Starbucks Just Announced It's Closing Nearly 100 Stores

Key Points

• Starbucks is closing all of its Pick Up store locations as part of its “Back to Starbucks” strategy.

• The company is revamping some Pick Up locations to focus on a warmer, in-store coffeehouse atmosphere.

If your morning routine includes placing a mobile order at Starbucks, you might notice some changes soon. During a recent earnings call, Starbucks chairman and CEO Brian Niccol announced that the company is planning to close several stores as a part of its “Back to Starbucks” strategy.

This strategy focuses on revitalizing Starbucks as a coffee shop, with the brand pushing to bring back an old-school in-store experience. This includes “the return of the condiment bar, writing on cups, more ceramic mugs, and a revised code of conduct,” according to Niccol.

The silver lining is that Starbucks isn’t closing its regular cafés—only the grab-and-go Pick Up shops for mobile orders will be impacted.

Starbucks Is Phasing Out All Pick Up Stores

Some Pick Up shops are just exterior windows, some have drive-thrus, and some are stores without furniture. Regardless, the stores were designed for quick and efficient ordering and pick up, eliminating the cozy seating area the coffee chain was once known for. Now, the company is trying to go back to its roots.

According to Niccol, the Back to Starbucks strategy is grounded in customer and partner feedback with a strong focus on creating a warm and welcoming coffee shop experience where people can hang out and enjoy their drinks. The closing of the Pick Up shops, which first opened in 2019, is one way Starbucks is bringing that strategy to life.

“We found the [Pick Up Store] format to be overly transactional and lacking the warmth and human connection that defines our brand,” said Niccol in the call. “We have a strong digital offering and believe we can deliver the same level of convenience through our community coffeehouses with a superior mobile order and pay experience.”

According to the Starbucks website, there are 96 Pick Up shops, and all of them are shuttering their windows in the 2026 fiscal year. There were no details on exact closing times for the locations, but several may reopen as part of the ongoing “Coffeehouse Uplift Program.”

In this program, Starbucks will allocate $150,000 per store to “replace thousands of seats we removed and introduce greater texture, warmth, and layered design.” Niccol shared that by the end of the year, at least 1,000 "uplifts" will be completed across the country, starting in New York City and Southern California.

More changes are coming down the pipeline at Starbucks later this year and in early 2026. The chain will be introducing Protein Cold Foam in a few months. According to Niccol, “Protein Cold Foam with no added sugar is an easy way to add 15 grams of protein to virtually any cold beverage.” Plus, customers can customize the foam by adding a flavor of their choice.

Early next year, the brand will launch a “reimagined artisanal baked case” and a “bold new 1971 dark roast coffee.” Coconut water-based tea and coffee drinks will be tested in select markets, and further testing will focus on gluten-free and high-protein options.

There are a lot of changes going on at the beloved coffee chain, but they seem to be pretty positive so far. And even though several locations are closing, many will be open again in due time. If you’ve become accustomed to mobile ordering, do not fret. Mobile ordering isn't exactly going away—there might just be more chairs and couches around when you pick up your order.

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