The Starbucks at 220 Wilson St. E. in Ancaster, ON (at the corner of Wilson and Halston Street) the ‘heart of downtown Ancaster’ is closing on December 27th, 2019. This is heartbreaking to many patrons who visit this coffee shop daily, weekly or whenever they visit beautiful downtown Ancaster while shopping or running errands for themselves, their family and or friends.

People stop in here after work, school, church services or on weekends they stop by for coffee after a wedding at one of the four nearby churches. Students of all ages gather here to complete their group work or individual school assignments. They can take advantage of the Starbucks’ free wifi. They can discuss, they can collaborate and/or debate while learning and working in this relaxed and inviting community atmosphere. 

When people are traveling from place to place this is often the spot they stop at to pick up their quick drink or food item on their way home or to their next appointment or commitment.

My daughter, Cassandra, has autism and she must come here EVERYDAY for her two tall decaf pour-over coffees and a treat. She looks very forward to her time here. The baristas understand her special needs, they know how to communicate with her and they treat her with respect. She has learned to order her own coffee at this location.

People of all ages and backgrounds and/or professions come here for their double-daily, daily or weekly dose of tea, coffee and friendship. It doesn’t matter what they order, it’s that they are getting coffee in THEIR  community gathering spot with family and friends that is important. 

Those who are retired visit here by car or they walk here or they travel via the nearby rail-trail either on foot or by bike. This location is all on one level and easily assessable for those who have special needs. Other people take their dogs for a walk and stop by to grab a coffee while also providing their dog a drink of water from the dog bowl. The outdoor patio here is amazing with its breath-taking views of nature and the surrounding greenery from the rail-trail and of our downtown Ancaster.

This Starbucks has that ‘mom-and-pop’ shop feeling...  Sure we are here primarily for the coffee or tea but we are also here for the family feeling it brings to our life. People talk to you even if they are strangers. Then they open up and talk a little more and soon you get to know them because you share the same love of coffee, tea and love of community and you find you have just made a new friend!

The surrounding downtown businesses and merchants shops have come to depend on this coffee shop, not only for coffee, tea and food items but also as a meeting place for their businesses and/or clients. You can have a meeting at the large table in the corner, that seats six to 10 people, or you can move the smaller tables around to form a spot for a medium size gathering of three to six people. And Starbucks offers something delicious for everyone to enjoy. 

Can we save this Starbucks? Hopefully yes! The Toronto Star reported on August 8, 2019 in an article written by Ian Cosh and Steve Johnston, that they were able to keep a neighbourhood Starbucks open that was set to close by having people sign an online petition. The loyal patrons who visited that Toronto Starbucks everyday desperately wanted to save it and they did!!

This is our Ancaster, this is our home! This is OUR community, it’s our GATHERING SPOT!!  Please help us by signing the petition to save the Starbucks in downtown Ancaster on Wilson & Halston Streets. Every signature counts, that means YOUR  signature TOO! And the more signatures we have, the stronger our voice and a stronger chance to win and keep our Starbucks on Wilson Street open. If we don’t have your support, if we don’t have your voice, we fear we will lose this battle and that Starbucks will be permanently closed by December 27th, 2019.

Thank you for reading. Please share this message with your friends and family and thank you for signing!

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From The Loyal Patrons of Starbucks on Wilson and Halston Streets in Ancaster, Ontario, please come here for the coffee or tea and stay for the friendship!!