Starbucks is expecting sales and profits to increase as more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions are lifted by states. The coffee giant posted a nine percent gain in same-store sales during the quarter ending on March 31. “Customers crave human connection,” Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson during an earnings call with investors. “Certainly not all markets are moving at the same speed in terms of vaccine distribution, but we know that this is the key that enables all of us to once again be together.”