Starbucks Red Cup Day returns as workers protest. Will Raleigh stores be closed?
Starbucks’ Red Cup Day is back ahead of the holidays. However, a planned nationwide strike by union baristas could impact the coffeehouse’s busiest day of the year.
This year’s giveaway is Thursday, Nov. 13, and customers can snag a free reusable red cup when they order any handcrafted holiday drink at participating Starbucks stores nationwide, the coffee giant said in a news release.
That same day, thousands of union baristas will walk off the job amid an ongoing push for a fair contract with the Washington-based coffee company. Starbucks Workers United, which represents workers at roughly 600 stores nationwide, is demanding Starbucks address understaffing, employee wages and other issues.
“After months of stonewalling by Starbucks, unionized baristas just voted 92% to authorize a ULP strike unless $SBUX finalizes fair contracts & stops union busting,” the union wrote on X.
The Raleigh News & Observer reached out to Starbucks Workers United for more information Wednesday, Nov. 12 and was awaiting a response.
Employees plan to strike in dozens of cities — but what about in the Raleigh area?
Here’s what to know ahead of Red Cup Day 2025.
Will Raleigh-area stores be affected by the strike?
Of the more than 50 Starbucks coffeehouses in and around the Raleigh metro, three are unionized. Statewide, there are seven union-led stores, per the SBWU website:
- 100 E Franklin Street in Chapel Hill
- 6813 Fayetteville Road in Durham
- 1101 Pine Plaza Drive in Apex
- 4401 Ramsey Street in Fayetteville
- 7201 Market Street in Wilmington
- 1700 Blowing Rock Rd in Boone
- 1921A US-421 in Wilkesboro
However, at least two have no plans to take part in the strike Thursday and will operate as normal, The N&O confirmed by calling the Chapel Hill and Apex locations. The unionized Durham location didn’t immediately return The N&O’s request for comment.
The nationwide walkout comes just months after baristas at the Starbucks store in Chapel Hill voted to unionize. Workers held a brief strike on Monday, June 16 and penned a letter to Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol highlighting issues with “unpredictable hours, reduced raises and safety concerns,” The N&O reported.
It’s unclear if any non-union Starbucks stores plan to participate in the Nov. 13 protest.
Either way, Starbucks said it expects Red Cup Day to go on uninterrupted.
“Our customers can be assured that our partners will be ready to serve them at the vast majority of our more than 10,000 company operated coffeehouses and nearly 7,000 licensed locations throughout the holiday season, regardless of the union’s plans,” a Starbucks spokesperson told the Observer.
Why are Starbucks baristas striking?
As a collective, Starbucks Workers United is pushing Starbucks to address some key demands:
- Better hours to improve staffing
- Higher take-home pay
- Resolved labor practice charges related to union busting
“We’ve already made a lot of progress on tentative agreements,” SBWU said on its website. “There are 33 (tentative agreements) in place, which will tangibly improve our workplaces.”
“Now, we’re escalating our demands on Starbucks to come back to the table with new proposals that address our remaining core demands.”
While unionized stores near Raleigh won’t take part in tomorrow’s walkout, the union told The N&O that protests will continue on a rolling basis with each store operating on its own schedule.
Starbucks emphasized there will be no impacts at most locations, adding that less than 1% of stores have participated in previous union-led protests.
“We are disappointed that Workers United, who only represents around 4% of our partners, has voted to authorize a strike instead of returning to the bargaining table,” a Starbucks spokesperson told the Observer in a statement.
“When they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk.”
A fair contract between the two parties hasn’t been finalized as of Wednesday, Nov. 12.
What’s Red Cup Day?
The annual giveaway rolls around every November and is one of Starbucks’ busiest days of the year.
Customers who buy any handcrafted beverage from Starbucks’ holiday menu will get a free, limited-edition red cup, while supplies last. Eligible drinks include:
- Egg Nog Latte
- Chestnut Praline Latte
- Peppermint Mocha
- Iced Gingerbread Chai
- Iced Sugar Cookie Breve
This year’s cup, a 16-ounce chalice featuring a festive drawing of a Starbucks coffeehouse, will be available whether you order in-store, in the drive-thru or on the mobile app.
Customers can also score the freebie on DoorDash, GrubHub and other third-party delivery sites.
The News & Observer’s Twumasi Duah-Mensah contributed to this story.
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 3:47 PM.