Starbucks To Lay Off 51 Employees and Close 5 Stores Across Washington
Starbucks will lay off 51 workers in Washington, including 43 retail employees across five closing stores in Seattle, Redmond, Spokane, and Vancouver, along with eight corporate staff in Seattle. According to state WARN filings, terminations will take effect between November 14 and December 4 as part of broader portfolio restructuring.
Coffee giant Starbucks is moving forward with permanent store closures and corporate staff reductions in Washington state, impacting a total of 51 employees across Seattle, Redmond, Vancouver, and Spokane. According to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings submitted to state authorities, the workforce reductions are scheduled to take effect in phases between November 14 and December 4, 2026.
Scope of Closures and Job Impacts
The filings confirm that Starbucks will permanently close five retail store locations across the state while simultaneously eliminating eight corporate positions at its Seattle headquarters. HSBC Layoffs: Bank Plans To Cut up to 70% of UK Wealth Adviser Roles in Major AI Shift.
Affected locations include storefronts in Seattle (specifically in neighbourhoods such as Ballard and Rainier Beach), a location on 170th Ave. NE in Redmond, a site on W. Wellesley Ave. in Spokane, and a store on SE 164th Ave. in Vancouver. The cuts directly impact retail staff, including baristas and shift supervisors, alongside corporate personnel.
Transition Options and Background
Company representatives noted that the affected store employees may be offered transfer opportunities to alternative Starbucks locations where feasible. "This closure is expected to be permanent," the WARN notice read. The upcoming terminations are part of broader retail restructuring measures previously outlined by the company on September 24, which include the winding down of approximately 250 underperforming North American store locations. Officials emphasised that the latest state filings operationalise those previously announced strategic actions rather than introducing a new wave of cuts.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2026 02:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).