Our pals over at Seattlest have been following this far longer than we have, but in case you hadn’t heard, Starbucks will be closing its 7,100 stores nationwide tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in order to re-train all of its employees simultaneously on … how to make coffee.

“We will have all new standards for how we create the drinks. They will be trained in creating the perfect shot, steaming the milk, and all the pieces that come together in a drink,” Starbucks spokeswoman Valerie O’Neil said in a statement. “It’s really about ensuring that the customer experience that we provide is the best that it can be.”

For caffeine addicts without a whole lot of imagination worried about tonight’s closures, we refer you to this list of independently-owned coffee shops in D.C. from BuyIndie.net.

Seattlest has more from the SBux barista frontlines, where the question seems to be: will the company be providing dinner for their employees tonight?

Photo by IntangibleArts