5 MA Starbucks Locations Closing, New List Says

MASSACHUSETTS — Five Massachusetts Starbucks locations are set to close, according to a list compiled by FOX 61.

Fox61 dug around online and found workers who shared on Reddit that they were informed their stores were closing. The site then checked on the Starbucks location site which of those stores listed "closed" as their hours for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

This comes as the Seattle coffee giant focuses more of its resources on a turnaround, CEO Brian Niccol wrote in a letter to employees Thursday.

Niccol, who didn’t say in his letter which stores will be shuttered, also said about 900 non-retail partner roles will be eliminated and many open positions will be closed.

Starbucks has almost 300 locations across Massachusetts. The locations set to close include:

• 627 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118
• 1 JFK St., Cambridge, MA 02138
• 260 Elm St., Somerville, MA 02144
• 1662 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138
• 11 First St., Cambridge, MA 02141

The Seattle coffee giant will notify employees whose positions are being eliminated early 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.

• Kids Fruit Pouches Recalled; Were Sold At Major Retailer In MA

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.

Read more on Fox 61.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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