Mobile order and Uber Eats and Doordash delivery pick up area at Starbucks coffee shop, Queens, New York.
Lindsey Nicholson | UCG | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
It’s become a familiar sight at Starbucks cafes: a counter crowded with mobile orders, frustrated customers waiting for the drinks they ordered and overwhelmed baristas trying to keep up with it all.
Fixing that problem will likely top incoming CEO Brian Niccol’s list of tasks to turn around the struggling coffee giant when he steps into the role on Sept. 9.
Investors and executives alike have pointed to operational issues as one reason the chain’s sales have lagged in recent quarters. Other culprits for its recent same-store sales declines include a weakening consumer, boycotts and the deterioration of the Starbucks brand.
Former CEO Howard Schultz, who lacks a formal role with the company but remains involved, has also pointed the finger at the mobile app. He said it has become “the biggest …