The company plans to close out the fiscal year at the end of September with 18,300 stores in the U.S. and Canada, meaning about 400 stores will shutter by next week, CEO Brian Niccol announced Thursday. As of June, Starbucks operated 18,734 stores in North America.

Starbucks is shutting underperforming locations, cutting jobs, and remodeling stores as part of a major turnaround.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol on Thursday said the company is planning on closing underperforming locations, including those where the coffee chain is "unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect," and will cut 900 jobs.

The push to unionize Starbucks has surged in recent years. Baristas formed Starbucks Workers United in New York in December of 2021, and by the following May, California employees had organized four locations in a single week. Earlier this month, the union announced its 650th successful vote nationwide.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced on Thursday (September 25, 2025) via a letter to the employees that hundreds will be laid off this month. The coffee giant announced that it will close 1% of its stores, resulting in the layoff of nearly 900 employees.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol launches a $1 billion restructuring plan with store closures, staff cuts, and reinvestments in coffeehouse designs to revitalize the struggling chain.

Two Cincinnati Starbucks locations are set to close their doors this week. The locations at 4th and Vine and Columbia Parkway are both set to permanently close up shop within the next few days, according to Starbucks' website.

Brian Niccol vowed to get Starbucks back on track. A year on, sales are looking up, and his plan's in motion to make the coffee chain's stores cozier.