SEATTLE (AP) – Starbucks says a sales register computer glitch has disrupted sales at 8,000 company-operated stores in the United States and Canada.
Company spokesman Jim Olson said Friday evening the outage affected 7,000 U.S. stores and 1,000 in Canada.
The company apologized to customers for the inconvenience late Friday and said it was working to resolve the outage. Olson didn’t immediately respond to emailed questions about the exact nature of the problem.
Customers found some stores closed and others offering free coffee.
Customer Suveer Sharma was philosophical at a Seattle store, saying, “I’m not going to complain about a free cup of coffee.”
At a Starbucks in Phoenix, customer Claudia Larson took the news harder, saying, “I have a sleeping baby in the back and I’m waiting for a prescription. I wanted a coffee!”