Starbucks to Shut Down 250 Stores in North America

Starbucks will close 250 stores across North America by the end of the week. This decision leaves staff unsure of their future and facing sudden job loss.

“Times are bad right now, nobody can afford to get laid off because there’s no jobs that will hire,” a Starbucks customer expressed on Reddit, after seeing a notice about their local store’s closure.

Employees have been caught in uncertainty, with some baristas learning of possible layoffs with less than 48 hours’ notice.

Discussions on Reddit’s r/starbucksbaristas reveal concerns over severance pay and the timing of layoffs, coinciding with monthly rent and upcoming holidays. Some workers were notified of layoffs with only one to three days’ notice, despite being required to give two weeks’ notice when resigning.

A former manager of a recently closed location shared the mixed feelings that come with the store’s closure, expressing hope for a transfer.

Starbucks’ COO Mike Grams addressed the closures in a memo, stating the company’s operations review found many stores could not meet financial or customer expectations.

While the closures involve around 1% of Starbucks’ over 18,000 stores in North America, the company aims to help affected employees with transfers where possible and offer severance support.

CEO Brian Niccol previously announced a similar wave of closures last year, tied to a $1 billion restructuring strategy.

The company clarifies the closures do not indicate a withdrawal from North America. Starbucks continues to manage their portfolio, closing and opening locations annually. Despite challenges, Starbucks is focusing on long-term growth in the region.

They plan to open approximately 440 new sites globally this fiscal year, reducing from the originally planned 600 to 650 new openings.

Financially, the closure operation is significant, expecting to incur $300 million in related charges, including $200 million for early lease terminations and employee severance.

Starbucks has yet to provide a comprehensive list of closing stores. Coffeehouses will display notices to inform patrons of closures, encouraging visits to Starbucks.com or their app for current location details.

At least a dozen stores will close in California’s Bay Area, reported by the San Francisco Chronicle:

• 3547 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette
• 1663 N. California Blvd., Walnut Creek
• 176 Gateway Blvd., South San Francisco
• 138 Calistoga Road, Santa Rosa
• 2240 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa
• 1187 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos
• 119 N. Rollins Road, Millbrae
• 1135 Industrial Road, San Carlos
• 1037 El Monte Ave., Mountain View
• 1205 The Alameda, San Jose
• 3700 San Pablo Ave., Hercules
• 1701 Willow Pass Road, Concord
• 795 First St., Gilroy

SFGate listed additional California locations presumed to be closing, based on their reported business hours:

• 27072 La Paz Road, Aliso Viejo
• 710 S. Azusa Ave., Azusa
• 4207 Riverside Drive, Burbank
• 26531 Agoura Road, Calabasas
• 1875 Century Park E., Century City
• 20790 Nordhoff St., Chatsworth
• 10953 Meridian Drive, Cypress
• 1560 Leucadia Blvd., Encinitas
• 2024 Freedom Blvd., Freedom
• 2635 E. Shaw Ave., Fresno
• 704 W. Shaw Ave., Fresno
• 24281 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Woods
• 2952 Beverly Glen Circle, Los Angeles
• 5757 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
• 639 N. Broadway, Los Angeles
• 801 S. Olive St., Los Angeles
• 6081 Center Drive, Los Angeles
• 555 West 5th St., Los Angeles
• 5 E. 23rd St., Merced
• 5166-A Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood
• 4321 E. Ontario Mills Parkway, Ontario
• 2040 Third St., Oroville
• 7902 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama
• 3429 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena
• 28562 Oso Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita
• 10441 Fairway Drive, Roseville
• 19759 Colima Road, Rowland Heights
• 3511 Truxel Road, Sacramento
• 2648 Watt Ave., Sacramento
• 8341 Elk Grove Florin Road, Sacramento
• 8240 Calvine Road, Sacramento
• 1901 J St., Sacramento
• 291 E. Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino
• 4134 Adams Ave., San Diego
• 3675 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego
• 7750 Copley Park Place, San Diego
• 9449 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego
• 7415 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego
• 1075 Court St., San Luis Obispo
• 3970 Broad St., San Luis Obispo
• 253 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo
• 2800 N. Main St., Santa Ana
• 2901 Main St., Santa Monica
• 1030 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
• 2740 41st St., Soquel
• 25289 The Old Road, Stevenson Ranch
• 29588 Rancho California Road, Temecula
• 3089 Edinger Ave., Tustin
• 1943 North Campus Ave., Upland
• 22019 Valley Blvd., Walnut
• 2755 Agoura Road, Westlake Village

