In a Sept. 25 news release, Brian Niccol, the chairman and CEO of Starbucks, announced the closure of hundreds of Starbucks locations across the country, including seven in the Houston area.
What’s happening?
In the release, Niccol stated Starbucks is closing locations that failed to succeed financially or create an environment “up to company standards.”
Here are the seven locations being affected in the Greater Houston area, based on reporting from Community Impact and Starbucks’ website:
- 2101 Smith St., Houston
- 1515 Studemont St., Houston
- 3407 Montrose Blvd., Houston
- 5535 Memorial Drive, Houston
- 5115 Buffalo Speedway, Houston
- 14333 Westheimer Road, Houston
- 4721 Hwy. 6 S., Missouri City
More details
Niccol said Starbucks locations in North America are expected to decline by 1%, and the company will end the fiscal year with nearly 18,300 storefronts.
The news release also stated that approximately 900 current non-retail positions will be eliminated as a part of the company’s plan to “carefully manage costs and stay focused on the key areas that drive long-term growth.”
What’s next
According to the release, the company has notified employees who are affected by the closures and will offer transfers to nearby locations when possible. While the timeline for closures varies, a Starbucks representative confirmed the website is now up to date with hours and locations.
“For those we can’t immediately place, we’re focused on partner care, including comprehensive severance packages,” Nichols said. “We also hope to welcome many of these partners back to Starbucks in the future as new coffeehouses open and the number of partners in each location grows.”
