Starbucks at Rosemary Beach and Watercolor scheduled to close after Labor Day

Taking a morning walk down to the local Starbucks will no longer be an option for residents of Rosemary Beach and Watercolor. The two Starbucks locations are scheduled to close as part of the nationwide downsizing of 600 stores by the company.

They are scheduled to close some time after Labor Day, although no firm date is set, according to Quinn Petterson, an employee at the Watercolor location.

"I'm disappointed," said Petterson, who has worked at the location for nine months.

"It (Starbucks) has changed my life. I moved here not knowing anyone but after working here, now I know my community."

Customers at the Watercolor location had mixed feelings about the decision.

"They're going to close this one down? Will it be before the end of our vacation," asked customer Becky Iliya.

Becky and Charlie Iliya admitted they went to the coffee shop every morning of their vacation, however they were not surprised the location was closing.

"It's hard to make a dollar here with all of the fees," said Becky.

"A locally owned coffee shop would have a better feel than the commercial Starbucks setting," Charlie said. "There's just too many of them," he continued. "They did it to themselves."

Becky also said they expanded too quickly but felt they were a good employer.

The Iliyas are visiting from Dallas "where a Starbucks is on every corner," they said.

Another customer, Joel Drummond, was surprised to learn the store would be shut down. "Are they really going to close this one down," he asked.

"We're from Jackson (Mississippi) and they are closing two or three of them there, too. There are four now and they just got them a couple of years ago," Drummond said.

While the Rosemary Beach and Watercolor branches face closure, the Grayton Beach location is anticipating a boost in business.

Manager Johnny Shine said it will "absolutely" increase business once the other locations are closed. "This store has dropped in revenue since they (Rosemary Beach and Watercolor branches) opened."

The Starbucks in Grayton Beach will not be affected by the nationwide closures since it is licensed and owned by Sandestin, according to Manager Johnny Shine.

Shine was not sure if Starbucks was offering transfers for employees to other locations but said if they came to his store he would put as many of them to work as possible.