Skip to content
NOWCAST WLKY News at Noon
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Starbucks to lay off 300 US corporate workers and close regional offices

Starbucks to lay off 300 US corporate workers and close regional offices
SAYING TONIGHT. MASSACHUSETTS KNOWS ALL TOO WELL. AMERICA RUNS ON DUNKIN. DUNKIN FROM CELEBRITY STAMPS OF APPROVAL TO EVERYDAY ROUTINES A FEW TIMES A WEEK FOR SURE. A DUNKS ICED DRINK IS PART OF DAILY LIFE HERE, BUT NOW IT’S IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF HEALTH SECRETARY ROBERT F KENNEDY JR, WHO DOUBLED DOWN ON HIS MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN CAMPAIGN IN TEXAS LAST WEEK. WE’RE GOING TO ASK A DUNKIN DONUTS AND STARBUCKS, SHOW US THE SAFETY DATA THAT SHOW THAT IT’S OKAY FOR A TEENAGE GIRL, DRINK AN ICED COFFEE WITH 115G OF SUGAR IN IT. THE SECRETARY IS CALLING FOR RESTRICTIONS ON DUNKIN DRINKS AS HE WORKS TO REGULATE INGREDIENTS IN THE AMERICAN DIET. IT’S LIKE THE FREQUENCY THAT MATTERS MORE. TUFTS DIETITIAN SANDRA ZHANG SAYS. THE RECOMMENDED DAILY SUGAR INTAKE IS 50G. MANY SUGARY DRINKS, INCLUDING SPECIALTY COFFEES, HAVE MORE. I USUALLY RECOMMEND IS MAYBE ONCE PER WEEK, AND WE CAN EDUCATE PEOPLE OR TEENAGERS ON SMART ORDERING, MAYBE HOW TO LOOK FOR NUTRITION LABELS OF THESE DRINKS. IF YOU WANT TO TRACK HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN YOUR LARGE ICED COFFEE, YOU CAN DO IT ON THE DUNKIN WEBSITE. JUST SELECT WHAT TYPE OF COFFEE YOU GOT. SCROLL DOWN AND AS YOU SEE, MINE HAS 66G OF SUGAR. I THINK WE HAVE GREATER ISSUES WITH LIKE FOOD DESERTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE CAUSING OBESITY OR WEIGHT GAIN ISSUES. I DON’T THINK DUNKIN HAVING SUGARY DRINKS IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. HE’S MICRO FOCUSING, WHICH IS THE WORST WAY TO DO IT, BECAUSE IT JUST SHUTS PEOPLE OFF TO CHANGE, PERIOD. GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY, TAKING TO X RESPONDING TO RFK JR POSTING A VERSION OF THE TEXAS COME AND TAKE IT FLAG WITH AN ICE DUNKIN DRINK INSTEAD OF THE CANON, NEWSCENTER 5 HAS REACHED OUT TO DUNKIN FOR COMMENT. WE ARE WAITING ON THE COMPANY’S RESP
AP logo
Updated: 12:24 PM EDT May 15, 2026
Editorial Standards
Advertisement
Starbucks to lay off 300 US corporate workers and close regional offices
AP logo
Updated: 12:24 PM EDT May 15, 2026
Editorial Standards
Starbucks said Friday it’s laying off 300 corporate employees and closing some U.S. offices as part of its ongoing turnaround.Related video above: RFK Jr. demands Dunkin', Starbucks to prove drinks are 'safe'No coffeehouse employees are affected, the company said. The cuts will impact employees in support functions like marketing, human resources and supply chain management. No international employees are affected for now, but Starbucks said it is also reviewing its corporate structure outside the U.S.Starbucks said it’s also closing underused offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and other cities. The Seattle-based company recently announced that it's opening a corporate office in Nashville, Tennessee, that will employ up to 2,000 people within five years.Starbucks expects to the moves to result in $400 million in restructuring charges, including $120 million in employee separation benefits.Starbucks has been trying to reduce costs and complexity under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in 2024. Last year, the company laid off 2,000 corporate employees and closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe.Niccol said last month that the simplified structure is helping the company innovate more quickly. Starbucks is also investing in its remaining stores to improve customers' experience. It plans to redesign 1,000 U.S. stores this year to give them a cozier, more comfortable feel, and it's also hiring baristas to ensure faster service during busy times.The efforts appear to be paying off. In the January-March period, Starbucks said its U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, jumped 7%. Niccol called the quarter “the turn in our turnaround.”“Our focus now is on sustaining our momentum and making our results repeatable and durable, all while delivering a healthy cost structure that supports profitable growth,” Niccol said during a conference call with investors. “It’s how we turn progress into consistent results.”

Starbucks said Friday it’s laying off 300 corporate employees and closing some U.S. offices as part of its ongoing turnaround.

Related video above: RFK Jr. demands Dunkin', Starbucks to prove drinks are 'safe'

Advertisement

No coffeehouse employees are affected, the company said. The cuts will impact employees in support functions like marketing, human resources and supply chain management. No international employees are affected for now, but Starbucks said it is also reviewing its corporate structure outside the U.S.

Starbucks said it’s also closing underused offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and other cities. The Seattle-based company recently announced that it's opening a corporate office in Nashville, Tennessee, that will employ up to 2,000 people within five years.

Starbucks expects to the moves to result in $400 million in restructuring charges, including $120 million in employee separation benefits.

Starbucks has been trying to reduce costs and complexity under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in 2024. Last year, the company laid off 2,000 corporate employees and closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Niccol said last month that the simplified structure is helping the company innovate more quickly. Starbucks is also investing in its remaining stores to improve customers' experience. It plans to redesign 1,000 U.S. stores this year to give them a cozier, more comfortable feel, and it's also hiring baristas to ensure faster service during busy times.

The efforts appear to be paying off. In the January-March period, Starbucks said its U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, jumped 7%. Niccol called the quarter “the turn in our turnaround.”

“Our focus now is on sustaining our momentum and making our results repeatable and durable, all while delivering a healthy cost structure that supports profitable growth,” Niccol said during a conference call with investors. “It’s how we turn progress into consistent results.”


Weather Information

FEELS LIKE
RADAR TRAFFIC
Sponsored by
X
Make WLKY a preferred source on Google