Starbucks laid off 69 workers after its recently announced closures of five Seattle stores, according to a state filing.

The closures, announced this month, impact stores on First Hill, in the University District, in the Seattle Center Armory, in Seattle Children’s hospital and in the Metropolitan Park East building downtown.

These choices are never easy — especially here at home — but they’re an important part of focusing on what we do best and delivering on our Back to Starbucks strategy," Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said Monday.

The Seattle-based coffee giant didn't respond to a request for comment about if any other stores are slated to close.

Workers at four of the five stores belong to Starbucks Workers United, the union representing thousands of baristas, per the worker adjustment and retraining notification.

Starbucks Workers United reiterated its stance on the store closures Monday, saying: "We know Starbucks doesn’t work without baristas. We make the drinks, take the orders, clean the spills, and build relationships with customers.

The union status of the individual stores wasn't a factor in the decision-making process, Anderson said Monday.

The layoffs, effective March 29, hit baristas and shift supervisors. The company gave the employees 30 days notice about the closures, Anderson said.

The company made the effort to transfer employees to nearby locations when possible, but there weren't opportunities available, Anderson said. It also offered severance packages, she added.

The First Hill store, 1101 Madison St., shuttered on Sunday, according to the filing. A Seattle Children's Hospital site, 4800 Sand Point Way N.E., will close Friday. That will leave one Starbucks coffeehouse to serve the hospital.

The other three — Metropolitan Park East, 1730 Minor Ave.; Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; University District, 4147 University Way N.E. — are scheduled to lock their doors for good on April 5.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has reshaped the company over the past year.

The most recent development is tied to a decision to build a corporate operations office in Tennessee, which is 250,000-square-feet and large enough for 2,000 people. The move has raised concerns about the company's commitment to Seattle.

However, the company confirmed there are no plans to move its headquarters out of Seattle.

Last year saw a slew of store closures, with hundreds of stores around North America shuttered. Those included more than 30 Washington locations — Seattle’s Reserve Roastery on Capitol Hill and Reserve store in Sodo among them.

Layoffs also hit the company last year, with 974 employees — both retail and nonretail workers — who lost their jobs in Seattle and Kent. Local store closures led to the layoffs of 369 retail employees across Washington after a separate round in February 2025, in which 1,100 corporate employees were laid off.

Starbucks and the union have gone head to head since the fall. Baristas at more than 200 coffeehouses around the U.S. went on strike in November, pushing for more hours, a bump for take-home pay and the resolution of labor law violations. Most of the striking workers returned to their jobs in December, and union contract bargaining is at a standstill.

The University District store was a focal point in the protest against stalled negotiations. Now, it will be close within the week.

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