Itasca Starbucks closes its doors

The Starbucks in downtown Itasca has closed after 20 years.

The coffee shop's franchise at 102 E. Irving Park Road stopped providing services on Sunday and will let its lease expire in March. Village officials have expressed disappointment at the decision to shut down, which Mayor Jeff Pruyn says was made by Starbucks' corporate office, which leases the location.

"While I understand many are disappointed in Starbucks decision, I am confident it will only be a matter of time before a similar business is up and thriving," Pruyn said in a Facebook statement.

Village officials and Starbucks employees on Facebook say the company is moving to a location in Wood Dale with a higher volume of traffic for drive-through customers. But officials claimed the closure was not necessary and that the franchise was still profitable. Pruyn says it was only after a local Starbucks employee began telling residents about the impending move that Starbucks corporation notified the owner of the property that it was closing.

Starbucks said in June it would close up to 400 company-owned locations over the next 18 months while expanding curbside pickup, drive-through and mobile-only pickup locations.

Starbucks employees who worked at the Itasca location expressed their sadness at the closing on Facebook.

"I feel like this is a breakup, like I'm losing a big part of me," Starbucks employee Amanda Pawinski said. "But I truly love you all, and if you come to the drive I hope I'll get to yell hello from whatever position that day sees me in!"

The location will be available for rental by another tenant in December after Starbucks fully vacates in November.