Starbucks keeps shrinking in its own hometown as another downtown Seattle cafe shuts down this weekend
Sep 21, 2026, 8:00 PM
(Jason Rantz)
Starbucks is closing its store at 1700 Seventh Avenue in downtown Seattle this weekend, Seattle Red has learned, the latest in more than a year of shutdowns across the coffee giant’s hometown.
A barista told Jason Rantz and another customer about the closure. The cafe, inside the 1700 Seventh Avenue office tower, is busy throughout the day, and it recently extended its hours later into the evening. Customers who want to stay loyal to the brand will not have to walk far. Another Starbucks about a block and a half away draws its own steady crowds.
Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment from Seattle Red. That leaves an obvious question. Why would a company pull the plug on a crowded store it just gave longer hours?
Another downtown Starbucks goes dark
The company has explained earlier closures only in general terms. When Starbucks confirmed five Seattle closures in March, spokesperson Jaci Anderson offered the company’s rationale in a statement to reporters. “We regularly review how our coffeehouses serve their neighborhoods and if they are meeting customers where they are. Sometimes that means investing in updates or trying new formats,” Anderson said. “Other times, it means making the difficult decision to close a location that no longer fits how people in that community live, work, or gather.”
Those five stores, including locations on First Hill, in the University District and at the Seattle Center Armory, closed in April and put 69 baristas and shift supervisors out of work. In August, the company shut its store at 999 Third Avenue after DocuSign announced plans to leave the tower. Before all of that, a September 2025 restructuring eliminated about 900 jobs and closed at least 28 Washington stores, including the Reserve Roastery on Capitol Hill.
Tension with City Hall
The closures have come with strained relationship between Starbucks and Seattle’s Democratic leadership.
Mayor Katie Wilson called for a Starbucks boycott nine days after winning her race, then later told the New York Times the remarks caused more harm than good. Meanwhile, the company has moved corporate work to a new operations center in Nashville.
Earlier this month, 38 of the region’s largest employers, including Starbucks Chief Executive Brian Niccol, sent Wilson a letter demanding a 100-day public safety plan for the city.
Seattle Red will update this story if Starbucks responds.
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