Starbucks is preparing to close 250 stores deemed “underperforming” by the company, and it appears six of the affected locations are based in Washington.
Reuters reported that Starbucks revealed Thursday that the new store closures would result in restructuring costs of about $300 million, representing 1% of its 18,000 U.S. stores.
The company added that it plans to complete most of the closures by the end of 2026.
Which Starbucks stores in Washington state are closing?
What we know:
According to the Starbucks store locator, the following Washington locations are expected to close this weekend.
- Redmond: 7625 – 170th avenue NE
- Seattle: 999 NW Leary Way
- Seattle: 1700 7th avenue (Nordstrom building)
- Seattle: 9150, avenue Rainier Sud.
- Spokane: 2401 W. Wellesley Avenue.
- Vancouver: 918 SE 164th Avenue.
According to SFGate, a Starbucks mega-enthusiast known simply as “Winter” put together a spreadsheet of all the store closures based on information he gathered using the Starbucks app.
The spreadsheet lists Saturday, September 26 as the closing date for all Washington locations affected by the company’s nationwide closures.
The backstory:
In a letter to employees obtained by The Associated Press, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the locations targeted for the closures were not providing adequate financial results or could not deliver the type of experience Starbucks wanted for its customers and employees.
Starbucks has not revealed which stores will close or how many are in the United States. The AP noted that the organization also did not say how many affected stores are unionized.
The organization tells the AP it will move Starbucks employees to other stores or provide exit assistance if it is unable to move a worker to another store.
Additionally, Starbucks also cut jobs in its corporate division. The company laid off 900 non-sales employees when it closed stores in September 2025.
And in May 2026, Starbucks laid off 300 more employees and closed some underutilized U.S. offices, according to the AP.
Layoffs at Starbucks in Seattle
Local perspective:
In August, it was reported that Starbucks planned to lay off more than 200 employees from its SoDo headquarters.
Economic experts say the downsizing comes from two distinct groups within the company: IT and those who worked on store design.
The corporate job cuts come amid a broader wave of tech job cuts nationwide, which have hit tech hubs like Seattle particularly hard.
This also comes as the company continues to move forward with its expansion plans in Tennessee instead of its home state of Washington.
When Starbucks initially announced its Nashville expansion, the company said the new facility would work closely with its Seattle headquarters and maintained it remained committed to its original base.
Experts note that while some positions are moving out of state, the latest round of layoff announcements does not indicate that Starbucks is currently planning to move its entire business footprint or headquarters out of Seattle.
The source : Information for this story comes from updates posted to the Starbucks app, articles by SFGate, Reuters and previous reporting from FOX 13 Seattle.
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