Starbucks Announces Closure of Five Seattle Cafes, Including Unionized Locations
Starbucks has confirmed plans to close five cafes in its hometown of Seattle next month, a move that includes four recently unionized locations. This decision has intensified existing tensions between the global coffee giant and organized baristas, as labor unrest continues to spread across the chain's operations nationwide.
Union Response and Accusations of Unfair Practices
Starbucks Workers United, representing over 600 unionized stores across the United States, has strongly criticized the closures. Baristas at several of the affected locations recently staged a strike, protesting what they described as unfair labor practices by the company.
The union has accused Starbucks of specifically targeting workers who have been advocating for improved conditions. 'If you think you can crush a movement by closing a building, you're wrong,' a union spokesperson stated, highlighting the ongoing conflict.
This latest round of closures follows Starbucks' shutdown of approximately 400 stores in the US last year, which included 59 unionized locations. The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge and plans to formally challenge these new closures.
Affected Locations and Corporate Strategy
The stores scheduled for closure include locations on Madison Street, University Way NE, Seattle Center, and at Seattle Children's Hospital. A fifth non-union cafe in downtown Seattle will also shut its doors.
Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson explained that the decision, while difficult, is part of the company's 'Back to Starbucks' strategy implemented under CEO Brian Niccol. This approach aims to restore the brand's identity as a welcoming community coffeehouse rather than a purely transactional pickup spot.
'We regularly review how our coffeehouses serve their neighborhoods,' Anderson said. 'Sometimes that means investing in updates or trying new formats. Other times, it means making the difficult decision to close a location that no longer fits how people in that community live, work, or gather.'
CEO Criticism and Corporate Restructuring
The union has directed particular criticism toward CEO Brian Niccol, who assumed the role in September 2024. Activists have accused him of overseeing store closures and job cuts while reportedly commuting via private jet.
'Brian Niccol is yet again upending the lives of employees and disrupting customers with no notice or justification while commuting on a private jet and enjoying one of the highest CEO-to-worker pay gaps,' a union spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
These closures occur as Starbucks undergoes significant restructuring under Niccol's leadership, including job reductions and the closure of underperforming cafes as part of a broader turnaround plan.
Broader Corporate Moves and Community Impact
The union has argued that Starbucks is 'failing its hometown' of Seattle, pointing to recent layoffs of thousands of corporate employees, the opening of a new corporate office in Nashville, Tennessee, and the closure of flagship Seattle locations like the Reserve Roastery in Capitol Hill in September 2025.
Starbucks maintains that its commitment to collective bargaining remains intact and notes that hourly employees earn an average of $30 per hour in wages and benefits, even when working as little as 20 hours weekly.
Workers United has demanded that affected baristas be offered transfers or severance packages and has vowed that its members will continue fighting for their rights. 'We know Starbucks doesn't work without baristas. We make the drinks, take the orders, clean the spills, and build relationships with customers,' the union stated.
'Thousands of baristas are organizing together, united in their union, to demand a better future at Starbucks.'
