coffee

Starbucks taps new tech to help with order timing

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 24, 2025

The coffee chain is hiring the team behind Empower Delivery, the software company founded by Starbucks’ new chief development officer, Meredith Sandland.

Financing

The U.S. coffee chain market is apparently about to get an aggressive new competitor

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 17, 2025

Luckin Coffee, which grew into the largest coffee player in China in a few years, is reportedly planning its first U.S. location in an unlikely place.

Financing

Why Starbucks is redesigning its coffee shops

By Jonathan Maze and Lisa Jennings on Mar. 14, 2025

The Week in Restaurants: This week’s restaurant news podcast features a discussion on Starbucks rethinking its cafes, McDonald’s focus on specialist restaurant competitors and Noodles’ new menu. Also, robots and five years after COVID.

Financing

Starbucks is rethinking its coffee shops

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 12, 2025

CEO Brian Niccol acknowledges some “mistakes” in the past as the coffee shop giant courted mobile and takeout customers. The company is testing designs to make its shops more welcoming for in-store customers.

Leadership

Caribou Coffee CEO John Butcher to step down

By Lisa Jennings on Mar. 03, 2025

CFO Scott Kennedy is named interim CEO for the coffeehouse chain, though Butcher remains an advisor through May. It's the latest in a series of changes at parent company Panera Brands.

Operations

Starbucks is cutting more drinks from its menu

By Jonathan Maze on Feb. 26, 2025

The coffee shop chain is removing 13 drinks from its offerings on Tuesday and plans more cuts as it culls 30% of its menu by this fall.

Financing

Starbucks is laying off more than 1,000 workers

By Jonathan Maze on Feb. 24, 2025

The coffee shop giant is eliminating 1,100 support center positions and “several hundred” open and unfilled positions as it looks to create “smaller, more nimble teams.”

Emerging Brands