Starbucks cuts 252 Seattle HQ jobs

Starbucks filed a Washington state layoff notice on May 18 saying it will cut 252 corporate employees tied to its Seattle support center, adding detail to a broader restructuring the company disclosed last week. The filing covers workers based in Seattle as well as remote employees who report to managers there. The first separations are scheduled for July 17, with the process set to continue through Feb. 1, 2027. Starbucks said earlier this month that it was also eliminating 61 technology roles in Seattle. ### Which jobs are included in the 252-person cut? The May 18 filing covers corporate roles, not baristas or store staff, according to the state notice and local reports on the filing. GeekWire reported that the affected positions include vice presidents, directors, senior managers and other mid-to-senior employees across finance, legal, brand, technology, human resources and operations. (geekwire.com) A Washington Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification said the cuts “will result in the relocation or contracting out of certain of the employer’s operations or the partners’ positions,” according to the filing cited by GeekWire. Washington’s Employment Security Department says its WARN database lists the employer name, location, number of affected workers and the date layoffs take effect. (geekwire.com) ### How does this connect to the layoffs Starbucks announced last week? Starbucks said on May 15 that it was laying off 300 additional corporate employees and closing several regional offices after disclosing the elimination of 61 Seattle technology roles earlier that week. The company said those moves were intended to “further sharpen focus, prioritize work, reduce complexity, and lower costs.” (geekwire.com) The 252-job Seattle filing appears to be part of that previously announced reduction, based on the timing and the company’s description of the broader restructuring. GeekWire reported that layoffs of 300 corporate employees were first reported last week and that the new state filing provided role-by-role detail for the Seattle support center cuts. (geekwire.com) ### Which offices is Starbucks keeping, and which ones is it closing? Starbucks said last week it would close regional offices in Atlanta, Burbank, Chicago and Dallas while keeping its Seattle headquarters and offices in New York, Toronto and Coral Gables, Florida. The company also said it is opening a new office in Nashville. (geekwire.com) Brian Niccol, Starbucks’ chief executive, has tied the restructuring to the company’s “Back to Starbucks” strategy, which the company says is aimed at improving performance and refocusing on coffeehouses and customer service. GeekWire reported that Niccol discussed technology and store-efficiency initiatives on the company’s quarterly earnings call last month. (geekwire.com) ### Is this part of a longer run of corporate cuts at Starbucks? Starbucks cut nearly 2,000 corporate roles last year, according to GeekWire’s reporting on the latest layoffs. The company has not announced new store closures as part of the current round. The Washington notice adds a formal timeline to the latest Seattle-area reductions. (geekwire.com) The state Employment Security Department says WARN filings are published when received and show the effective date of the layoff or closure. Starbucks’ filing lists July 17 as the expected date of the first separations, with all separations to be completed by Feb. 1, 2027. (geekwire.com) ### What should readers watch next? July 17 is the first date listed for separations in Starbucks’ Washington filing, and Feb. 1, 2027 is the completion date cited in the notice. Additional details, including the downloadable WARN notice, are posted through the Washington Employment Security Department’s WARN database. (geekwire.com) (esd.wa.gov)