At least 10 Bay Area locations of Starbucks have been slated for closure sometime within the next eight months.

However, none of them is among the initial 50 that will close by the end of this month.

The Seattle-based coffee giant has identified a total of seven in the East Bay, two in San Francisco, and one in San Jose. Details as to what will happen to the employees at each store were not released. The stores affected include locations in Berkeley, Benicia, Hayward, Emeryville, Concord, Brentwood and Walnut Creek.

Before the locations were identified, Starbucks said the decision to close the stores was made to "strengthen the U.S. store portfolio" and "enhance operating efficiency."

Customers outside one of the targeted Starbucks, at 2001 N. Main St. in Walnut Creek, seemed to be hardly fazed by the closures.

"I love my Starbucks, but there are so many around that it's not like I can't find another one," said James Roberts, who drinks Starbucks about three days a week. "I don't think it's a big deal."

And for Roberts, he doesn't even have to change streets to find another one. There's also franchises at 1340 and 2922 N. Main Street.

Others were not as willing to accept the departure of their location.

Alexa Paulino, 29, was nestled in a red chair in a quiet corner of the 4-month-old Starbucks at 4125 San Pablo Ave. in Emeryville. Another target of the cuts.

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An employee said the store would be closing in two to nine months, preceded by 30-days notice.

Paulino said she comes to that location every day because it isn't as noisy or crowded as nearby locations.

"There's not too many people that know about it," she said.

Just steps away from that Starbucks is Arizmendi Bakery and Pizzeria at 4301 San Pablo Ave. which also serves a range of coffee products.

Aron Ford, one of the 18 co-owners of the cooperative business, said the business has been there for five years, much longer than the four-month tenure of the neighboring Starbucks.

"Honestly, their presence hasn't impacted business," Ford said. "We haven't noticed a big difference with them there."

Ford, 29, said they were disappointed the Starbucks is closing but only because their lease increased after the chain moved in. Now, Ford said, Arizmendi is locked in to the higher price for the next five years.

At 1600 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, customer Paul Levy, 21, said he wasn't surprised that this store is closing because there are so many other places nearby to get coffee like cafes and coffee shops.

"Berkeley is a bad place for something like Starbucks," he said.

Levy said with the store closing he will probably find somewhere else quiet to study such as other coffee shops.

Outside the Brewed Awakening nearby, Tim Becker sat at a table having a cup of coffee with his visiting friend, Steve Carter.

Becker said he comes to Brewed Awakening nearly every day because of its proximity to his home and job. He said the economy is probably affecting the business of all kinds of coffee shops, not just Starbucks.

"If you're hurting for money, the first thing I'd drop off my list is a $3 cup of coffee," Becker said.

Overall, Starbucks has made California the hardest hit of its slated closures with 88. Florida was second with 59. All of them are expected to close by March 2009.

George Vukasin Jr., who is executive vice president of Oakland-based Peerless Coffee, a specialty coffee maker, says he has a "lot of admiration for Starbucks" and what they did for the coffee industry, but he isn't surprised by their need to close locations either.

"I think part of this need to close is restricted to Starbucks situation because of the massive growth that they have fueled," he said. "By closing the stores, it will give a little breather for them."