An open-access list created by an affected employee included more locations across the U.S.:

• Alabama: 1161 Florence Blvd, Florence; 30 Nicole Lane, Anniston
• Arizona: 3550 E. Southern Avenue, #104, Mesa
• Arkansas: 91 South Broadview, Greenbriar
• Colorado: 9925 E Hampden Ave Denver; 4465 Centennial Blvd., Colorado Springs; 7331 Central Rail Point, Colorado Springs; 2601 Dos Rios Drive, Grand Junction; 3820 Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge
• Connecticut: 1449B New Britain Ave, West Hartford; 350 Buckland St., Manchester
• Florida: 84169 406 Myrtle Street, Longwood; 11398 Melbourne, Melbourne Square; 08687 5329 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota; 73992 Wynwood, Miami; 226 Clematis St., West Palm Beach
• Illinois: 84219 480 Houbolt Rd, Joliet; 2137 S Perryville Rd, Rockford
• Kentucky: 160 Ave of Champions, Lexington; 101 Hat Trick Way, Lexington
• Maryland: 153 Newtowne Blvd, Pocomoke City; 11860 Grand Park Ave Rockville; 12255 Prosperity Drive Silver Spring; 120 Chester Station Ln, Chester
• Michigan: 200 E Parkdale Ave, Manistee
• Missouri: 1111 S Perryville Blvd, Perryville; 6621 Delmar Blvd., University City
• Nebraska: 12201 Fort St, Omaha; 4707 S 96th St, Omaha, NE; 19513 Oakmont Dr, Gretna; 3665 Prarie View St, Grand Island
• New York: #23044 w 32nd Between 6th and 7th, Manhattan; 125 Chambers Street, New York; College Point Whitestone; 125 St Marks Place; 50 Lexington Ave; 64 S Main Street Fairport; 1703 Niagara Falls Blvd, Amherst; 114 Northern Blvd Greenvale; 4th Ave & 11th St, Brooklyn; 455 Main St Islip; Yonkers 7901, 2458 Central Park Ave, Yonkers
• North Carolina: 9335 North Tryon St, Charlotte; 800 W Trade St., Charlotte
• Ohio: 1014 N High Street, Columbus, 43201; Heights Rockefeller Building, 3093 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland Heights, 44118
• Oregon: 14585 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Milwaukie, 97267; 2880 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, 97202; 2830 Willamette St. Eugene, 97405
• Pennsylvania: Main Street Stroudsburg; Bloomfield on Penn Ave, Pittsburgh; 1018 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, 19123; 2201 South Street, Philadelphia, 19146; 4765 Liberty Ave. Bloomfield; 345 Resort Plaza Dr., Blairsville, 15717; 5360 Lincoln Highway, Gap, 17527
• South Carolina: 1002 Lochend Dr, Darlington, 29532; 11860 Hwy 707, Murrells Inlet, 29576
• Tennessee: 1907 Gallatin Pike N, Madison, 37115
• Texas: Snider Plaza, 6733 Hillcrest Ave, Dallas; Preston & Alexis, 14760 Preston Rd, Dallas; 51966, 1109 North Bell Boulevard, Cedar Park; 5885 Gulf Freeway Tanger Outlets S. Houston/Galveston Texas City 77591; 6115 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth 76116; Levelland: 812 College Ave, Levelland 79336; 8746 Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio 78240; 410 Highway 78, Wylie 75098; 6600 Murphy Rd, Sachse 75048; 7015 US-290, Austin 78736
• Virginia: 400 N. Robinson Road, Richmond, 23220; 1306 Hillside Ave, Harrisonburg, 22801
• Washington: Shadle store in Spokane #8681, #84480 – Leary & 11th; 999 Leary Way NW Seattle; 7625 170th Ave NE Redmond 98052; Rainier Ave. S – 9150 Rainier Ave. S Seattle; #03375 – 918 SE 164th Ave. & Mill Plain – Vancouver; 1700 7th Avenue in Nordstrom Seattle
• Wisconsin: 1609 S Park Street, Madison; 1438 E Brady St, Milwaukee; 1509 Washington St, Two Rivers, 54241

Newsweek has sought confirmation from Starbucks on these closures.