These Chicago-Area Starbucks Stores Could Close This Weekend: Update

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — A Starbucks in Buffalo Grove will plan to shut its doors for good Saturday as part of mass closures for the coffee chain and many other stores in the Chicago and suburbs are also expected to close by the end of the weekend.

A sign posted at the store at 1665 N. Buffalo Grove Road announced the closure, the Daily Herald is reporting. The Starbucks has had a long run at the location and has been in business since 2001, Nicole Woods, Buffalo Grove’s community development director, told Patch.

The Starbucks in Glencoe is also among confirmed closures in the Chicago suburbs, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“We’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to close this Starbucks location,” a sign on the Glencoe store read. “We know this may be hard to hear — because this isn’t just any store. It’s your coffeehouse.”

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Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced widespread store closures would be coming, also noting in the letter to employees that about 900 non-retail partner roles will be eliminated and many open positions will be closed. Starbucks has 726 locations in Illinois.

The Seattle coffee giant was expected to notify employees whose positions were being eliminated early on Friday and said that it plans to close an undetermined number of stores in North America in the coming days. Starbucks said Thursday that it expects to end its fiscal year with 18,300 stores in North America, down 124 from last year.

NCB Chicago reviewed store hours for Starbucks stores in the Chicago area and noted that the following stores are listed as "CLOSED" starting this weekend:

• The Starbucks at Barrington & Lakewood in Hoffman Estates
• A store at 799 Butterfield in Lombard
• 95th & Ashland, Chicago
• Jackson & Wells, Chicago
• State & Adams, Chicago
• Millennium Station - Underground
• Halsted & Monroe - Greek Town
• Ridge & Clark, Chicago
• 1730 W Fullerton - Riverpoint
• Chicago & Main, Chicago
• Foster & Sawyer -North Park
• Rush Rubschlager Building in Chicago - 4th Floor
• 1430 W. Taylor in Chicago - University Village
• 120 S. Riverside, Chicago
• North & Damen, Chicago
• North & Clybourn - CTA Station
• 111 E. Chestnut, Chicago
• 55th & Woodlawn in Chicago - Hyde Park

Niccol, a turnaround specialist who was brought to Starbucks a year ago to give the brand a jolt, said in the letter that a review of Starbucks locations revealed that many are falling short of financial performance targets or are failing to create the environment customers expect.

“Each year, we open and close coffeehouses for a variety of reasons, from financial performance to lease expirations,” Niccol wrote. “This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers. Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult.”

Starbucks said it will offer severance and support packages for affected employees.