Starbucks Closing 25 Manhattan Stores, Two in Chelsea
The closures are part of a nationwide downsizing conducted by Starbucks. A total of 25 stores will close in Manhattan, including two in Chelsea & Hell’s Kitchen.
Starbucks is closing 35 stores in NYC, including 25 in Manhattan, as part of a broader nationwide downsizing. This should still leave over 160 stores remaining in the borough, as per a recent latest census of stores. Granular layoff figures for retail stores in Manhattan are not yet publicly available.
A total of two of these closures will affect Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. Brooklyn and Queens will see comparatively fewer closures compared to Manhattan.
Specifically, Manhattan stores at the following locations will be closed: 330 W. 34th St., 219 First Ave., 111 University Place, 145 Third Ave, 140 West St., 750 Sixth Ave., 510 Sixth Ave., 372 Greenwich St., 444 Broadway, 405 Broadway, 230 Varick St., 393 Third Ave., 261 Fifth Ave., 360 Lexington Ave., 871 Eighth Ave., 156 W. 52nd St., 969 First Ave., 11 E. 59th St., 159 Columbus Ave., 2252 Broadway, 284 Saint Nicholas Ave., 1488 Third Ave., 550 W. 145th St., 2045 Broadway, and 245 E. 80th St.
According to PIX11, some of the stores listed above will be closing “immediately,” including: 969 First Ave., 372 Greenwich St., 444 Broadway, 405 Broadway, 284 Saint Nicholas Ave., 1488 Third Ave., 156 W. 52nd St., and 2045 Broadway. Indeed, it appears that these stores have completely ceased operations as of Monday, September 29.
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol issued a long statement about the downsizing. “Our goal is for every coffeehouse to deliver a warm and welcoming space with a great atmosphere and a seat for every occasion,” he said.
“During the review, we identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed,” he added. Niccol noted that Starbucks would still be operating a whopping 18,300 stores nationwide by the end of the fiscal year.
”“I know these decisions impact our partners and their families, and we did not make them lightly,” Niccol concluded. He says that some retail employees may transfer to nearby stores. He also clarified that Starbucks is looking to revamp its menu, redesign store interiors to encourage customers to stick around, and invest in equipment.
The store will also be laying off about 900 corporate employees nationwide, with Niccol clarifying that “will offer generous severance and support packages including benefits extensions.”
It appears that flagship unionized stores, such as The Roastery on 9th Ave., will be spared; however, other unionized stores such as 444 Broadway are included in the closure announcement.
The closure announcements follows other high-profile shutterings of Starbucks’s Manhattan locations in recent years. Namely, in 2024, the coffee chain’s unionized Astor Place shop closed after 30 years in business, reportedly after a rent increase. The shop’s 17 employees were not laid off, and instead transferred to other unspecified locations. It’s unclear if any of them have been caught up in the freshest batch of closures.
In 2023, Starbucks closed multiple stores in the West Village, as well as stores on Park Avenue and Seventh Ave.