SLO County Starbucks store is closing as company downsizes
At least one San Luis Obispo County Starbucks location announced it is closing within days, amid a nationwide transformation led by the company’s new CEO.
A sign posted in the window of the Starbucks near Trader Joe’s in San Luis Obispo on Friday said the location was expected to close “by the end of this week.”
“We know this may be hard to hear — because this isn’t just any store,” the sign read. “It’s your coffeehouse, a place woven into your daily rhythm, where memories were made, and where meaningful connections with our partners grew over the years. We’re deeply grateful for the community that’s been built here.”
The closure comes as Starbucks is trying to revitalize its business under new CEO Brian Niccol.
“While we’re making good progress, there is much more to do to build a better, stronger and more resilient Starbucks,” Niccol said in a statement Thursday.
During a review of its North America coffeehouse portfolio, several shops were identified as places where the company would be “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 wrote.
In total, the company plans to end the year with about 1% fewer locations than the previous year, when taking into account both closures and new store openings.
Niccol noted that workers at the stores slated to close were expected to be notified this week, and the company was “working hard to offer transfers to nearby locations where possible.”
SLO Starbucks closing: ‘Such a heavy heart’
It was not immediately clear if any other San Luis Obispo County Starbucks locations were among those slated to close.
The company did not release a list of expected location closures with its announcement Thursday, instead telling USA Today that its app would reflect any closures on Sunday.
A public, user-curated Google sheet listing all known Starbucks store closures did not list any other SLO County locations as of Friday, though it did list the coffeehouse at 2430 S. Broadway in Santa Maria among the soon-to-be-shuttered locations.
A request for comment from the company’s San Luis Obispo County district manager was not immediately returned Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile in San Luis Obispo, workers posted a handwritten sign at the front of the store at 3971 South Higuera St., thanking customers for their support through the years.
“To all you wonderful people, it is with such a heavy heart to say ‘good by,’” the sign read. “You all brought our store to life, enriched our Starbucks-family and our hearts. We will miss you all, yours smiles, your company ... everything.”
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 3:06 PM.
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