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Starbucks lays off 200 corporate workers as part of Brian Niccol's turnaround plan

Fox Business • August 20, 2026 • business

Key Points:

Starbucks is laying off over 200 corporate employees as part of its ongoing turnaround strategy initiated by CEO Brian Niccol two years ago, with layoffs expected between October 19 and November 1, 2026.
Approximately 120 layoffs involve support team members who declined relocation from Seattle to Nashville, while 104 cuts result from organizational restructuring announced in May.
The company is building a $100 million regional corporate office in Nashville for about 2,000 employees but will maintain its headquarters in Seattle.
Starbucks is continuing its "third place experience" strategy focused on enhancing coffeehouse ambiance and customer experience, including redesigning store interiors and improving service efficiency.
The layoffs are the final phase of Starbucks' restructuring efforts, which have included closing underperforming stores, cutting 900 non-retail roles last year, and freezing many open positions.

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