A Starbucks location at Blackstone and Barstow avenues was closed last week, one of nearly half a dozen local stores on the chopping block. Photo by Ben Hensley, Illustrative text by Cecilia Lopez

At least five Central Valley Starbucks locations closed last week, part of the latest national cuts by the coffee mega-retailer.

Starbucks Coffee Co. is closing an estimated 500 locations and laying off about 900 nonretail employees as part of a turnaround plan. The company plans to spend $1 billion on the restructuring, including $150 million on employee separation benefits and $850 million in real estate costs, including exiting leases.

A note on the door at the Starbucks near Blackstone and Barstow avenues in Fresno informed customers of the closure.

“We know this may be hard to hear — because this isn’t just any store,” the note said. “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.”

There are four locations closing in Fresno and one each in Visalia and Kettleman City that have already been taken off Google search and the Starbucks store locator:

4116 N. West Ave., Fresno

5347 N. Blackstone Ave., Fresno

6740 N Blackstone Ave., Fresno

3927 W. Caldwell Ave., Visalia

33300 Bernard Drive, Kettleman City

This also includes the 1286 N Peach Ave. Fresno location which only opened a year ago. It was the only drive-thru only Starbucks location in Fresno. 

“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,” CEO and Chairman Brian Niccol said in a memo sent to employees. “Our coffee houses are centers of the community and closing any location is difficult”. 

Niccol added that they plan to end the 2025 fiscal year with 18,300 locations across the U.S. and Canada. The amount of locations will decline about 1% in the next fiscal year. 

Starbucks said that they plan on relocating as many retail employees, known as “partners,” as they can. The others will receive separation benefits. The company plans to eliminate about 900 non-retail employee roles and close many open positions. 

“To those partners who will be leaving, I want to say a profound thank you. To those continuing on our turnaround journey, I deeply appreciate your commitment to helping us get back to Starbucks,”Niccol wrote in the employee memo.