Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced last week that the global coffee chain will be closing 1% of its North American locations and cutting about 900 jobs.

This includes more than a dozen stores in Illinois, which have reportedly already shut down for good.

Here's what we know.

Why is Starbucks closing stores?

The specialty coffee chain will close specific locations "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," Niccol said in a memo sent to employees and posted on the Starbucks blog .

The moves are part of the "Back to Starbucks" strategy , instituted by Niccol, the former Chipotle CEO who left to become Starbucks' chief executive in September 2024.

"We’re investing in gre

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