Business & Tech
Starbucks To Close 250 Stores This Week: What IL Customers Need To Know
The closures come as the company reshapes its store footprint and focuses on locations it says are underperforming.
Starbucks plans to close about 250 coffeehouses across North America later this week, a move expected to affect Illinois customers as the coffee giant continues to reshape its store footprint.
A list of the locations believed to be slated to close was released Friday, KGW8 reported. Two are in Illinois: 480 Houbolt Road in Joliet and 2137 S. Perryville Road in Rockford. On the Starbucks app, the locations are shown as closed after Saturday.
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On Tuesday, Starbucks announced closures involving stores that are not delivering the financial results or customer experience the company expects.
The closures represent about 1 percent of Starbucks' more than 18,000 North American coffeehouses. The company said it expects to continue growing its store count in the region even as it closes underperforming locations.
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According to the data company ScrapeHero, there are over 700 locations in Illinois, accounting for 4 percent of the company's stores.
The move comes about a year after Starbucks closed 627 stores in North America and Europe, including several in Illinois. The company also ended its pickup-only store concept in 2025, affecting 10 Illinois stores and converting some of those locations into traditional coffeehouses.
The company is also continuing a program to renovate its coffeehouses, with about 1,500 locations expected to receive upgrades by the end of its fiscal year.
Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said the company has gained a clearer picture of individual store performance as the renovations have progressed.
“While most are benefiting from this overall momentum, some coffeehouses continue to underperform despite the hard work and commitment of all of you,” Grams said in a letter to employees.
Starbucks said employees at closing locations will be transferred to other stores when possible. Workers who cannot be placed elsewhere will receive severance support.
The company expects the closures to result in about $300 million in restructuring charges, including costs associated with ending leases and employee separation benefits.
AP News contributed to this report.
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