Starbucks CEO reveals his plan to beat Dutch Bros at its own game

When CEO Brian Niccol came to Starbucks almost two years ago, he took over a brand that had lost some of its focus.

The cafe chain had pivoted during the Covid pandemic to a takeout-and-delivery model, dropping long-time CEO Howard Schultz's vision of the brand as offering a third place between work and home.

Niccol has worked steadily to reestablish Starbucks as a third-place destination.

"What defines Starbucks is going to be a community. It's going to be the Barista customer experience, and it's going to be this idea of craft and customization," he said at the Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference.

The CEO noted that while trends, such as the popularity of blue drinks and whether people want hot or cold beverages, will change, the core model for Starbucks won't.

"When you look at how lonely people say they are. Like despite this idea that supposedly we're more connected than ever, people say they're more lonely than ever. And so to have a third place where you can have a great experience with a customized drink the way you want it with food that I think is built for the way you want to eat, that is not a fad. I think that is durability, and I think that is a

Fuente original: Yahoo Finance (https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/starbucks-ceo-reveals-plan-beat-193700840.html)