Starbucks Closing 250 More Stores, Laying Off Employees: What To Know In CT

CONNECTICUT —Starbucks locations in Connecticut were on edge as the business week wound down after an announcement that 250 coffeehouses across North America would be closing amid the coffee chain's restructuring strategy known as "Back To Starbucks."

There are more than 150 Starbucks locations in Connecticut.

The latest round of closures is the second significant move in the past year for the chain. Last September, Starbucks closed 627 stores in North America and Europe.

Starbucks has not identified the stores that are shuttering, but in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing this week, the company stated, in total corporate speak, that the stores are "North America coffeehouses that do not deliver the coffeehouse experience and financial performance expected of the brand."

The latest round of closures represents about 1 percent of Starbucks' more than 18,000 North American coffeehouses.

According to Starbucks Locations IQ, there are 152 stores in Connecticut with 72 drive-throughs. That ranks the state count 30th in the United States. There are 4.2 Starbucks per 100,000 residents.

Towns with the most Starbucks in the Nutmeg State are: West Hartford with six; Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford with five; Manchester, Fairfield, Trumbull and Hartford with four; and Enfield and Bridgeport with three.

In a letter to employees this week, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams noted that the company continues to retrofit its North American coffeehouses to make them more inviting. The company expects 1,500 stores will be retrofitted

"This progress has given us a clearer view of the performance of every coffeehouse," Grams stated in the letter. "While most are benefiting from this overall momentum, some coffeehouses continue to underperform despite the hard work and commitment of all of you."

Starbucks said that employees at closing locations will be transferred to other stores when possible. Workers who cannot be placed elsewhere will receive severance support, the company indicated.

According to the SEC filing, the company expects to incur about $300 million in restructuring charges, including costs associated with ending leases and employee separation benefits.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.