• Starbucks is laying off 300 corporate employees as part of a restructuring plan.
• The company will close several regional offices while opening a new one in Nashville.
• Estimated costs associated with the layoffs include $120 million in severance pay.
• Starbucks plans to invest $100 million to expand its operations in the Southeast.
• Despite layoffs, the company reported its strongest sales growth in over two years.

Starbucks announced the layoff of approximately 300 corporate employees and plans to close some U.S. regional offices in an ongoing effort to achieve "durable, profitable growth." The layoffs primarily affect support functions such as marketing and human resources and do not include coffeehouse staff, according to latimes, reuters, and indiatimes.

The company plans to consolidate several regional offices, particularly in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas. Starbucks is also reviewing its international operations, signaling that job cuts may extend beyond the U.S., according to reuters and indiatimes.

Starbucks is expecting to incur approximately $400 million in restructuring charges, with about $120 million allocated for severance benefits for the affected employees. This is part of a broader strategy to reduce complexity, lower costs, and sharpen the focus on its core operations, latimes, reuters, and indiatimes report.

Despite these layoffs, Starbucks recently reported its strongest sales growth in over two years, which the company's executives view as a milestone in its turnaround strategy. CEO Brian Niccol noted that the restructuring will ultimately lead to a healthier cost structure that supports profitable growth, according to reuters, latimes, and indiatimes.