Story perspectives

Starbucks to Close 250 North American Stores

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 10:01 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Starbucks Closing Stores

Starbucks is closing about 250 North American stores, announced on Sept. 24, 2026.
COO Mike Grams said stores close because they fail performance or experience standards.
Employees at shuttered locations can transfer to other stores or receive severance support.
Starbucks will uplift about 1,500 stores and incur roughly $300 million restructuring charges, $200 million for lease exits.
Closures include three Wisconsin stores, six Pennsylvania stores, six Washington state stores, and 20 Los Angeles County locations.

Summary

Workers United Seeks Details

Starbucks Workers United filed a formal information request about the Rhode Island store closures.
The union said it will pursue effects bargaining for every impacted union store.
Twenty unionized coffee shops are slated to be affected by the shutdowns.
A Warwick resident expressed confusion because the store had been open just over a year.
Dunkin' owner Michael Cardillo observed reduced morning traffic at the closed Starbucks.

History

Historical Context

In 2008, during the global financial crisis, Starbucks announced the closure of 600 U.S. stores, cutting 2,000 jobs. CEO Howard Schultz and CFO Troy Alstead justified the move, claiming $150 million lease savings and prompting United Food and Commercial Workers protests. Similarly, in September 2026 Starbucks COO Mike Grams announced 250 store closures, with Workers United filing information requests and Dunkin' owner Michael Cardillo noting traffic drops. These repeated cutbacks illustrate how economic pressures and labor organizing force major coffee chains to restructure, reshaping retail footprints across American cities.

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Starbucks Closing Stores

Starbucks is closing about 250 North American stores, announced on Sept. 24, 2026.
COO Mike Grams said stores close because they fail performance or experience standards.
Employees at shuttered locations can transfer to other stores or receive severance support.
Starbucks will uplift about 1,500 stores and incur roughly $300 million restructuring charges, $200 million for lease exits.
Closures include three Wisconsin stores, six Pennsylvania stores, six Washington state stores, and 20 Los Angeles County locations.

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