Heading into the fall, that first-sip feeling that Starbucks brings to many Wayland residents is going to have to wait. As of July 29 2022, Wayland Starbucks will be closed until Oct. 24 due to a redesign of the cafe.

The renovation was intended to begin during June 2022, but due to many issues, one being staffing, the construction had to wait until the end of July.

“I’ve been hearing that the store was supposed to be renovated since I was hired, so I wasn’t surprised at all to hear that it was closing,” former Starbucks barista, senior Conner Sheehan said. “It was supposed to close in late June at first, but it kept getting pushed back and ended up being the end of July.”

Last spring many employees left Starbucks due to a rise in the minimum wage requirements, which definitely left the cafe with few staff members. This forced the store to be closed at times throughout June, pushing back the renovation.

“Ultimately, I decided to quit because they were raising the minimum hour requirements and with school and sports starting there was no way I could keep up with it,” Sheehan said.

Furthermore, when the renovation was set and stone to begin in July, more employees quit. However, the employees who intended to keep their job will be working at neighboring Starbucks locations until the renovation is complete, which will be around 2 months.

“I knew that the Starbucks in Wayland was closed for renovation but I didn’t know that it was closed that long,” junior Sophia Verma said.

As many students and staff go to Starbucks throughout the day to get their daily fix, the shutdown will impact many routines.

“My initial reaction was a bit sad because my friends and I love hanging out there,” Verma said.

Others are upset because Starbucks is in a close distance to the high school, so coffee-holics are now forced to travel elsewhere to satisfy their cravings.

“I was definitely annoyed because it’s so close to school and easy to get to,” freshman Annie Melander said.

Luckily, Wayland has several other coffee shops that carry similar items and there are other Starbucks locations in close relation to Wayland.

“I love the food at the Bagel Table in Wayland town center and Dunkin’ always has good drinks,” Melander said. “I can always resort to those if I want something similar to Starbucks.”

Based on the rumored redesigns of the store which include a new couch that runs the length of the store and a larger coffee bar, Starbucks fans will likely embrace the new vibe.

“The new designs look pretty good in my opinion,” Sheehan said. “It’ll definitely be a lot less cramped than it was before which will be good for sure.”