New Yorkers who remember Starbucks in the 1990s — along with anybody who has seen the 1999 film “You’ve Got Mail,” which features one of the Seattle-based coffee giant’s earlier, comparatively lavish Manhattan stores — know that the days of the caffeine pusher as an upscale retreat from the stress of city life are long over.
Now, the ubiquitous but utilitarian chain, which has faced plunging sales in 2024 amid rising prices and investor dissatisfaction with decisions made by outgoing CEO Laxman Narasimhan, is welcoming a new barista-in-chief.
But one concerned colleague is wondering aloud — is Brian Niccol, the guy responsible for Chipotle, another once-beloved brand that’s suffered a major hit amid inflated prices and concerns over customer service, really the one to turn things around?
“No matter what time of day I go in [to Chipotle], they always look pissed off. And it looks like sometimes they don’t have enough people working,” the jittery java jockey, who has worked at Starbucks nearly 20 years, told Business Insider.
Short-staffed stores are an issue that employees and customers have been complaining about for years.
The on-the-job critic, who began working for the company in the mid-2000s, told the outlet that their North Carolina shop has faced sharp reductions, leaving everyone juggling multiple duties at a time.
“It used to be a great place to work,” said the tipster, whose employment with the company was reportedly verified by BI.
“People wouldn’t leave Starbucks unless they were college students and went up into a higher career, or they retired with the company,” the source detailed.
But times have changed, apparently — and drastically.
“It started out as a trendy, quirky coffee shop job, and it’s just morphed into this soulless fast food empire,” they complained.
The exasperated espresso puller cited the departure of founder Howard Schulz from the helm in 2017 as the turning point.
A spokesperson for the somewhat sullied Siren assured BI that employees have “multiple opportunities” to share their feelings with the higher-ups, if they choose to do so.
Niccol’s arrival at Starbucks — a job rumored to be paying in the vicinity of $113 million — has been heralded by Wall Street experts, who cite Chipotle’s massive stock price increases under his rule.
The erstwhile burrito king has been in the spotlight since the news became public, raising eyebrows over the supposedly temporary private jet commute he’ll be making from his home in exclusive Newport Beach, Calif. to headquarters in rainy Seattle.
Meanwhile, turned-off customers say that a visit to the coffee chain has become a “luxury,” thanks to the increasingly steep prices being charged.
An article in the Wall Street Journal quoted disgruntled drinkers who complained of increasing costs, steep wait times and the company’s involvement in politics.
Sales dropped 6% during the quarter ending Jun. 30, the outlet reported.
