Schultz believes that Starbucks’ coffee-first identity is essential to its continued success.

Starbucks is dropping frosty new items in July, but one sweet treat may already be back on the menu.

Starbucks has updated its Terms of Purchase, which changes the way Stars are accumulated.

Starbucks invests in its employees with a tuition-free college program via ASU.

Trader Joe’s has released a similar, sparkling version of a popular, discontinued Starbucks beverage.

Starbucks has opened its first 3D-printed store in Texas.

Peet’s Coffee has dropped a series of fresh, energizing, feel-good drinks for spring that promise to refresh and hydrate customers looking to lean into healthier beverages.

Starbucks has teased its spring menu, which will bring a fresh lineup of seasonal flavors and aromas this March.

Starbucks recently released a mixed earnings report. How will the company fare in 2025?

Will a panic button work to keep Starbucks employees and customers safe?

Starbucks is bringing back some of its time-honored traditions to woo customers.

Dutch Bros seeks to capitalize further on opportunities as investors show confidence.

Peet’s Coffee is joining the high-protein bandwagon.

Starbucks is set to offer exciting new menu options to kick off 2025.

Could a simple Sharpie be the solution to humanizing the Starbucks experience again?

Tipping fatigue has been trending as a topic in the media and has sparked angry debates on social media for nearly a year. The arguments now appear to center on two different phenomena: “tipflation” and tip creeping. Do you see tipflation or tip creeping as the bigger driver of tipping fatigue?

New Orleans-based PJ’s Coffee is offering franchise opportunities to open up coffee shops inside high schools with the foremost purpose of providing vocational skills to students. What do you think of retailers opening stores inside high schools to provide class-accredited business skills to students?

Tipping at Starbucks is as voluntary as it is anywhere in the U.S., but a new digital payment solution is now making it tough and awkward to avoid doing so. Some customers, and even some baristas, are displeased with the development. Will Starbucks’ new point-of-sale solution be good or bad for the chain in the long run?

Baristas at over 100 Starbucks stores across the country have called a one-day strike for today, one of the chain’s busiest days of the year (AKA Red Cup Day), in response to the coffee giant’s reprisals against union organizers and for its refusal to bargain on a labor deal for its members. What do you expect to come out of the one-day strike being called by members of Starbucks Workers United?

Visitors to Starbucks locations inside some retailers will soon be able to order ahead via mobile, not to mention earn rewards points, just as they do when they visit standalone Starbucks locations. Do you see adding mobile pay and rewards to licensee stores as a necessary step in improving the Starbucks experience for customers?

Starbucks is revamping its loyalty program and working an NFT platform into the mix, although it is not using that acronym to describe its digital art offerings. Do you see Starbucks’ implementation of NFTs as being worth the company’s investment given the controversy surrounding the technology?

Starbucks announced plans to hire retail and restaurant industry outsider Laxman Narasimhan as its next CEO, replacing three-time CEO, Howard Schultz, as the chain embarks on a “Reinvention.” What do you think of the outside hire of Laxman Narasimhan as Starbucks’s CEO?

Starbucks, citing safety concerns, said it will permanently close 16 locations nationwide before the end of July while instituting new procedures to ensure the wellbeing of employees. Do you see Starbucks’ move as likely a measured and necessary move, a political statement, an anti-unionization ploy or something else?

A new university study finds drinking caffeinated coffee leads shoppers to spend more and purchase more impulse items. Does it make sense that caffeinated shoppers are bigger and more impulsive spenders?

Starbucks may end its open bathroom policy as the challenges its stores face dealing with the mental health crisis now outweigh the risks of racial bias. Should Starbucks shift from an open-access bathroom policy to one limiting or prohibiting access for non-customers?

James Cromwell, the Oscar-nominated actor, has a problem with Starbucks over its policy of upcharging for non-dairy milk options, and demonstrated it by gluing his hand to a counter as part of a PETA protest. Do objections by celebrities increase the likelihood that Starbucks will end the upcharge for non-dairy beverages in its coffee drinks?

Starbucks is looking to create a “digital third place” with the help of emerging Web 3 technologies that will support the sale of NFTs and drive loyalty. What do you think of Starbucks’ vision of extending the “third place” concept online through NFTs and metaverse content?

Howard Schultz is looking to play the FOMO card with baristas who are thinking about voting to join the Starbucks United union.  Is Starbucks taking the proper approach in its attempt to fend off unionizing activity in the chain’s stores?

In early April, workers at an Amazon.com warehouse on Staten Island voted to form the e-commerce giant’s first U.S. union, building on successful organizing efforts at Starbucks and leading to speculation that a new American union movement is underway. Will retailers likely be seeing unionization drives with greater frequency in the years ahead?

