The couple, who have been married 30 years, have dates at Starbucks in Clayton every weekend. They pick up donuts or a breakfast platter from Hardee’s, sit at the same table outside and sip their drinks. John and Debbie both order café mochas, but Debbie’s order is more unique. Her café mochas have six shots of espresso and are topped with whipped cream and drizzled caramel. With her daily trips to another Starbucks in Raleigh, Debbie consumes more than 14 café mochas a week.

“She has to have her Starbucks, rain or shine,” John said. “I can go to the Raleigh store and order a Debbie drink, and they know exactly what I am talking about. I can live one day without Starbucks, but she can’t.”

Since Starbucks has become such a large part of Debbie’s life, it was no surprise she was worried about the fate of the Clayton store. Earlier this summer, Starbucks announced it was closing 600 underperforming stores in the United States. Luckily for Debbie, and other local Starbucks fans, the Clayton store will continue to operate on U.S. 70 Business West.

“Starbucks is a way for us to spend time together,” Debbie said. “We plan our trips around errands, but sometimes, it’s spur of the moment, and it’s like, let’s go get some coffee. I’d be so sad if it closed because we waited so long to get one.”

“And she doesn’t like any other coffee,” John added.

For other customers, the friendly staff is what draws them to the Clayton store. Michael Stanley, president of Bolton Service, spends two or three days a week at Starbucks.

He finds it easier to work at the coffee shop than in his hectic office in Garner.

“I can tell you there is a Starbucks in Cary that I stop in every once in a while,” Stanley said. “When I sit down to do my paperwork, it is like [people think] I am doing something very strange. But in here, it’s great. They know me most of the time and can pretty much tell me what I am going to order.”

A youth group leader at Cleveland Community Church, Christal Nelson enjoys the quiet surroundings at Starbucks. She arrives at the shop around 8 a.m. each day before going to work at Kids ‘R Kids, which is only a few miles away. Nelson orders a white chocolate mocha latte or vanilla bean Frappuccino, grabs the table closest to a window and reads the Bible.

When she heard Starbucks was staying put, Nelson breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness,” she said. “I am not having a good day if I don’t have my Starbucks.”