Starbucks to close 250 more North America cafes

Starbucks said Thursday it will close 250 more cafes in North America as part of a push to improve financial returns.

The coffee chain described the closures as a review of underperforming locations under Brian Niccol, who became chief executive in September 2024.

Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said Starbucks had identified locations where it did not believe it could consistently deliver the customer and employee experience it wanted or reach acceptable financial performance. He said the closures equal about 1% of the chain's 18,000 North American cafes.

The announcement follows a move a year earlier to eliminate hundreds of other North American stores and 900 administrative jobs. Niccol, who previously led Chipotle, has sought to improve Starbucks' performance in its home market.

Starbucks had previously planned to open 600 to 650 stores this year around the world. In a securities filing Thursday, the company said it would open about 440 shops in fiscal 2026. Starbucks has 41,000 stores globally.

Starbucks shares were down 1.2% in early afternoon trading Thursday.