Local Merchant Reacts To Starbucks Closings

At least one Louisville-area coffee shop owner isn’t worried about a decline in business.Last week Starbucks announced it would close 600 shops across the country. Louisville-based Sunergos Coffee co-owner Matthew Huested says he doesn’t believe the coffee giant’s announcement signals a hit to others in the coffee shop business.“I don’t know that it gives me concern for our own business, in terms of where the coffee industry may be going," he says. "I’m not to terribly surprised with the number of Starbucks that exist.”Huested says it’s possible that Starbucks simply expanded too quickly. He says his business relies on customer loyalty and hasn’t really been affected by the lagging economy.