Starbucks is closing about 250 coffeehouses across North America this week, the company said Thursday, Sept. 24. It is the second major wave of closures under CEO Brian Niccol, who took over in 2024. The cuts amount to roughly 1% of Starbucks’ more than 18,000 North American stores. Some locations are already listed as closed in the Starbucks app starting Sept. 27.
Starbucks has not released a full list or said how many of the closing stores are in the U.S. Local news outlets have confirmed dozens of them, from Manhattan and Philadelphia to Seattle, Fresno and Vancouver.
Why is Starbucks closing stores again?
The company says it is cutting stores that do not fit its future. In a letter to employees, Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the targeted locations either show no path to acceptable financial results or cannot consistently deliver the experience the coffeeshop wants for customers and workers.
The move will cost money up front. Starbucks expects about $300 million in restructuring charges, including $200 million in cash to exit leases and pay severance and $100 million tied to writing down store assets. Investors barely reacted, and shares slipped less than 1% Thursday.
Is my Starbucks closing?
The fastest way to check is the Starbucks app or the store locator on its website. If your usual store’s status looks off, call before you drive over. A missing mobile ordering option alone does not mean a store is closing for good.
The confirmed closures cover a wide map. In New York, the store at 11 Penn Plaza is on the list. Philadelphia is losing locations on South Street and North 2nd Street. Washington, D.C., loses a store on L Street NW, and Seattle loses one in the Nordstrom building downtown. In Canada, three downtown Vancouver stores are closing, along with locations in London, Ontario, and Contrecoeur, Quebec.
What does the closing list reveal?
Look closely and a pattern shows up. Many confirmed closures sit in office towers, downtown corridors and walk-in cafés. Watt Plaza Towers in Century City, Gateway Village in Charlotte and Penn Plaza in Manhattan are all on the list. In Columbus, Ohio, neither closing store appears to have a drive-thru.
That makes the timing striking. Starbucks expects to finish remodeling 1,500 North American stores by Sept. 30 under its “Back to Starbucks” turnaround. Those upgrades bring back more seating and push the idea of Starbucks as a place to sit and stay. At the same time, the company is shutting down some of the cafés where people once did exactly that.
The cuts also reach longtime neighborhood fixtures. In Columbus, the Easton Town Center store has been there since the shopping center opened in 1999. A second Columbus store in the Short North, which opened in a former bar space, is also closing.
What happens to Starbucks workers at closing stores?
Starbucks says it will try to move affected employees to other stores and offer severance to anyone it cannot place. Unions want more. Starbucks Workers United says 20 of its unionized stores are on the list, about 8% of the closures. It has sent a formal request for information and plans to bargain at each affected store. The company has not confirmed that figure, and more than four years after workers began organizing, the two sides still have no contract.
In Canada, the United Steelworkers condemned the closures. The union said many affected baristas are young people juggling school and multiple jobs, and it urged Starbucks to give proper notice and real transition support.
Is Starbucks shrinking for good?
Not according to the company. The coffee giant says it still plans to grow its North American store count. This round follows last September’s closure of 627 stores in North America and Europe, along with 900 corporate job cuts, and another 300 corporate layoffs this past May.
The coffee giant’s bet is simple. Fewer weak stores and better remaining ones will win back customers. For regulars at 250 counters this weekend, the bet means finding a new morning routine.
