Starbucks is preparing to close approximately 250 stores across North America, according to information shared by journalist Jeff Rossen in a recent public Facebook post. The announcement has drawn attention from Starbucks customers who are now wondering whether their local coffee shop could be among the locations affected.
The company has not yet released a list of the specific stores that will close. It also has not confirmed how many of the planned closures will take place in the United States. That means customers in individual communities will have to wait for further information before knowing whether their nearby Starbucks is affected.
The planned closures represent about 1 percent of Starbucks’ more than 18,000 coffeehouses across North America. Starbucks has said that most of its stores continue to be profitable.
Why Starbucks Is Closing Stores
According to the information shared in the post, Starbucks plans to close locations where the company does not see a path toward acceptable financial performance. The company also identified stores where it believes it cannot consistently provide the experience it wants for customers and employees.
The latest closures come about one year after Starbucks closed 627 stores across North America and Europe. The additional closures signal another significant change for the coffee chain as it reviews the performance of individual locations.
Starbucks has also said it plans to provide support to employees affected by the closures. Workers may be offered transfers to other locations when possible. Employees who cannot be placed elsewhere may receive severance.
The company has not indicated that all of the 250 stores are struggling in exactly the same way. Individual locations can face different circumstances, including operating costs, sales performance and competition from other coffee businesses.
Customers Wait for Store List
For Starbucks customers, the biggest unanswered question is which communities will be affected.
Comments responding to Rossen’s post showed that some customers were already discussing competition in their local coffee markets. One commenter mentioned the presence of 7 Brew and Dutch Bros as additional competition, while another said customers could simply visit a Starbucks across the street.
Those reactions highlight the competition Starbucks faces from other coffee chains and independent businesses in many communities.
For now, Starbucks customers cannot determine whether their regular location will close based solely on the companywide announcement. The company has not publicly identified the individual stores included in the latest closure plan.
As more details become available, customers and employees will be watching for announcements identifying the affected locations and explaining when each closure will take place.
