If your local Starbucks seems different these days, it’s likely due to changes introduced under CEO Brian Niccol.
Niccol, known for his previous successful turnaround efforts at Chipotle and Taco Bell, has spearheaded a wide swath of changes across the company, dubbed the “Back to Starbucks” campaign, in an effort to reverse slumping sales and reinvigorate the customer experience.
With the end of 2025 drawing near, Niccol is wrapping up his first full calendar year at the helm of the coffee giant, having joined Starbucks as CEO in September 2024. All the changes now bear the full weight of his influence — and the company’s stock is beginning to show signs of responding.
Here’s a list of the changes Niccol has made since becoming CEO.
‘Back to Starbucks’ was born in September 2024
Niccol’s first order of business in September 2024 was to set a new north star for the company, refocusing on customer service amid an increasingly competitive coffee landscape.
“Today, I’m making a commitment: We’re getting back to Starbucks,” Niccol said in a statement when he stepped into his role as CEO. “We’re refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart — a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather, and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our skilled baristas. This is our enduring identity. We will innovate from here.”
All the changes since have been made under the “Back to Starbucks” banner.
Cup notes and the condiment bar were brought back
In an early effort to streamline service, Niccol reintroduced the self-serve condiment bar in October 2024, allowing customers to customize their drinks with milk and sugar to suit their tastes.
He also introduced a new policy in an attempt to revive Starbucks’ neighborhood coffeehouse vibe, requiring baristas to write friendly notes on customers’ cups.
Menu prices changed
In November 2024, Starbucks eliminated its surcharge for non-dairy milk alternatives.
It wouldn’t be the only price change: in June 2025, the pricing structure for add-ons, such as syrups, sauces, and matcha, was updated, with most additions adopting a flat rate per serving.
During the company’s July 2025 earnings call, Niccol said more price changes may be on the horizon, but it’d be “the last lever” he’d like to pull during the turnaround effort.
Starbucks will keep prices for brewed coffee and espresso shots at its company-operated stores unchanged through 2026 and take a “targeted and surgical approach” to pricing across North America, the company said in December.
Starbucks updated its mission — and in-store policies
In January 2025, Starbucks updated its mission: “To be the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, inspiring and nurturing the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”
The update introduced several policy changes, including free in-store refills for brewed coffee and tea, the rollout of ceramic cups and cozy seating to encourage longer visits, and the reintroduction of Starbucks’ policy of not allowing guests to use the restroom unless they make a purchase.
The mobile app got an overhaul
Customization options in the app were streamlined in the first months of 2025 to make mobile orders easier for baristas to execute, particularly during peak periods. Starbucks also limited the number of items that could be ordered through the mobile app and implemented sequencing changes to avoid congested pick-up areas.
The menu got an update
In Starbucks’ April earnings call, Niccol announced plans to experiment with a new aperitivo menu focused on “sparkling beverages, sippable coffee drinks, and snackable bites.”
The announcement built upon an earlier announcement, in which Niccol said he’d planned to cut 30% of the menu items to streamline service.
Since then, Starbucks has rolled out its new protein-focused menu options — which have driven a surge in sales — and new seasonal menu items.
‘Green Apron Service’ was piloted and expanded
The service model, which the company says is focused on “creating moments of personal connection at the counter,” was piloted at test locations before a larger rollout was announced in May 2025. The policy requires baristas to greet each customer as they walk in the door, and introduces a new staffing position to hand off cups to customers.
A new dress code for baristas was implemented
In May 2025, a new dress code for baristas was introduced, requiring staff to wear black tops and pants in blue, black, or khaki colors.
Unionized baristas staged a walkout in protest of the change.
Corporate staff faced two rounds of layoffs and an RTO mandate
Staff at Starbucks’ Seattle headquarters faced the first round of layoffs under Niccol in February 2025, with the reduction of 1,100 corporate staff.
A few months later, in July, Niccol announced the company would be increasing its in-office requirement for corporate employees from three to four days a week, beginning in October.
A second round of corporate layoffs occurred in September 2025, when Niccol announced a broader restructuring effort, resulting in an additional 900 job cuts for non-retail employees.
More than 600 stores were closed
As part of the September restructuring, more than 600 Starbucks locations across North America were shuttered.
The closures targeted stores that Starbucks found it was “unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect” or where it didn’t “see a path to financial performance,” according to a statement published by the company.
Café locations began being refreshed
In June, Starbucks unveiled its plans to refresh its coffeehouse locations with new interior design elements and upgraded digital menu boards.
As of Q4, a company spokesperson told Business Insider Starbucks had completed nearly 70 “uplifts,” primarily in New York and Southern California, and had seen improvements to sales and transactions at the upgraded locations.
Starbucks aims to complete more than 1,000 of these uplifts by the end of its fiscal year, in October 2026.
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