He’s back. Howard Schultz has started his third turn at leading Starbucks and it didn’t take him long to get the attention of the coffee giant’s stakeholders. Do you agree with Howard Schultz that investing more of Starbucks’ profits into people and stores is “the only way to create long-term value” for the chain?

Contact-free retail became a priority at the beginning of the pandemic. Some efforts to cut down contact with customers, however, is raising questions about the threat of compromising the customer experience.  Do you think Starbucks and other QSRs should provide pickup-only locations that offer customers contact-free service?

If Starbucks makes good on its most recent environmentally-minded endeavor, by 2025 you may not see nearly as many of the chain’s paper cups in the hands of coffee drinkers. To what extent do you think Starbucks will be able to reduce reliance on the disposable paper cup?

Starbucks is looking for a new CEO following Kevin Johnson’s decision to retire after 13 years at the company. Mr. Johnson, who has led Starbucks since 2017, said that he informed the company’s board over a year ago that he was considering retirement. What type of leader does Starbucks need at this point in its history?

Workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, NY, voted to join the Workers United union, making it the first company-owned location in the U.S. to do so.  How significant is the decision by workers at Starbucks in Buffalo to be represented by a union?

Starbucks and Amazon have teamed up to open the first of at least three concept stores between the two Seattle-based retailing giants. Will the new Starbucks Pickup with Amazon Go concept be a winner for both companies leading to a wide rollout across the U.S.?

Starbucks has a pretty solid reputation as an employer, but some of its baristas are saying management is actually contributing to making things harder for workers.  Do the complaints by current and former baristas about Starbucks’ mobile ordering system have merit and does the company appear to be responding appropriately?

Many retailers are hungry for social media notoriety and the traffic it brings but, for Starbucks and its employees, becoming the object of a TikTok trend is turning into a giant headache. Should Starbucks and other retailers place limits on social trend-driven purchases like “appucinos” or should they encourage them?

Circle K is rolling out a monthly subscription plan that will allow customers to pick up their choice of a 100 percent sustainably sourced cup of coffee, tea, Froster slushie or Polar Pop fountain drink at no additional charge. Do you expect Circle K’s Sip & Save subscription plan to drive incremental customer visits and sales for the convenience store chain?

Starbucks has partnered with Arizona State University to open an innovation center dedicated to testing environmental sustainability initiatives.  Does establishing separate innovation centers focusing on sustainable solutions make sense for retailers?

Vegetarians and vegans in the Seattle area who wanted to experience a version of Starbucks where all the food was suited to their dietary preferences had a chance to do so at some point last year, but they probably didn’t know it.  Do you see a location with all plant-based food offerings from Starbucks having wide appeal?

Starbucks plans to open a whopping 22,000 locations to bring its massive store count to 55,000 by 2030. Will its newer formats and features amplify expansion opportunities for Starbucks in the years ahead?

Starbucks was a pioneer in establishing itself as a place for remote work. Now, the coffee chain is opening a concept making it as much a co-working space as a coffee shop. Do you see a business opportunity for Starbucks to develop co-working spaces as part of its U.S. coffee shops?

Starbucks last week joined a small group of multi-state retailers that are requiring customers to wear masks for entry across all locations. Will Starbucks’ move to make masks mandatory for in-store customers likely heighten or lessen the risk of confrontations from shoppers?

Dunkin’ is pulling away from being an add-on experience for people buying gas as it continues to redirect its focus towards its standalone “next-gen” stores. Is it wise for Dunkin’ to get out of the gas station game as it continues rebranding and refocusing on standalone next-gen stores?

Starbucks’ CEO Kevin Johnson said the coffee chain plans to employ a “monitor and adapt” strategy as it reopens stores amid a decline in new COVID-19 cases. Do you think it is wise to have store managers and district managers make the decisions on when and how individual stores and food establishments reopen?

A coffee chain in China has outdone Starbucks — at least in terms of its physical footprint — and has done so by using data to drive an uncommonly rapid expansion. Is the Luckin data-driven model for expansion one that you could see being widely adopted by U.S. retailers or restaurants?

Panera Bread has announced a new subscription program that offers unlimited coffee for $8.99 a month. Does a coffee subscription program make sense for Panera Bread, and should other fast-casual chains or QSRs come up with their own programs?

A joint study found that Starbucks’ stores experienced a decline in traffic since shifting from a customer-only to an open bathroom policy in May 2018. Is an open, customer-only or no-access bathroom policy the best option for stores and food establishments?

Starbucks last week committed to investing in several initiatives focused on the mental health and wellness of its associates.  Are most store managers adequately prepared to identify and refer associates who may be facing mental health challenges?

Starbucks started referring to itself as a “third place” away from home or the office some time ago. Caribou Coffee, however, is now launching a concept that caters exclusively to those who don’t want to stick around. How would you rate the pros and cons of a no-seating coffee concept such as Caribou Cabins?