Part 1/11:

The Reinvention of Starbucks: From Expansion to Connection

A Closer Look at the Coffee Giant’s Troubles

As a proud Bostonian who relies heavily on his local Dunkin’, I wasn’t initially alarmed by the news of Starbucks closing some stores in the city. But as the closures multiplied—nine stores in Boston alone were flagged for shutdown in September—my curiosity grew. It wasn’t just a local issue; across North America, roughly 1% of Starbucks’ company-operated outlets have been shuttered by the end of its 2025 fiscal year. While that might seem like a routine contraction, it signals a much larger shift.