THE 'BUCKS STOP HERE

1 Houston-area Starbucks to shutter among 250 nationwide

The Tanger Outlets Houston Starbucks will have its final day of operation on September 26.

Photo by ANKUR MADAN on Unsplash

Starbucks is closing a Houston-area locations this week as part of a broader plan to shutter 250 underperforming stores across North America, the company says.

In a September 24 press release, chief operating officer Mike Grams revealed Starbucks would close the coffee shops where the company doesn't "see a path to acceptable financial performance" or locations where the company doesn't believe can "consistently deliver the experience [they] want" for customers and employees.

The Seattle-based coffee chain operates more than 40,000 coffee shops globally, and over 18,000 in North America. The recent closings make up about 1 percent of the total stores operating in North America alone.

Starbucks has not publicly released a list of the locations that will be closing, but an online list has been confirmed by CultureMap's content partner KVUE.

The Tanger Outlets Houston Starbucks at 5885 Gulf Freeway in Texas City is included in the list of closures. The Starbucks store locator indicates affected stores will be closed after Saturday, September 26.

Grams says the company is speaking directly with affected employees and will transfer them to other stores whenever possible. Employees who cannot secure transfers will receive severance support.

Other Starbucks locations in Texas that are set to close include:

Snider Plaza – 6733 Hillcrest Ave., Dallas, 75205
Preston & Alexis – 14760 Preston Rd., Dallas, 75254
6115 Camp Bowie – 6115 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, 76116
Hwy 59 & Miller St. – 202 Loop 59 N., Atlanta, 75551
Loop 360 & Westlake – 3801 N. Capital Of Texas Hwy., Austin, 78746
SR 71 & US 290 – 7015 W. U.S. Hwy. 290, Austin, 78736
N. Bell & 1431 – 1109 N. Bell Blvd., Cedar Park, 78613
S. Home St. & FM 942 – 609 S. Home St., Corrigan, 75939
Main St. & TX-361 – 2975 Main St., Ingleside, 78362
College & 9th – 812 College Ave., Levelland, 79336
Murphy & Blackburn – 6600 Murphy Rd., Sachse, 75048
Wurzbach Rd. & Gardendale St. – 8746 Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, 78240
FM 544 & Hwy 78 – 410 Highway 78, Wylie, 75098

"Every year we close some coffeehouses and open others as part of managing our portfolio," Grams says in the release. "And as we shared previously, we remain excited about the significant long-term growth opportunity ahead in North America."

In May, Starbucks said it would close some U.S. offices, including one in Dallas, and would lay off 300 corporate employees and as part of its ongoing turnaround.

Starbucks has been trying to reduce costs and complexity under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in 2024. Last year, the company laid off 2,000 corporate employees and closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Niccol said last spring that the simplified structure would help the company innovate more quickly.

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This story contains material from the Associated Press.

starbucks closings coffee shop houston

a couple of jerks

Caribbean-spiced Houston fried chicken joint takes off with 2 new locations

Photo by Hungry AF Media

Southern Jerks is known for its Caribbean-spiced chicken and scratch-made sides.

Houston’s Caribbean-spiced fried chicken restaurant is taking flight. Southern Jerks will open two new locations before the end of the year.

They are:

North Houston at 111 Greens Rd
South Park at 12374 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Founded by chef Jabril Riddick and his brother Jordan, Southern Jerks is a fried chicken concept that’s known for its use of Caribbean spices. Alongside its wings and tenders, diners can opt for scratch-made sides such as dirty rice, collard greens, and mac and cheese. Chef Jabril has a long history in Houston, including leading the kitchen at Winsome Prime and creating the menu for Rockhouse Southern Kitchen.

“Houston has embraced Southern Jerks in a way that has allowed us to continue dreaming bigger for this brand,” Jabril Riddick said in a statement. “Opening two new locations is a huge milestone for us, but what makes it even more exciting is being able to bring Southern Jerks into new communities across the city. We want every location to have the same energy, flavor and hospitality our guests have come to expect from us.”

Despite its humble location in a gas station, the restaurant has earned consistent raves. Chris Shepherd featured it in a segment on his TV show Eat Like a Local.

The Greens Rd. location is expected to open in September. South Park will follow in October. Both locations will have more room for dine-in customers, which will enhance the experience compared to Southern Jerks’ current location. More locations are expected to open in the future.

“This isn't just about adding restaurants,” said Riddick. “We're building something that started here in Houston, and we want Southern Jerks to become a brand people across the city — and eventually beyond Houston — know and love.”

Photo by Hungry AF Media

Southern Jerks is known for its Caribbean-spiced chicken and scratch-made sides.

news-you-can-eat openings