Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer, Brian Niccol, shared the following message with Starbucks partners (employees):

Partners, 

Last week, we celebrated a record-breaking Fall launch. Today, I want to recognize another milestone. We’re one month into the nationwide rollout of Green Apron Service, and the momentum is building in our coffeehouses. 

We built Green Apron Service with our green apron partners, and it’s grounded in what you told us you need and what works. It includes more store level ownership, more partner hours, larger rosters, Smart Queue technology, five key moments and coffeehouse walks. It’s already helping us deliver better throughput in the morning and through the balance of day, while creating more time for customer connection and service.  

Customers are noticing the difference in every way they access Starbucks — in cafes, in the drive thru and via mobile orders. Partners are telling us it’s making their jobs more focused and more fulfilling. It’s the Starbucks experience at its best, and we are on our way to reclaiming being the world’s greatest customer experience.  

Since launching our “Back to Starbucks” plan, we have walked the talk. We’ve doubled paid parental leave, committed to filling 90% of retail leadership roles internally, expanded Assistant Store Manager roles and invested $500 million in additional partner hours with Green Apron Service. These investments are driving record-low turnover, record-high shift completion, more consistent hours for partners and a growing number of partners recommending Starbucks as a great place to work.  

Thanks for all you do. Together, we’re building a culture of excellence, customer service and opportunity that makes Starbucks the best job in retail. Let’s keep the green wave going. 

On we go,

Brian