Starbucks to cut 224 corporate jobs, including staff who declined relocation to Nashville
Starbucks announced layoffs of 224 corporate employees, covering a design team and workers who refused relocation offers to a new Nashville office, as part of a restructuring that began in May.
Starbucks will eliminate 224 corporate positions across its Seattle headquarters and remote roles, with cuts scheduled to begin on Oct. 19 and be completed by Nov. 1. The reductions include 120 employees who declined offers to move to a new corporate office in Nashville and 104 staff from the team that designs and builds the company’s stores. The layoffs conclude a global restructuring effort announced in May that initially targeted 252 corporate jobs.
The company said the design-and-development cuts follow a leadership change tied to its "Back to Starbucks" plan, which aims to refresh the coffeehouse experience and shorten customer wait times. In April, former Chipotle executive Stephen Piacentini was appointed chief coffeehouse design and development officer to oversee shop renovations.
Starbucks has been pursuing cost-saving measures outlined by CEO Brian Niccol, who in January pledged $2 billion in cuts over two years. The firm also announced plans in March to open a new Nashville office for up to 2,000 employees, while maintaining its Seattle headquarters. Tennessee offered $30 million in incentives, and Starbucks committed to bring roughly $250 million in annual salaries and $100 million in office leases to the city over five years. A company spokesperson declined to disclose how many Seattle staff will relocate.
State officials have noted that the Nashville move and recent layoffs raise questions about the company’s long-term presence in Washington.