Starbucks has come under fire a lot this year. In September, a longtime barista spoke out against the chain, claiming it has morphed from a “trendy, quirky coffee shop job” to a “soulless fast food empire.” Just one month later, customers slammed the company for changing their mobile app for the worse.

Now, however, new CEO Brian Niccol is implementing changes that he claims will benefit both customers and workers.

“To succeed, we need to address staffing in our stores, remove bottlenecks, and simplify things for our baristas,” he said in a video Wednesday, per Reuters. Niccol added that he also wants to ensure customers receive “exceptional service.” So how exactly is he planning to accomplish these lofty goals?

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He wants to simplify mobile ordering

Niccol wants to streamline the mobile order and pay process, which accounts for 30% of transactions. “When it works well, it’s great, but sometimes it can be a challenge for both customers and partners,” he said. That reportedly includes improving timing accuracy for orders, as well as separating mobile order pick ups from in-person orders as to not confuse customers.

“Right now, I think there’s some customization specifically in the mobile order app execution that’s just really wide and unnecessary,” he told CNBC. “So I just think that we need to put better guardrails in place so that we get you access to customization that’s correct for the drink you’re ordering, and then also it allows our baristas to be more consistent with what they execute.”

He wants to simplify the menu

While this might mean your favorite niche latte is getting the boot, Niccol wants to focus on “fewer, better” options.

“There’s always a long tail on the menu, and those items, frankly, we don’t execute all that great,” he said, while adding that this will mean faster and more efficient service.

Huge news for our lactose intolerant besties. Starbucks will no longer charge extra for dairy alternatives like oat milk and almond milk. According to the company, that means customers could save up to 10% on their drinks.

After years of pleading from customers, Starbucks will finally drop the extra charge for its milk substitutes, starting Nov. 7. The change means some customers could save more than 10% on the cost of the drinks, according to the company.

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He wants to make the cafes feel less commercial

Apparently, the whole “soulless fast food empire” dig really hit him where it hurts, because Niccol is planning to cozy up Starbucks cafes as part of his “back to Starbucks” plan.

This includes serving coffee in ceramic mugs and using sharpies to personalize orders instead of the cold printed labels the company had previously transitioned to. The latter of which customers are concerned will be a “waste of time.”

“It’s not realistic when everyone’s drinks are 5+ modifications,” one person argued on Reddit. “It sounds good and all but at a really busy cafe only store it sounds horrific too :(,” another added.

“The reality is the majority of what we have are these cafes that I think don’t have the right seats, potentially have the right texture, don’t have the right layers, don’t have the right warmth. We need to bring that back,” Niccol continued.

“I think there are design elements that can still bring forward this idea of a community coffeehouse, even in some of the executions that we’ve made that just don’t lend itself to putting the full, traditional coffeehouse experience.”

He wants to bring back condiment bars

During the pandemic, Starbucks nixed the condiment bar so that customers could no longer add milk and sugar to their drinks themselves. Now, it’s returning, and customers are thrilled.

“My favorite thing in that speech was hearing the condiment bar is coming back,” one fan wrote on Reddit.

He wants to improve staffing

Baristas have been complaining for quite some time over staffing issues, and Niccol is looking to finally resolve them. According to CNBC, the chain is offering more shifts and more consistent scheduling, as well as ensuring busy mornings and other peak times are properly staffed.

One employee admitted that staffing shortages were causing “90% of the dissatisfaction right now.” Another said, “it would solve SO MUCH and very quickly!” if the chain were to improve the staffing issue.

They’re changing the marketing approach

During Wednesday’s call, Niccol said the company plans to target a larger audience than just Starbucks Rewards members with its marketing strategy. The approach also includes the controversial move to offer fewer drink promotions. He claims that they’re “ineffective” and only burden the baristas.

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Megan Schaltegger is an NYC-based writer. She loves strong coffee, eating her way through the Manhattan food scene, and her dog, Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in third person IRL.


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