Starbucks is adding momentum to Seattle recovery with its return-to-office plan

Starbucks is ordering its corporate employees to move closer to the city and work in-person four days a week as the coffee giant is the next major Seattle-based company to make employees return to the office.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol recently sent a letter to employees saying that the company will require support center employees and managers to shift from a required three days in office to a minimum of four days in the office starting in the upcoming fiscal year.

This will apply to the company’s Seattle and Toronto support center employees.

In February, the company asked all of its corporate leaders to relocate to Seattle and Toronto offices. Niccol is now extending this requirement to all leadership positions within the company’s support centers. They will be expected to be based in Seattle or Toronto within 12 months.

In Niccol’s letter, he said working in person helps the company strengthen its culture and “turn the business around.”

“We are reestablishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we’re together,” Niccol said in the letter. “We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster.”

Starbucks’ headquarters are located in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood and just under two miles away from the downtown area. The company’s announcement points to a continuing progression of workers returning to Seattle’s commercial area.

This year, Amazon required its Seattle-based workers to return to working in-office five days a week. As a result, the downtown area has seen worker foot traffic reach 66% of June 2019’s daily average, according to data from the Downtown Seattle Association. That is the highest rate of monthly worker foot traffic recovered since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The Center Square previously reported on Niccol being hired as the Starbucks CEO in August 2024, noting that he was not ordered to move to Seattle. At that time, Niccol avoided Washington’s 7% capital gains tax on the sale or exchange of long-term capital assets, such as stocks, bonds and business interests above $270,000.

However, since then, Niccol has both an office and residence in Seattle, according to Starbucks.