Brian Niccol prepped for his new gig as chief executive of Starbucks by visiting some of the coffee chain’s more than 17,000 U.S. stores, finding a “shared sense that we have drifted from our core.”
In an open letter posted Tuesday, the former Chipotle CEO said he would work to reestablish the caffeine purveyor as the nation’s “community coffeehouse,” an ambiance that seemingly got lost in the shuffle during the pandemic, as the company devoted itself to fulfilling to-go orders from its mobile app.
Niccol stepped into his new role on Monday, weeks after Starbucks ousted Laxman Narasimhan, whose 18-month stint at Starbucks’ helm was marred by sluggish sales, a declining stock price and fading appeal for the company, particularly among Americans.
“In some places — especially in the U.S. — we aren’t always delivering,” Niccol said. “It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or …