LOS ANGELES — A beloved coffee chain is now closing several stores, creating a ripple effect across America for both consumers and employees alike.
For loyal caffeine fiends in the Greater Los Angeles area, the morning ritual just got a bitter twist: Starbucks is closing at least 20 stores in the coming weeks, part of a sweeping national overhaul that’s leaving empty cups and uncertain futures in its wake.
The move, announced amid broader company struggles, hits hard in a city where drive-thru lines and corner coffeehouses are as much a part of the skyline as the Hollywood sign.
Details of the Starbucks Closures
The closures, flagged in an internal review by new CEO Brian Niccol, target spots where Starbucks says it can’t deliver the “physical environment our customers and partners expect” or hit financial targets.
Among the casualties: seven locations along the bustling Wilshire Boulevard corridor, a beloved outpost in Monrovia’s Foothill Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue spot, and another in Redlands at the Citrus Plaza shopping center.
For the Monrovia faithful, the end comes swift—last lattes pour Saturday, September 27, 2025.
Niccol broke the news in a letter to staff, laying it out straight: “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.”
It’s a pragmatic gut-punch from the exec who stepped in earlier this year to steady the ship after sales slumps and union battles rocked the chain.
The human side stings most.
Layoffs Hit Employees as Starbucks Closes Stores Nationwide
Starbucks is scrambling to reassign baristas and shift leads to nearby bustling spots, aiming to soften the blow for the roughly 20 affected LA-area teams.
But the ripple effects go wider.
As part of the restructuring, about 900 non-retail corporate jobs will vanish nationwide, adding to the unease in an industry already pinched by rising costs and shifting tastes.
Local heartbreak bubbled up quick at the Monrovia store, where customer Carrie Sacks stopped by Friday, stunned by the sign on the door.
“I was like there’s no way,” she told ABC7, shaking her head.
Spotting a familiar face behind the counter, she pressed: “I came down, and I saw my friend who works here, and I just said, ‘Are you closing?’ and she said, ‘Yes, we just found out yesterday, and we’re closing on Saturday.'”
For regulars like Sacks, it’s more than a caffeine fix—it’s a neighborhood anchor vanishing overnight.
A Growing Pattern in Retail-America
This isn’t isolated to LA; Starbucks is shuttering hundreds of underperformers across the U.S., a bid to refocus on high-traffic gems and menu tweaks amid slumping sales.
The chain, once a pandemic-era lifeline, has grappled with post-COVID foot traffic dips, labor woes, and competition from indie roasters.
In California alone, where union drives have made headlines, the closures could fan fresh tensions—though Starbucks insists transfers will keep most folks in the fold.
As the sun sets on these spots, Angelenos are left brewing their own reactions: Some vow to boycott, others hunt for that perfect pour-over alternative.
For the workers eyeing new aprons, it’s a forced pivot in a city that never sleeps on ambition.
Starbucks promises a “thoughtful transition,” but in the grind of daily life, that might not taste as bold as it sounds.
This growing pattern in retail-America only seems to be growing.
Time will tell how the retail industry adapts to the economic and business landscape.
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Also Read: What Store Closures Reveal About the U.S. Economy
