Starbucks is letting go of 69 employees across five Seattle storefronts slated for closure. The upcoming layoffs directly affect baristas and shift supervisors working at locations on First Hill, the University District, the Seattle Center Armory, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the Metropolitan Park East building downtown.
Key Highlights:
- Difficult Corporate Choices: A spokesperson for the coffee giant described the decisions as challenging but necessary to support the company’s ongoing “Back to Starbucks” turnaround strategy, which aims to refocus operations on core business strengths.
- The Union Connection: Four of the five targeted coffee shops have previously organized under “Starbucks Workers United”—a labor group advocating for improved pay, more reliable scheduling, and stronger workplace protections. However, management clarified that union status played no role in determining which locations would close.
- Timeline of Closures: The First Hill location has already ceased operations, with the Seattle Children’s Hospital site following soon after. The remaining three coffee shops are scheduled to lock their doors permanently by early April.
- Broader Restructuring Efforts: These cuts follow an intense period of consolidation for the company. Last year, Starbucks shut down more than 30 locations across Washington State alone—impacting 369 local workers—and terminated nearly 1,000 retail workers and 1,100 corporate employees nationwide.
- Shifting Gears to Global Growth: The restructuring comes under the leadership of CEO Brian Niccol, who took the helm in August 2024. Niccol’s $1 billion operational revamp centers on upgrading store technology and boosting training. Despite the local closures, Starbucks remains on an aggressive expansion path globally, intending to build up to 650 new coffee houses this year following a strong 4% rise in comparable domestic sales during its first fiscal quarter.
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