Starbucks closes 2,000 stores in China over coronavirus outbreak

A Starbucks in Beijing.
(Image credit: Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

In response to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Starbucks has closed more than 2,000 stores in China.

The flu-like virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and there are more than 4,500 confirmed cases; at least 130 people have died. Starbucks is the world's largest coffee chain, and China is the company's biggest growth market, making up 10 percent of its global revenue, Reuters reports. There are 4,292 Starbucks locations in China, and the stores that are staying open have revised operating hours.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.