Starbucks announced on May 15, 2026, that it is cutting 300 additional corporate employees and closing regional offices in Atlanta, Burbank, Chicago, and Dallas, while retaining its Seattle headquarters and locations in New York, Toronto, and Coral Gables, Florida. A new Nashville office will open. The layoffs follow the earlier elimination of 61 Seattle tech roles and nearly 2,000 corporate cuts last year. The restructuring supports CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy, aimed at reducing complexity and improving coffeehouse efficiency. The company operates 41,129 locations worldwide and recently reported 8% revenue growth year-over-year.
In-Depth:
Starbucks announced Friday that is laying off 300 additional corporate employees and closing several regional offices after earlier this week providing details on the elimination of 61 tech roles in Seattle.
The cuts aim to “further sharpen focus, prioritize work, reduce complexity, and lower costs,” a spokesperson stated by email. The company axed nearly 2,000 corporate roles last year, according to past reports.
Starbucks did not announce any new store closures, but will shutter offices in Atlanta, Burbank, Chicago and Dallas while maintaining its Seattle headquarters and offices in New York, Toronto and Coral Gables, Fla. The company is also opening a new office in Nashville.
The relocates are part of the company’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy, launched by CEO Brian Niccol to bolster performance and refocus attention on its coffeehoapplys and customer service.
On a quarterly earnings call last month, Niccol highlighted several tech innovations aimed at improving coffeehoapply efficiency and productivity:
- Plans to install automated Mastrena machines that can pull four espresso shots in less than 30 seconds.
- Improved apply of its Smart Queue system, which applys algorithms to manage the flow of cafe, drive-thru, and mobile orders.
- A digital system called the GROW Report that provides insights into coffeehoapply performance.
Starbucks, which has 41,129 coffee shops worldwide, previously reported revenue growth of 8% compared to the same period last year.
