One of the few things that can still unite Americans in these bitterly divided political times is the ability to come together in a bipartisan way to mock an overly complicated Starbucks order: Left and right alike can chuckle at, say, a "venti white mocha, quad shot, two shots on bottom, two on top, almond milk, extra hot, caramel drizzle--inside the cup--and extra whip cream," in an example offered by one tortured barista on Reddit.

What's far less hilarious for Starbucks Corp., and everyone who invests in or works for it, is when the company itself is in a hopelessly complex hot mess, as appears to be the case.

The ubiquitous coffee chain said on Thursday that it was closing about 1 percent of its North American stores (there will still be more than 18,000 of them in........

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