Starbucks says that its global headquarters will remain in Seattle. | Photo by Jonathan Maze.
Starbucks will spend $100 million on its new support center in Nashville that is expected to open in 2027 and ultimately house 2,000 workers, the company said on Tuesday.
In a note to the company’s employees, whom it calls partners, Chief Partner Officer Sara Kelly said that the new office will include new roles created to support growth, shifts from contract work to in-house roles and moves of some teams from the company’s Seattle headquarters.
“Many of the roles that will be based in Nashville are directly tied to growth in the South and East, while others represent broader functions where we believe there are benefits from the Nashville location,” Kelly said.
Starbucks plans to relocate some of its technology teams from Seattle to Nashville. The company said that those partners whose roles are being located are being informed of the decision today and Kelly said that the company will “support them as they make the decision on what’s right for them.”
Starbucks and Tennessee state officials announced the planned support center in March. Starbucks will open a temporary office in Nashville while its permanent support center is completed. The support center will be in the Peabody Union development on the Cumberland River near downtown Nashville.
In opening the facility, Starbucks joins a number of restaurant chains that are opening secondary offices or moving headquarters, including In-N-Out, which is moving its headquarters to Tennessee from California.
Starbucks reiterated on Tuesday that it will remain headquartered in Seattle and that’s where the bulk of its corporate workforce will remain. But Kelly in her note argued that the new location provides several key benefits.
“More broadly, our new office in Nashville reflects three key advantages: Proximity to key suppliers, access to a deep and growing talent pool in the region, notably in technology, and alignment with where we expect future coffeehouse growth,” Kelly said. “We are committed to supporting strong in-office cultures across our geographic footprint, which is why intact teams will be based in the same location to maximize collaboration and impact.”
The new office represents the latest, major change for a brand that has undergone a lot of it over the past three years, from corporate reorganizations to new management to store closures.
The company’s sales have started to recover recently as the chain under CEO Brian Niccol has shifted its focus to in-store service, with investments in in-store labor, remodels and technology designed to eliminate backups and speed service.
System sales grew 2.2% in the U.S. in 2025, according to data from Restaurant Business sibling company Technomic, even as the chain closed 0.5% of its domestic locations. Same-store sales in the fourth quarter rose 4%, its best performance since late 2023, when social media boycotts spurred a two-year decline in sales at company shops.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.
