Starbucks has been facing a rough year with declining sales, boycotts, and turnover in the executive ranks. In an effort to save the world’s largest coffee chain, the company has brought on former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to lead the charge.
In a recent interview with WSJ’s restaurant reporter Heather Haddon, Niccol discussed the challenges facing Starbucks and his plans to turn things around. One of the key areas he is focusing on is mobile ordering through the app. Niccol believes that revamping mobile ordering will help bring customers back to Starbucks by making the process more efficient and convenient.
In addition to mobile ordering, Niccol also discussed his plans to revamp the store layout to create a more welcoming and inviting coffeehouse vibe. He believes that a reimagined store layout will help improve the overall customer experience and bring people back into Starbucks locations.
Another area that Niccol is looking to improve is the condiment bar. By streamlining and updating the condiment bar, Niccol hopes to make the experience of customizing drinks more enjoyable for customers.
When discussing how Starbucks got to this point, Niccol highlighted the need for innovation and change in order to stay relevant in a competitive market. He emphasized the importance of listening to customers and adapting to their needs in order to drive growth.
Overall, Niccol remains optimistic about the future of Starbucks under his leadership. By focusing on mobile ordering, store design, and customer experience, he is confident that he can help the company bounce back from its recent struggles and thrive once again in the coffee industry.
Watch the video by The Wall Street Journal
Video “Starbucks's New CEO’s Plan to Save America’s Largest Coffee Company | WSJ” was uploaded on 02/20/2025 to Youtube Channel The Wall Street Journal
I dunno the amount of sugar Starbucks coffees have suggest they aren't so high quality
Drink coffee from Costa Rica 🇨🇷
I will never be to us and a
😂😂😂 bro talk rubbish
Starbucks has a very very bad quality coffee
I agree with him that the vibe is important (good couches, make it a place people want to stay), but as a regular coffee shop customer price is a bigger deal. Idc if people are using the bathroom that didn’t order, and as a former barista I never wanted to enforce something like that (waste of my time, I’m busy make coffee). I don’t like the new bundle with food roll out. Focus on dropping drink prices by $1 and see what happens to business when you’re the cheapest option.
This is the same guy that reduced Chipotle's portion sizes while also increasing their prices. Don't be fooled
SBUX SUX!
FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE FREE PALESTINE
He blaims the customers (with the story), he doesnt take responsibility ("I wasnt here'). SB is doomed.
More corporate propaganda from WSJ.
Maybe he should take a paycut to help his employees…or to bring the drink prices back down ….nah thats too much work
No more bonus stars no more my money.
This CEO is using the corporate jet travel every date to sees his family 😮…there is big saving about that !!! CEO are wordlessly person+ maybe is time to short squeeze Starbucks 😊
Solidarity with Palestine
I never stay in stores I grab and go
Dunkin latte is 35 percent cheaper
I want the olive coffee back!
10 years ago, most of all the Starbucks in my Chicago neighborhood were places that invited you to stay. Lots of tables, couches, chairs, warm lighting, gentle bossa nova music playing; the quintessential cafe atmosphere. Now they all look like hospital waiting lobbies. Harsh, overhead florescent lighting. Really uncomfortable wooden chair and cold, metal tables. They all just feel cold, corporate, and fast-casual which I guess makes sense if their model prioritizes grab-and-go ordering.
I rarely go to Starbucks anymore. If I do, it's because I have a gift card. Also, there are so many other coffee shops in Chicago that actually have a cozy atmosphere and cheaper prices. And that's the thing! Starbucks prices are ridiculous. If I'm paying $7 for a simple latte, then it's going to be from a place that has a upscale ambiance which is definitely no longer Starbucks. And if I'm looking for something quick, I'm still not going to be paying anywhere near $7. I'll just drink the jet-fuel at 7-Eleven which is $2.50 lol
Starbucks is a lose-lose situation for me as a customer: too expensive and the vibes just suck
Starbucks won’t ever acknowledge that people are quietly boycotting them due to their own policies, their anti-labor stance, and their wildly overpriced coffee that’s often more full of sugar than a can of coke. As a matter of fact, they’ve been under a boycott so long that consumers have built completely different behaviors around their favorite coffee. Unless this CEO wakes up fast he’s going to be in another video later this year on the Wall Street Journal talking about their bankruptcy.
My brother in Christ, it is not that complicated. You don't have 100 problems to solve. The problem is one. PRICE. That's it
Nope
Wow, nearly every comment revolves around pricing. Dutch Bros isn’t exactly inexpensive either—its prices rival those of Starbucks. So why does it continue to thrive? A Large Freeze (32oz, equivalent to a Starbucks Frappuccino) typically costs around $9.50, yet people keep coming back despite perceiving it as expensive.
Of course, it's reassuring that coffee accounts for only 10% of Dutch Bros' total revenue, but as a shareholder, I find myself encountering more and more consumer insights through these discussions. Many thanks for the valuable perspectives.
He was CEO of Taco Bell and Chipotle for years and years and somehow chipotle still doesn’t offer taco sauce for their tacos. But hey, they can mange to put 2000mg of sodium in a burrito bowl. So I don’t have much faith in Starbucks addressing the details that matter. My handwritten name on a cup ain’t gonna cut it. How about you address the lack of parking at your stores, more caffein free teas, and not consistently running out of bagels by 9:30 am.
He seems like a major downgrade from the last guy. He is just awful
Starbucks used to be a warm and friendly place to meet your friends over a cappuccino. It was a nice place where someone could get a cup of coffee in a mug, and read a book. Now it feels like a gas station with a bunch of cheap looking processed microwaveable foods, and silly sugary drinks for fat teenagers.
Because its 7dollars for a latte
I like starbucks in premium locations; but sometimes 2 go is also fine if i dont have to wait …otherwise i go somewhere else
I used to go to Starbucks once or twice a day. Between the politics being pushed on me and the lack of atmosphere in the lobby, I almost never go. The reason I usually go is because a family member gave me a gift card for my birthday, and I feel obligated to spend it. I can handle the lack of atmosphere by using the drive through. But pushing their politics on me makes me want to spend my money just about anywhere else.
Maybe Mr Niccol can be a shcll for a Trump just like the WSJ and then act surprised that he acts all Hitler=Y
They have high end coffee for sale but almost no store can make it…
They bought that high end brew machine company but never deployed it to any store. Why?
Most all local coffee shops have a higher end tasting coffee.
“Our partners”??? Call them what they are employees!
Make better coffee
McDonald’s U.S. sales drop as customers spend less: https://on.wsj.com/4gRoJko