Starbucks announced this week that it would close a number of stores across the U.S. and it appears several of those closures may be in the Chicago area.

The closures are expected to begin as early as this weekend.

Here's a look at what to know:

How many stores are closing?

The company wouldn't give a number of stores that are closing, but the bulk of the closures appear to be in the U.S. and Canada. Starbucks said it expects to have 18,300 North American locations when its fiscal year ends on Sunday. As of June 29, the company had 18,734 locations.

In a research note Thursday, TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles estimated Starbucks will close around 500 North American stores in its fiscal fourth quarter.

In a letter to employees in Europe, Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said

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