Starbucks Announces Layoffs, Including 612 Employees in Seattle
February 28 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
Starbucks confirmed this week that it will lay off over 1,000 employees globally, with 612 of those affected based in Seattle, according to a notice from the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) program. The layoffs will begin on May 2.
In a letter to employees on Monday, CEO Brian Niccol stated that affected employees would be notified by mid-day Tuesday. Additionally, the company plans to eliminate several hundred open and unfilled positions. Niccol emphasized that these changes aim to “operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity, and drive better integration.”
The layoffs primarily impact corporate support roles and do not affect baristas or store-level employees. Starbucks employs 16,000 corporate support staff worldwide, including roasting and warehouse personnel, who are not part of this reduction.
Niccol had previously hinted at corporate layoffs in January, with plans to finalize decisions by early March. He highlighted the need to streamline the company’s structure, citing inefficiencies caused by “too many layers, managers of small teams, and roles focused primarily on coordinating work.” The goal is to eliminate silos and improve decision-making processes.
Since joining Starbucks last fall, Niccol has focused on revitalizing the company’s performance. Key priorities include improving service times—particularly during peak hours—and reestablishing stores as community hubs. As part of this effort, Starbucks will remove 13 drinks from its menu next week to simplify operations and reduce customer wait times.
Founded in 1971 at Seattle’s Pike Place Market, Starbucks began as a coffee bean wholesaler before evolving into a global coffeehouse chain under the leadership of Howard Schultz. Schultz, who served as CEO from 1986 to 2000, spearheaded the company’s rapid expansion across the United States and internationally.
Starbucks operates more than 35,000 stores in 80 countries, with 15,873 located in the U.S. Of these, over 8,900 are company-operated, while the remainder are licensed. Starbucks is currently the world’s largest coffeehouse chain and ranks 120th on the Fortune 500 and 303rd on the Forbes Global 2000.