Starbucks has eliminated 61 corporate technology roles at its Seattle headquarters as the coffee chain continues a broader restructuring and operational turnaround under chief executive, Brian Niccol. The layoffs were disclosed through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing dated 7 May.
According to reports, the first employee separations are expected to begin on 20 June, while all affected roles will be eliminated by 28 August, 2026.
The company clarified that the latest workforce reduction is separate from previously announced plans to relocate certain technology positions from Seattle to a new office in Nashville, Tennessee.
The cuts come as Starbucks intensifies efforts to streamline operations, improve efficiency and strengthen profitability following a period of slowing growth and operational challenges.
Since taking over as CEO, Niccol has focused heavily on improving customer experience across stores, including reducing wait times, improving service consistency and strengthening operational execution. The company has also been reassessing costs and restructuring parts of its corporate organisation as part of the turnaround strategy.
Over the past year, Starbucks has already reduced corporate headcount, closed underperforming stores and reorganised sections of its support and supply chain operations. Last year, the company laid off nearly 1,100 corporate employees as part of earlier restructuring initiatives.
The latest technology layoffs also come months after Starbucks appointed Anand Varadarajan as chief technology officer. Varadarajan joined the company from Amazon and succeeded Deb Hall Lefevre, former CTO.
Despite the workforce reduction, technology continues to remain central to Starbucks’ operations. The company relies heavily on digital systems for mobile ordering, loyalty programmes, payments, inventory management, workforce scheduling and supply-chain coordination.
Starbucks is also expanding its operational footprint in Nashville, where it is developing a supply chain-focused office aimed at improving backend logistics and operational efficiency.
