Earlier this year, new Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol vowed big changes for the coffee giant. The former Chipotle exec announced a laundry list of priorities for his new reign, including a simplified mobile ordering process, free non-dairy milk options, and “less commercialized” cafes. Now, he’s sharing another big update that will majorly affect customers.

While discussing his plans to bring the chain “back to its roots” in a recent interview with ABC News chief business correspondent Rebecca Jarvis, Niccol addressed food and drink prices for 2025specifically, that the company won’t be raising them.

“The approach we’ve taken right now is we’re going to hit the pause button on any pricing for this fiscal year,” he said. “I still think there’s an opportunity for us to simplify the pricing architecture right now—I don’t love the fact that in our app right now, while you’re doing this customization, it doesn’t inform you what has happened to the price, so I want to get more transparent with the pricing.”

In addition to the conversation on costs, Niccol revealed more about his five-year vision for Starbucks, telling Jarvis that he wants to see “a very orderly mobile order with its own dedicated pickup area.”

“You’re going to have an experience where when you walk in and you interact with the barista, it’s going to be really quick for that brewed cup of coffee,” he continued. “My hope is we can get you a brewed cup of coffee in less than 30 seconds.”

Niccol adds that while he hopes to improve efficiency with baristas turning around espresso drinks in less than four minutes that will mean a smaller menu.

“We’ve got a lot of offerings that there’s just one or two of these ordered a day,” he added. “The way I talk about it is, we’re going to do fewer things, but we’re going to do fewer things better.”

You win some, you lose some (just please don’t lose the Iced Shaken Espresso from menus, Starbies! I’m begging!). But it’s good to know our standard morning orders won’t cost us more in the new year!

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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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