Starbucks to Lay Off 300 Employees and Close Regional Offices

WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com - The Starbucks coffee chain will be laying off 300 employees at its headquarters in the United States. This is the third wave of layoffs under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brian Niccol.

On Friday (May 15, 2026), the company announced plans to close several regional support offices as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts.

In addition to cutting 300 jobs in the US, Starbucks has begun a review of its international corporate workforce.

The combined costs of severance and office space reassessments will result in restructuring costs of $400 million.

Starbucks expects to record non-cash charges of $280 million related to the impairment of long-term assets and cash charges of $120 million related to the layoffs.

A Starbucks spokesperson said the company is taking further action under the Back to Starbucks strategy.

The international coffee chain is working to build strong business momentum and return the company to sustainable and profitable growth.

“Leaders have carefully reviewed each function to further sharpen focus, prioritize work, reduce complexity, and lower costs,” he said, as quoted by CNBC.

The announcement on Friday marks the third round of Starbucks layoffs since CEO Brian Niccol took over leadership.

In February 2025, Niccol said the company would cut 1,100 jobs and not fill several hundred other open positions.

Seven months later, the company announced another reduction of 900 jobs for non-retail workers as part of a $1 billion restructuring plan.

According to regulatory filing documents, as of September 28, 2025, Starbucks had 9,000 non-retail workers in the US and 5,000 international employees working in regional support roles.

During Niccol’s tenure, the company has launched a costly but effective turnaround effort for its US business.