Starbucks to close 250 stores this week

Starbucks is set to close 250 underperforming stores later this week, marking the second large round of closures under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the organization in 2024. 

Reuters reported that Starbucks disclosed on Thursday that the new store closures will result in roughly $300 million in restructuring charges, representing 1% of its ⁠18,000 stores in the U.S. The company plans to complete most of ​the closures by the end of 2026.

In September 2025, Starbucks closed 627 stores in the United States and Europe, according to The Associated Press. 

Starbucks closing locations 

What they're saying:

In a letter to employees obtained by The Associated Press, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the locations targeted for the closures either aren't delivering adequate financial results or can't provide the type of experience Starbucks wants for patrons and workers. 

Starbucks didn’t reveal which store locations will close or how many are in the United States. The AP noted that the organization also didn’t share how many of the affected stores are unionized. 

RELATED: Starbucks closing stores and laying off hundreds of workers

Since 2021, over 700 Starbucks locations in the U.S. voted to unionize. However, the union and company have not reached a labor agreement so far. 

The organization tells the AP that it will move Starbucks employees to other stores or provide severance assistance if it’s unable to relocate a worker to another store location. 

Moreover, Starbucks has also slashed jobs in its corporate division. The company laid off 900 nonretail employees when it closed stores in September 2025. 

And in May 2026, Starbucks laid off an extra 300 corporate workers and closed some underused U.S. offices, according to the AP. 

 

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