SEATTLE (AP) — A computer outage hit thousands of Starbucks stores, and some gave away free drinks before many closed early to the dismay of caffeine-craving patrons. "All Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada are expected to open for business as usual on Saturday," the company said in a statement late Friday night. Company spokesman Jim Olson said that could be called an internal computer system failure but he stressed that it was an internal issue and no external breach was involved. Earlier, customers found some stores closed and others offered free brewed coffee or tea. At a Starbucks store in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood, customers were told staff members couldn't process orders.