Starbucks to shutter 250 stores this week in new wave of closings (last year closed 627)

MSN LA Times ^ | 9 24 | Story by Dee-Ann Durbin

[dennisw]

Starbucks plans to close 250 North American stores later this week.

It is the second big round of store closures under Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in 2024.

Last September, Starbucks closed 627 stores in North America and Europe and laid off 900 non-retail employees.

In a letter to employees, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the locations targeted either aren’t delivering acceptable financial results or can’t provide the kind of experience that Starbucks wants for customers and employees.

The company didn’t say Thursday which coffeehouses will close or how many are located in the U.S. It also didn’t say how many of the affected coffeehouses are unionized.

More than 700 U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since late 2021, but Starbucks doesn’t support the unionization effort and the union and the company have yet to reach a labor agreement.

Grams said Starbucks is continuing to retrofit its North American coffeehouses to make them cozier and more inviting. The company expects 1,500 stores will be retrofitted by Sept. 30, which is the end of Starbucks’ fiscal year.

“This progress has given us a clearer view of the performance of every coffeehouse,” Grams said in his letter. “While most are benefiting from this overall momentum, some coffeehouses continue to underperform despite the hard work and commitment of all of you.”

---

TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: starbucks

[Paal Gulli]

Gee, where have I head this before?...

Starbucks to close 250 stores: ‘Difficult decision’

09/24/2026 5:57:33 AM PDT · by dynachrome · 80 replies
Fox ^ | 9-24-26 | Anders Hagstrom

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4396717/posts

[TalBlack]

“Don’t know if they still do that or not.”

I recall a post on here a few years ago that said they had to rescind that idiotic policy.

[Texas resident]

I have over 30 coffee shops near me that are not Starbucks.

Woke policies and non woke competitors will kill off Starbucks.

[dayglored]

You might put it this way:

"Starbucks is a business. We operate to make money, not lose it.

Starbucks is not a charity. Charities are fine and good, but we're not one.

If a given Starbucks store isn't making money, we can hold our breath for a short while, but we can't support it as a charity past a certain point.

Is that clear?"

[Maine Mariner]

I wonder if these closures plus the one last year will reduce the enrollment in woymen’s studies, sociology, etc. at colleges and universities across the USA.

[MeanWestTexan]

It’s the blue city locations with high rent, high expenses, and bums crapping all over the floors of the bathroom getting closed.

[Texas Eagle]

What a shame. Anyways....

[mfish13]

1 % of stores.

[Texas Eagle]

You only drink appropriately priced swill. I admire your principles.

[Liz]

I make our PSL’s with my homemade pumpkin butter
and espresso brewed in our little Bialetti.

---

Got any recipes?

[virgil]

I stay at home and brew Maxwell House.

[dennisw]

Their seasonal pumpkin spice swill is priced too damn high. And they still run out of it every year.

[Liz]

Copycat-Starbucks Muffins / garnished with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Ing---Cr/Cheese Filling: 8 oz Cr/Cheese ½ c Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla. Candied Seeds: ½ c Pumpkin Seeds 3 tbl Sugar ¼ tsp Cinnamon. Muffin Batter 2 c Flour 1 tsp B/Soda ¼ tsp Salt ½ c ea white Sugar/Brown Sugar ⅓ c veg oil 1 c Pumpkin Puree 2 Eggs ¼ c Milk 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon* 1 tsp Ground Ginger* ½ tsp ea Ground Cloves/Allspice* *or use tbl pumpkin spice

METHOD: Combine cr/cheese, sugar, vanilla smooth. Cover/chill firm. BATTER: Stir pumpkin, oil, sugars just until mixed. Add in eggs, spices, salt, b/soda and 1/2 flour. Mix/combine. Add milk, rest flour. Mix/combine. Fill paper muffin liners ⅔ full. Spoon one tbl cream cheese mixture into centers. Sprinkle w/ 4-5 pumpkin seeds. Bake 350 deg 15 min--pick comes out mostly clean. Serve warm.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds---Line sheetpan w/ parchment. Cook seeds, sugar, cinnamon in pan over med, stir constantly to caramelize sugar. Set seeds on prepared sheet; cool. Break apart seeds stuck together.

[Morgana]

MacDonald’s coffee ☕ is much better than Starbucks. Starbucks taste like dirty dish water.

[crusty old prospector]

Coffee is a vile brown drink. But I drink a cup every day. I take it black, like my men.

[pierrem15]

The main problem where I live are the prices: they're out of control.

Some of that is just coffee becoming more expensive and "living wage" ordinances, but still. Their food offerings have become miniscule while doubling in price while the fancy coffee drinks have almost doubled in price.

[Windcatcher]

I see what you did there!

[crusty old prospector]

S’mofo. Butter laying me to the bone. Jacking me up. Tight me.

[napscoordinator]

16,935-250=16,685

Hoe will they survive. Lol. I like their vanilla bean Frappuccino quite frankly.

[Taxman]

Overpriced and burned! YUCK!