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Starbucks files notice to close five Washington stores

Starbucks files notice to close five Washington stores

Money Moves Seattle, WA local

Five Washington stores and the Terminal A cafe at Seattle-Tacoma airport are closing; two filings cover 186 workers

October 23rd, 2026: HMSHost notice covers 135 Starbucks workers, including 13 at SEA

Overview

Updated Oct 24

Starbucks will permanently close five Washington coffeehouses and cut eight jobs at its Seattle headquarters, part of a 250-store North American restructuring. The state filing covers 51 workers, with separations running from November 14 to December 4.

A second filing, from airport concessionaire HMSHost, covers 135 Starbucks workers in Seattle and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including 13 at the Terminal A store that is closing. Those layoffs are expected between December 31 and January 13. Starbucks said the airport contract was not renewed after a competitive bidding process and that it still runs four cafes there.

Why it matters

Two filings now cover 186 Starbucks workers in the Seattle area, from headquarters jobs to the airport's Terminal A cafe.

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Key Indicators

250
North American stores to close
About 1% of Starbucks' more than 18,000 North America coffeehouses, announced September 24, 2026.
186
Workers covered by the two filings
51 in the October 7 filing for five Washington stores and Seattle headquarters, plus 135 in the October 23 HMSHost filing for Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma airport locations.
51
Workers affected by the store filing
43 store employees across five Washington stores plus 8 Seattle headquarters positions.
$300M
Restructuring charges from store closures
Company estimate disclosed with the closure plan on September 22, 2026: about $200 million in cash charges and $100 million non-cash.
5
Washington stores closing November 14
Two in Seattle, one each in Redmond, Spokane, and Vancouver.

Voices

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People Involved

Brian Niccol
Brian Niccol
Chief Executive Officer
Leading the restructuring; hired to revive sales and store experience
SK
Sara Kelly
Executive Vice President, Chief Partner Officer
Signed the WARN notice covering 224 Seattle headquarters jobs
MG
Mike Grams
Chief Operating Officer
Overseeing store-level execution of closures

Organizations Involved

Starbucks
Starbucks
Coffee company
Closing 250 North American stores and reorganizing corporate operations; its Terminal A cafe at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is closing after the contract was not renewed

World's largest coffeehouse chain, headquartered in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood.
Washington Employment Security Department
Washington Employment Security Department
State agency
Collects and publishes WARN notices from employers

Washington state agency that administers unemployment insurance and receives Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings.

Timeline

September 2025 October 2026

8 events Latest: October 23rd, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. HMSHost notice covers 135 Starbucks workers, including 13 at SEA

    Latest Regulatory Filing

    A WARN notice filed by airport concessionaire HMSHost lists 135 Starbucks workers in Seattle and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including 13 at the Terminal A store that is closing. Layoffs there are expected between December 31, 2026, and January 13, 2027.

  2. WARN notice filed for 51 workers, five Washington stores

    Regulatory Filing

    Starbucks filed notice covering 43 store employees at five locations plus eight Seattle headquarters jobs, with separations starting November 14.

  3. Another WARN notice covers 224 Seattle headquarters jobs

    Regulatory Filing

    Filing covered 104 roles cut in organizational changes and 120 employees who declined transfers to Nashville. Company said it was not a new round of layoffs.

  4. Six Washington Starbucks locations close in first wave

    Store Closure

    Stores in Seattle, Redmond, Spokane, and Vancouver closed as part of the national program, per the company's store locator.

  5. Starbucks announces 250 store closures, $300M in charges

    Corporate Announcement

    Company disclosed plans to close 250 underperforming North American stores, with most closures complete by end of 2026.

  6. Reports of planned 200-plus corporate layoffs

    News Report

    Reports emerged that Starbucks planned to lay off over 200 corporate employees from its Seattle headquarters in SoDo.

  7. WARN notice covers 252 Seattle support center employees

    Regulatory Filing

    Starbucks filed a notice tied to its Seattle support center; separations began July 17 and continued into 2027.

  8. Starbucks announces $1 billion restructuring

    Corporate Announcement

    Company announced nearly 900 non-retail layoffs and plans to close underperforming coffee shops in North America.

Scenarios

1

Starbucks completes 250-store closure program, no further cuts

Likely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: Starbucks company guidance; Reuters reporting on the closure criteria

Starbucks finishes most of the 250 closures by the end of 2026 as planned. No new WARN notices are filed in Washington. Next earnings reports show store-level sales improving as weak locations close, and the company shifts focus back to the 'Third Place' experience.

2

Starbucks announces second round of closures and layoffs

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Economists quoted in Fox13 reporting on Seattle tech job losses; analysts watching store performance

If the restructuring doesn't boost traffic and sales quickly, Starbucks announces another round of cuts. This could close more Washington stores or pull additional corporate functions to Nashville.

3

Nashville becomes Starbucks co-headquarters

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: KOMO and Fox13 coverage noting the Nashville expansion

Starbucks moves more corporate functions, such as technology and store development, to Nashville over the next year. The company designates Nashville as a co-headquarters while keeping Seattle as its legal home.

4

Starbucks wins a new contract at Seattle-Tacoma airport

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Starbucks spokesperson comments to KIRO Newsradio

Starbucks said it was disappointed the airport contract was not renewed and hopes to work with the airport to expand its presence there. A new concession award could put Starbucks back in a terminal it is now leaving.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

July 2008

Starbucks store closures under Howard Schultz (2008)

As the financial crisis deepened, Starbucks announced it would close about 600 underperforming US stores. CEO Howard Schultz, who returned in January 2008, called the closures a way to fix a footprint that had grown too fast.

Then

Starbucks shuttered the stores through 2008-2009 and took restructuring charges, but traffic recovered as the economy stabilized.

Now

The pruning is credited with refocusing Starbucks on store experience and the 'Third Place' concept, a strategy Schultz reprised in later years.

Why this matters now

Today's 250-store closure program under Brian Niccol applies the same playbook: cut weak locations, protect the brand, reinvest in the rest.

2015-2017

McDonald's refranchising under Steve Easterbrook (2015-2017)

McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook closed hundreds of underperforming restaurants and sold thousands of company-owned stores to franchisees, shrinking corporate-owned US locations roughly in half.

Then

The move cut costs and lifted margins at remaining stores; profits rose even as store count fell.

Now

It established a template for fast-food giants trading scale for profitability under new leadership.

Why this matters now

It shows the trade-off Starbucks is now making: fewer locations, higher per-store performance, and stronger focus on the core experience.

Sources

(10)
+4
Washington Employment Security Department KATU News KOMO News FOX 13 Seattle MyNorthwest The Seattle Times U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Spot On Washington MyNorthwest Washington Employment Security Department via KATU