Starbucks Closing Brooklyn Stores As Part Of Nationwide Cutbacks: Reports

BROOKLYN, NY — Several Starbucks locations in New York may be on the chopping block as the coffee chain shifts its focus toward a company-wide restructuring effort, the company’s CEO recently told employees.

In his letter to employees, CEO Brian Niccol did not name specific store closures but said approximately 900 roles would be eliminated and many vacant positions would be closed. The ongoing review, he added, aims to ensure that every Starbucks location offers a “warm and welcoming space.”

The company said employees whose roles are being eliminated will be notified starting Friday, and that it plans to shutter an undetermined number of North American stores in the coming days. Starbucks projects it will close the fiscal year with 18,300 stores across the continent — 124 fewer than the previous year.

Over the weekend, a public Google document began circulating online listing stores reportedly slated for closure. While reports indicate some of the stores slated for closure are unionized, a Starbucks spokesperson maintained that union status did not influence the decision-making process.

Several Brooklyn Starbucks locations are included among the projected shutdowns, as detailed below.

• 395 Flatbush Ave.
• 309 Gold St.
• 45 Hoyt St.
• 3 Flushing Ave.
• 625 Atlantic Ave.
• 578 Atlantic Ave.
• 969 First Ave.

This announcement comes months after the Starbucks café at 166 7th Ave. in Park Slope closed earlier this year.

"I know these decisions impact our partners and their families, and we did not make them lightly," Niccol said. "I believe these steps are necessary to build a better, stronger, and more resilient Starbucks that deepens its impact on the world and creates more opportunities for our partners, suppliers, and the communities we serve."

In an open statement, Starbucks Workers United — a union affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — criticized the company for its lack of transparency. "Yet again, we’re experiencing new policies and major decisions being made with zero barista input," the union said.

Workers United also announced it is sending a formal request to Starbucks for detailed information about the planned closures. "We expect to engage in effects bargaining for every impacted union store, as we have done elsewhere, so workers can be placed in another Starbucks store according to their preferences," the statement added.

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