On September 24, 2026, Starbucks announced the closure of around 250 cafes in North America, marking the second round of closures during CEO Brian Niccol's leadership.
The decision comes after a thorough review of the company's coffeehouse portfolio, as stated by Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams, who emphasized the need to ensure a consistent customer experience and acceptable financial performance. Starbucks operates over 18,000 locations in North America, and the closures are expected to occur before the end of fiscal 2026, which concludes later this month.
In conjunction with these closures, Starbucks has revised its fiscal 2026 projections for new openings, now estimating 440 new cafes, a decrease from the previous forecast of 600 to 650.
The company anticipates incurring approximately $300 million in restructuring charges related to these closures, with $200 million attributed to early lease exits and employee separation benefits, while the remaining $100 million will be non-cash charges linked to asset impairment.
Despite these closures, Starbucks remains optimistic about long-term growth opportunities in North America and is actively working on a pipeline for new international coffeehouse openings