Starbucks Brewing Bold Changes: AI Barista, Protein Drinks & Pastries on the Menu
Turning around the core business: Niccol (a former Chipotle turnaround star) openly acknowledges Starbucks’ struggles. In Q3 2025, the chain’s U.S. same-store sales fell again (about –2%, marking the sixth straight quarterly drop) ts2.tech, and profits slumped. Confronting this, he’s doubled down on the customer experience. For example, he’s boosted labor at peak times and introduced a “Green Apron” service model (more baristas on shift and personal touches like handwritten cup notes) ts2.tech. In other words, rather than relying on automation to save costs, Niccol is adding people and new tools to make stores more welcoming. As he put it