AP Photo/David Zalubowski
The Starbucks sign sits on the curb in front of a Safeway grocery store as a worker toils to take down the sign’s hardware after the location was closed Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Wheat Ridge, Colo.
At least five Starbucks locations across Houston appear to be closing after this weekend as part of nationwide job cuts and store closures that were announced Thursday.
As many as hundreds of coffee shops and an additional 900 support positions are being eliminated by Seattle-based Starbucks across the U.S. and Canada, according to the Starbucks Workers United labor union, which represents unionized employees at three stores in the Houston area, none of which appear to be closing.
According to the Starbucks website, at least five locations appear to be closing, with their hours stating “closed” after this weekend. Those locations are:
- 3407 Montrose Blvd.
- 2101 Smith St.
- 1515 Studemont St.
- 5535 Memorial Dr.
- 5115 Buffalo Speedway
“Partners in coffeehouses scheduled to close will be notified this week,” Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement. “We’re working hard to offer transfers to nearby locations where possible and will move quickly to help partners understand what opportunities might be available to them.”
Starbucks Workers United represents employees at three Houston-area locations — at 6400 Fannin St. in the Texas Medical Center; 2801 S. Shepherd Dr.; and 30130 Rock Creek Dr. in Kingwood — none of which appear to be closing, according to Starbucks’s website. Starbucks Workers United told Houston Public Media it could not share whether or not these locations would also be affected by layoffs even if they remain open.
“This announcement makes it clear things are only going Backwards at Starbucks under Brian Niccol’s leadership,” Starbucks Workers United wrote in a statement. “Yet again, we’re experiencing new policies and major decisions being made with zero barista input.”