Starbucks Lays Off 224 Seattle Employees in Restructuring

Starbucks is laying off 224 corporate and remote employees from its Seattle headquarters, with separations scheduled to begin in mid-October. The job cuts are the final step in a global corporate restructuring announced in May and are connected to the company's plan to open a new office in Nashville, Tennessee. According to a WARN notice filed on August 20, 2026, the first separations will occur on October 19, 2026, with all layoffs to be completed by November 1, 2026.

The layoffs consist of two groups. One group includes approximately 120 employees from its Seattle support team who declined an offer to relocate to the new Nashville corporate office. The second group comprises 104 employees from the team responsible for designing and developing Starbucks coffeehouses, a reduction linked to organizational changes outlined in the May restructuring plan. Starbucks has clarified that these cuts conclude the previously announced workforce adjustments and do not signal a new round of restructuring.

The move is part of a broader transformation strategy initiated under CEO Brian Niccol, who took over in September 2024. Niccol has promised to cut $2 billion in costs over two years and...