LIVINGSTON -- Some commuters searching for an early-morning caffeine boost Monday were surprised to find the lights dimmed and the drive-thru window empty at the Starbucks off Park Street in Livingston.
The Seattle-based multinational coffee chain brewed its last cup of java in town before suddenly shuttering its doors after nearly three years of operating in a town that is known for its abundance of independent coffee shops.
A sign and message taped to the outside doors at Starbucks reads:
"To our amazing customers, We've made the incredibly difficult decision to close this Starbucks Location. We know this may be hard to hear -- because this isn't just any store. It's your coffeehouse, a place woven into your daily rhythm, where memories were made, and where meaningful connections were made. We're deeply grateful for the community that's been built here. Our commitment to creating welcoming, memorable experiences remains unchanged. We hope you'll visit us at a nearby Starbucks where we'd be honored to continue sharing moments with you."
Management broke the news to the Starbucks workers in Livingston last week and the word started to circulate on social media. The company recently announced it plans to close about 430 Starbucks locations and layoff about 900 employees in the U.S. by the end of the fiscal year, as part of its corporate restructuring plan.
Dubbed the "Back to Starbucks plan," the downsizing initiative is being led by CEO Brian Niccol, the former Chipotle CEO who left to become Starbucks' chief executive in September 2024.
Starbucks revealed its overall company-operated store count in North America is declining by 1% in 2025. The company expects to end the fiscal year with nearly 18,300 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Roughly 20 personnel worked at the Livingston Starbucks, according to corporate store employment statistics from job search site Indeed.com.
"I am happy to see an opportunity for our local small businesses to fill the niche left by a large corporate chain," said Colin Frazier, who co-owns The Gem coffee shop on Lewis Street. "We have a lot of small independent businesses people can go and support. There is literally another option in that same parking lot to get a coffee from a local business. No tears are shed."
"For years we've held steady," said Kris King, executive director of the Livingston Business Improvement District, referencing the multiple mom-and-pop coffee shops in Livingston.
At last count, there are 10 independent coffee-focused businesses in town including Tru North Cafe, Silo Espresso, RX Coffee, The Perk on Park, The Gem, Coffee Crossing, Fireflies Pottery, Coffee & Ice Cream, Coffee Creek Espresso, and Gil's Goods.
King credited Hovie Hawk, a local graphic designer, with kickstarting Sip Local Livingston, a community advertising campaign beckoning visitors and residents to drink local coffee.
"I came up with the idea because I experienced an issue where I came from in Seattle," said Hawk, recalling a Starbucks setting up shop in his neighborhood. "We thought, 'This is cool, Starbucks'. Then small locations started going out of businesses. They couldn't make it when Starbucks came in."
Hawk elaborated on the psychology behind the successful campaign to support locally owned coffee shops.
"At first we thought (Starbucks) is bad, the 'Evil Empire'. That was not the way to go," He said. "It was too negative." In the end, Hawk's campaign, which included postcards and posters bearing the Sip Local slogan, never mentioned Starbucks.
During the campaign Hawk donated his time to Coffee Creek, located in a kiosk in the Albertsons grocery store parking lot bordering the now defunct Livingston Starbucks.
"I donated time to help because I didn't want to see them go out of business," said Hawk.
With a direct view of the coffee giant from her kiosk coffee shop in the neighboring Albertsons grocery store parking lot, Cathy Johnson, who owns Coffee Creek, saw the harbingers of the Livingston Starbucks fate before the writing was on the windows.
"They didn't have an afternoon crew and were closing early the past two to three weeks," said Johnson, adding she observed the Starbucks was closed on Labor Day.
"I was fearful," said Johnson, recalling her business surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and the Yellowstone River flood during the following spring in 2022. "That effected us. Three months later Starbucks moved in."
The biggest thing for me (is) good customer service and quality," she said. "I think competition is a good thing for the market. Locals who were not daily supporters came in just because they wanted to support us. Overall it wasn't a bad thing."