Starbucks cuts 51 jobs across Seattle-area corporate office and Washington coffeehouses

Starbucks is laying off 51 employees across Washington state, including eight employees at its Seattle corporate office and 43 retail workers from five store closures. The majority of affected positions are baristas. The company cited a review of its North America coffeehouse portfolio and said it will close locations it deems unable to deliver the desired customer and partner experience or attain acceptable financial performance; it also plans to close approximately 250 coffeehouses. Two of the affected coffeehouses have union representation through Starbucks Workers United. The layoffs and store closures are part of CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” initiative to revitalize the coffeehouse experience amid modest revenue declines and a slightly reduced North American store count.

Starbucks Corporation cut 51 jobs in WA affecting its retail and corporate (primarily baristas; 8 at headquarters, 43 retail workers) team.

LayoffTalk has tracked 47 layoff events at Starbucks Corporation since June 2023, including 2,742 jobs documented in official WARN filings, with 34 additional events known from news reporting.