WSJ Leadership Institute Presents Leaders How CEO Brian Niccol Plans to Reclaim What Starbucks Lost
Dec 29, 2025
Brian Niccol, CEO of Starbucks, discusses his first challenging year leading the coffee giant following the pandemic's impact on its core experience. He shares insights on balancing mobile convenience with maintaining the café atmosphere that defines Starbucks. Niccol details innovations like smart-queue tech and the 'Back to Starbucks' initiative aimed at enhancing barista-customer connection. He also touches on unionization efforts and the importance of preserving the handcrafted nature of the coffee experience while integrating technology.
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Bring Back The Third Place
- Starbucks lost its focus on the 'third place' and became too transaction-driven during COVID.
- Restoring community, connection, and craft is central to the turnaround.
Use Smart Queueing For Timely Service
- Sequence orders with smart-queue technology so mobile and in-cafe customers get timely drinks.
- Let customers schedule orders to reduce unexpected peaks and improve on-time accuracy.
Convenience Still Needs A Cafe
- Most revenue comes from access points: 40% drive-through, 30% mobile, 30% cafe.
- Mobile pickup customers still enter cafes, so cafe experience matters even for convenience buyers.