still affect other businesses in the area.
DOCO businesses did not want to go on camera, but several of them told KCRA3 the homelessness problem in DOCO is getting worse.
Shop owners said homeless people were coming onto their premises, demanding money or food, then leaving a mess and driving away customers.
Residents, including Sacramento resident Kendall Banks, said security at DOCO is also a concern: While security guards and Sacramento Police Department officers are stationed in the area, many say it’s not enough.
KCRA 3 looked into where violent crimes occurred downtown in 2023, most of which were reported near DOCO.
In response to KCRA 3’s inquiries about police enforcement against homeless people in the DOCO area, a Sacramento Police spokesperson said, “DOCO has its own security team that manages the property and calls police if necessary.”
Police also said the city’s incident management team is responding to calls about homelessness.
“It’s certainly sad to see businesses in the city being forced to close due to the circumstances around them. It’s something we hate to see,” Banks said. “There’s only so much we can do and I know nobody wants to close their doors.”
A Starbucks spokesperson said the company is working with Worked United “on next steps, including relocation options for the seven partners (employees) who worked at DOCO Starbucks.”
KCRA 3 reached out to DOCO staff, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Visit Sacramento, the City of Sacramento’s nighttime economy manager, 4th District City Council Member Katie Valenzuela and the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce to ask about concerns raised by DOCO businesses and customers.
As of Friday evening, no immediate comment had been received.
The City of Sacramento did not comment specifically on the Starbucks closure or the DOCO issue, but a spokesperson sent KCRA3 the following statement:
“The City of Sacramento encourages investment of all kinds and looks forward to the establishment of any new businesses that will benefit our local community and contribute to the vibrancy of the entire region.”
