Starbucks to close about 250 North America coffeehouses, cut openings outlook

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) will close about 250 coffeehouses in North America—roughly 1% of its more than 18,000 stores in the region—after its board approved further steps under the company’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy on Sept. 22. The company detailed the plan in a Form 8-K filed Thursday.

Starbucks said the locations being closed “do not deliver the coffeehouse experience and financial performance expected of the brand.” It expects most of the closures to be done by the end of fiscal 2026.

The company anticipates about $300 million in restructuring charges tied to the plan: roughly $200 million in cash costs, mainly lease exits and employee separation benefits, and about $100 million in non-cash charges from disposal and impairment of company-operated store assets.

On unit growth, Starbucks cut its outlook for full fiscal 2026 net new global company-operated and licensed coffeehouse openings to about 440, from prior guidance of 600 to 650. It tied the revision to the North America closures, partially offset by higher net new openings in International markets. The company also said it still sees significant longer-term growth opportunity in North America and is developing a pipeline of new coffeehouses.

By the numbers

• About 250 North America closures (~1% of >18,000 regional stores)
• Roughly $300 million in restructuring charges (~$200 million cash, ~$100 million non-cash)
• Fiscal 2026 net new global openings guided to ~440 (was 600–650)

Sources

1. Starbucks Corporation Form 8-K, filed Sept. 24, 2026 (event date Sept. 22, 2026), accession 0000829224-26-000145

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