KUMAGAYA, Saitama -- Plans to open a Starbucks cafe in the parking lot of a park in the Saitama Prefecture city of Gyoda have been aborted, the municipal government announced on March 19.

According to the city, the Gyoda Municipal Government and Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. had been moving ahead with plans to open a cafe in the parking lot of the city's Suijo Park after signing a basic agreement in October 2024. However, a group organized primarily by users of the Oshi-Gyoda community center in the park voiced concerns that the Starbucks opening would reduce the parking spaces available for the community center, and submitted a written request along with signatures to the city seeking cancellation of the cafe's opening. It also submitted a similar petition to Starbucks.

The city explained that it would increase the number of parking spaces, and the citizens group accordingly expressed its intention to disband, but another group continued to oppose the cafe opening. The city engaged in discussions with the opposing group but failed to gain understanding regarding the location in the park's parking lot. When it conveyed this to Starbucks, the company reportedly gave notice on March 14 that it would withdraw its plans.

In a statement, Gyoda Mayor Kuniko Koda commented, "This is extremely regrettable. We apologize to the many citizens who had been awaiting the store's arrival."

Starbucks, meanwhile, said that opening amid ongoing differences of opinion among local residents would be challenging and stated, "We would like to consider opening at another suitable location within Gyoda."

(Japanese original by Makoto Nakayama, Kumagaya Bureau)