Starbucks has announced plans to close some of its UK cafés as part of a wider restructuring strategy that will also result in hundreds of job losses worldwide.
The company has not specified how many UK branches will be affected but confirmed it has begun a consultation process with employees.
In Britain, Starbucks operates about 520 company-owned outlets alongside nearly 900 franchise locations.
The closures form part of a wider review under which Starbucks will shut about 1% of its North American outlets this year, including its flagship Reserve Roastery in Seattle, and eliminate around 900 corporate roles.
This follows the loss of 1,100 global corporate positions in February, part of the company’s drive to “simplify” its operations.
In a blog post, Starbucks chief executive Brian Niccol said the changes were essential to building “a better, stronger and more resilient Starbucks.”
He added: “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.”
Niccol, credited with reviving Chipotle’s performance, was appointed last year to tackle a 3% dip in Starbucks’ global sales.
Since then, he has rolled out a broader restructuring programme called “Back to Starbucks”, which includes simplifying the drinks menu, reinstating the practice of baristas hand-writing customer names on cups instead of using printed labels, and focusing on making cafés more welcoming places to spend time.
Other initiatives introduced last year included scrapping the surcharge for non-dairy milk in the US and Canada. The company has also announced plans to close or convert all of its pickup-only locations within the next year.
Starbucks remains the world’s largest branded coffee chain, operating more than 39,000 stores globally.