Here’s How Sharpies Will Allow Starbucks Employees To Humanize the Coffee Experience Again

Starbucks has always been known for its innovative coffee drinks, baked goods, and the adaptability of its baristas to customer needs. Now the company is adding another element to the mix: a plan to humanize its fleet of stores once again, this time with a Sharpie.

After reporting a third quarter of declining sales, Starbucks’ new CEO, Brian Niccol, continues to make significant changes to the company’s menu, atmosphere, and customer service. He took away items unpopular with customers (the ill-fated Oleato) and ceased charging customers for non-dairy substitutions to their drinks such as oat milk, soymilk, and almond milk.

Now he’s looking to arm his employees with the one weapon he believes will humanize the coffee experience again — Sharpies. For the first time in more than four years, Sharpies are making their way back into Starbucks locations, replacing the digitalized stickers popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re tracking down the Sharpies and we’re going to get back to writing little notes on the cups,” Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol told CNBC. “It may not be everybody’s name. But we will definitely be getting back to writing on cups again here in the not-so-distant future.”

CEO Brian Niccol Is Implementing a ‘Back to Starbucks’ Plan

In a press release detailing preliminary Q4 and full fiscal year 2024 results, Niccol revealed his “Back to Starbucks” plan. He noted the company needs to change its strategy moving forward into its fourth quarter.

“Our fourth quarter performance makes it clear that we need to fundamentally change our strategy so we can get back to growth and that’s exactly what we are doing with our ‘Back to Starbucks’ plan,” said Niccol. “I’ve spent my first several weeks in stores engaging with and listening to feedback from our partners and customers.”

He continued, “It’s clear that Starbucks is a much-loved brand. We need to focus on what has always set us apart — a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our skilled baristas. We are energized and the team is already moving quickly. I’ll share more details at our upcoming earnings call, but invite you to listen to my initial thoughts on our investor relations website.”

Starbucks released a video of Niccol’s remarks at https://investor.starbucks.com/. The clip will remain available on the company’s website until Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.