Starbucks Is Closing More Than 250 Locations (Is Yours One?)

If your morning routine includes stopping at the nearby Starbucks for coffee, you may want to check your local one. The coffee chain is closing approximately 250 coffeehouses across North America.

The company announced the closures on Sept. 24, with Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams saying Starbucks had identified locations where it could not consistently deliver the experience it wanted for customers and employees or see a path to acceptable financial performance. The closures represent about 1% of Starbucks' more than 18,000 North American coffeehouses.

Starbucks has yet to publish a complete list of the stores it plans to close, so it will be harder for customers to tell whether their local Starbucks is on the chopping block. For anyone trying to avoid wasting money, a Starbucks closure could also be a good opportunity to rethink those regular coffee runs.

Why is Starbucks closing stores?

This is the second major round of Starbucks closures in roughly a year. The company closed a net 107 North American locations as part of its 2025 restructuring, which also included about 900 layoffs. Most of the latest closures are expected to happen before the end of Starbucks' fiscal 2026.

According to the coffeehouse giant, the latest closures mainly target underperforming locations that aren't meeting the company's expectations for customer and employee experience. In a letter to employees announcing the closures, Grams said the company had reviewed its North American coffeehouse portfolio and identified locations where it could not consistently deliver the experience Starbucks wanted or where it didn't see a path to acceptable financial performance.

The closures are part of Starbucks' broader turnaround effort under CEO Brian Niccol. The company's "Back to Starbucks" strategy has focused on improving the in-store experience and bringing more attention to customer interactions.

Is Starbucks in trouble?

That turnaround comes as Starbucks has acknowledged operational problems in its U.S. business. The company has been trying to improve service and make its cafes feel more welcoming while also addressing stores that aren't performing well financially.

Starbucks expects to take about $300 million in restructuring charges related to the latest closures. About $200 million is expected to come from lease exits and employee separation benefits, while another $100 million will come from noncash asset disposal and impairment costs.

The company still expects to open new coffeehouses, however. Starbucks projects about 440 net new stores in fiscal 2026, down from its previous expectation of 600 to 650.

What happens to Starbucks workers?

The closures also affect Starbucks baristas. Starbucks Workers United says 20 of the approximately 250 stores being closed are unionized. The union has requested information from Starbucks about the affected locations and says it expects to bargain over where workers will be placed at those stores.

Starbucks says it will try to transfer affected employees to other coffeehouses where possible. Workers who cannot be placed elsewhere will receive severance support, according to the company.

The closures come as Starbucks and its unionized workers continue to negotiate. More than 700 U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize, but the company and union still have not reached a labor agreement.

How to check if your Starbucks is closing

Because Starbucks did not release a complete public list of the roughly 250 locations, checking your local store is a little more complicated than looking for your city in a list online.

You could start with the Starbucks store locator and search for your usual location. You could also check the Starbucks app, particularly if you normally use Mobile Order & Pay.

If your regular Starbucks closes, you don't need to start over with your Rewards account. Your Starbucks Rewards membership stays with your account, and you could continue earning and redeeming Stars at participating locations. Starbucks notes that not every store participates in all Rewards features, so it's worth checking before ordering.

Starbucks' app lets customers choose a pickup store, so you could keep using mobile ordering without being tied to the location that closed.

A nearby licensed Starbucks could also be an option, particularly if there isn't another standalone cafe close by.

Bottom line

Starbucks isn't going anywhere, but the latest closures are another sign that even major chains are taking a harder look at which locations are worth keeping. If you are a coffee drinker already looking for ways to stretch your restaurant budget, losing a convenient location could also mean rethinking where and how often you grab your morning coffee.

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