Starbucks Closed Two Santa Monica Locations

The coffee chain shuttered shops at 1030 Wilshire Boulevard and 2901 Main Street as part of a national restructuring.

Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Isometric editorial illustration showing a ceramic coffee cup placed atop a stack of architectural blocks, representing corporate restructuring. — Starbucks permanently closed two Santa Monica locations as part of a national strategy to shutter 250 underperforming cafes across North America. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Starbucks permanently closed its coffeehouses at 1030 Wilshire Boulevard and 2901 Main Street on September 26, 2026. These closures are part of a broader corporate strategy to eliminate underperforming locations across North America.

Why it matters

The company aims to redirect capital toward remodeling existing cafes and pursuing international growth. This shift follows an effort to move away from locations that fail to deliver consistent customer experiences or acceptable financial performance.

The company has allocated $300 million for restructuring charges, including $200 million for lease exits and severance costs and $100 million for asset write-offs. This restructuring plan includes the closure of 250 North American store locations.

The players

Starbucks

Starbucks is a global coffeehouse chain headquartered in Seattle that operates thousands of retail locations worldwide.

The details

Starbucks is executing a strategy that includes the closure of 250 North American stores and plans to upgrade approximately 1,500 existing cafes. The company also reduced its global net new store opening target from a range of 600-650 down to approximately 440 stores.

September 2025: The board authorized a $1 billion restructuring plan.
September 22, 2026: The company board approved $300 million in restructuring charges.
September 24, 2026: Starbucks published a Form 8-K detailing the restructuring costs.
September 26, 2026: The locations at 1030 Wilshire Boulevard and 2901 Main Street closed.

Market Landscape

This move reflects a broader industry shift as established retailers prioritize operational efficiency and asset optimization over rapid physical expansion. Starbucks is increasingly focusing its competitive efforts on modernizing its existing footprint rather than simply increasing store count.

Local customers will need to seek alternative nearby locations for their daily coffee routines following the permanent closure of the Wilshire Boulevard and Main Street shops. These changes reflect a company-wide strategy that may result in fewer total accessible locations for regular patrons.

The takeaway

Retailers are currently prioritizing financial performance metrics over total store count to ensure long-term stability. Customers should anticipate potential shifts in store availability as brands undergo large-scale consolidation and modernization efforts.