Starbucks announced on September 24, 2026, that it would close about 250 stores across North America after reviewing its coffeehouse network. Most closures were expected before the end of the company’s fiscal year in late September. The move carries an estimated $300 million in restructuring costs.

Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams told employees that the affected locations faced persistent challenges. Some lacked a clear route to satisfactory financial performance, while others could not deliver the environment Starbucks wants to offer customers and staff.

For employees at those stores, the company said it would seek transfers to other locations. Workers it cannot place elsewhere would receive severance support. At the time of the announcement, Starbucks had not released a full list of affected stores or specified how many were in the United States.

The closures accompany continued investment in the remaining business. Starbucks has been renovating North American coffeehouses to create more comfortable spaces, with plans to complete 1,500 remodels by the end of fiscal 2026. The company expects to accelerate that work during fiscal 2027. Its projected closure costs include approximately $200 million for expenses such as ending leases and employee separation benefits, plus $100 million in noncash asset charges.

This is the second major closure announcement since Brian Niccol became chief executive in 2024. According to The Associated Press, Starbucks closed 627 stores across North America and Europe in September 2025 and cut 900 nonretail jobs. Another 300 corporate positions were eliminated in May 2026, alongside the closure of some underused U.S. offices.

The restructuring also comes amid unresolved labor negotiations. AP reported that more than 700 U.S. Starbucks stores had voted to unionize since late 2021, but the company and union had not yet reached a labor agreement when the closures were announced.