Starbucks Corporate and Seattle Store Layoffs and Closures

Starbucks Corporation closed a downtown Seattle store at 999 Third Ave amid a broader series of store closures and layoffs. In September the company announced about 900 employees would be laid off and at least 28 Washington stores would close; subsequent rounds included layoffs of 69 store workers tied to closures, 61 corporate workers in May at the Seattle headquarters, and a later round cutting about 300 corporate jobs while shuttering regional support offices. Starbucks is also moving or hiring up to 2,000 employees in a planned Nashville corporate office over five years. Company statements cited inability to create expected physical environments and financial performance as reasons for closures and reductions, while leadership commentary criticized Seattle's business climate.

Starbucks Corporation cut 430 jobs in WA affecting its corporate and store workforce team as of May 18, 2026.

That is roughly 0.1% of the 383,000 people Starbucks Corporation employs.

LayoffTalk has tracked 42 layoff events at Starbucks Corporation since June 2023, including 2,538 jobs documented in official WARN filings, with 32 additional events known from news reporting.