News Blog

Customers may purchase up to two Bearista Surprise Boxes in coffeehouses, while supplies last. A limited quantity will be available exclusively for Starbucks Rewards Reserve members on the Starbucks® Shop starting Nov. 9 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time / 10:00 a.m. Pacific time, limit one per member.

Meet the Bearista Surprise Box Characters

Aspen: The Skiing Bearista™ Bear

An alpine adventurer who’s all about sunrise ski runs and lodge hangs.

Reiny: The Reindeer Bearista™ Bear

This giddy-up glow-getter loves settling in to watch classic holiday movies.

Bunny: The Snow Bunny Bearista™ Bear

Bunny is a winter wanderer who loves snowy walks, and she brings an extra element of surprise by changing color with cold beverages.

Joy: The Ice Skating Bearista™ Bear

Joy is a whimsical winter dreamer whose seasonal specialty is curating the ultimate snow globe collection.

Goldie: The Golden Bearista™ Bear

If you’re lucky, you might find Goldie, the rarest Bearista of the bunch.

Bearista apparel to match your vibe on Starbucks Shop

Starting Nov. 10, Starbucks Shop opens to all customers, with exclusive holiday Bearista™ apparel, including hoodies, sweatshirts and T-shirts. Starbucks Shop makes it easy to discover limited-edition merchandise, seasonal favorites and personalized gifts, all in one premium online destination, visit Starbucks Shop here.

A new chapter for the Bearista Glass Cold Cup Collection

The Surprise Box Edition is the newest addition to the Starbucks Bearista Glass Cold Cup collection, joining the Soccer Bearista, Pink Bearista and The Snoopy™ Glass Cold Cup introduced earlier this year.

1. A coffeehouse that tells the history of Istanbul’s Golden Horn

The coffeehouse is located on the site of a former Imperial shipyard, with original wooden roof trusses and soaring ceilings that preserve a connection to the site’s centuries-old maritime heritage. On the terrace garden, native plane and hackberry trees (historically associated with village squares and palace gardens) add another connection to the past.

2. Exploring the craft of coffee

The spirit of exploration extends throughout the space, with a core espresso bar, Starbucks Reserve® experience, Turkish coffee showcase and a Mixato Bar, creating opportunities to discover local drinks and enjoy Starbucks coffee craft. The menu offers distinctive beverages alongside Starbucks favorites including the Passionfruit Espresso Tonic, Mont Blanc Cream Cold Brew, Cold Brew Lemon Sour and Emerald City.

3. Turkish coffee has a place of its own

At Tersane Istanbul, Turkish coffee has a space all its own. Here, customers can watch baristas prepare coffee the traditional way — finely ground and brewed without a filter in a pot called a cezve — creating a natural connection between Starbucks coffee craft and Turkey’s long coffee heritage.

4. Art and design inspired by Istanbul’s waterfront

Art is part of the experience at Tersane Istanbul, from ceramics and sculptures created specifically for the location to architectural details that connect the space with its surroundings.

The art draws inspiration from the Golden Horn and its centuries of maritime and trade history and connects the Golden Horn’s history as a port with coffee’s journey across the sea. “The Call of the Sirens,” curated by Bengü Gün, brings together works by Gökçe İrten, Furkan Depeli and DECOL, exploring the concepts of water, memory and transformation through ceramics, sculpture and digital art.

That sense of discovery continues throughout the coffeehouse, with all corners designed to create moments of connection. Visitors can enjoy live music from a piano while taking in views through the arched windows or find calm in the sun-dappled terrace garden under the shade of a green umbrella.

5. Take home a piece of Tersane İstanbul with you

The experience extends to the Shipyard Shop, a collection created specifically for Tersane Istanbul. The shop features mugs, tumblers, textiles and other pieces inspired by the location’s distinctive visual world, offering visitors a way to remember their experience until next time.

Music has always been an essential part of the Starbucks coffeehouse experience, from curated playlists, CD compilations, digital downloads and artist partnerships. Through every era, music has helped create a sense of connection and discovery alongside every cup.

Now, Starbucks is adding a new chapter to that story with the debut of its first global holiday album in over a decade. “Holiday Blend” brings together Magnus Ferrell, Coco Jones, JYT, TRÍADA, Brandi Carlile, The Womack Sisters and Leon Thomas for a collection that pairs an original holiday song from JYT alongside fresh interpretations of seasonal favorites. The album arrives Nov. 4 on digital streaming services via Interscope Records and Universal Music Group and will play in select Starbucks coffeehouses globally throughout the holiday season.

“Music has always been part of the Starbucks experience, and we are building on that legacy in a way that feels fresh for today,” said Erin Silvoy, senior vice president, global marketing & channel development. “‘Holiday Blend’ brings together incredible artists to put their own spin on songs we all know and love. My hope is that it becomes part of the soundtrack to the season, creating a little more joy and connection whether you’re in a Starbucks coffeehouse or wherever the holidays take you.”

The full track list includes:

1. “Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season”– Magnus Ferrell 
2. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” – Coco Jones 
3. “This Christmas” – JYT 
4. “Llegó La Navidad” – TRÍADA 
5. “River” – Brandi Carlile 
6. “What Christmas Means to Me” – The Womack Sisters 
7. “Soulful Christmas” – Leon Thomas 

“Being a part of Starbucks Holiday Blend album felt like a chance to make something that’s both new and nostalgic. I grew up hearing these songs, so getting to record them in my own way was a pretty special experience.” – Magnus Ferrell

“It’s so special to be part of Starbucks Holiday Blend album. I was honored and excited to put my own spin on such a beloved holiday classic, and I hope my version brings a little extra joy to people’s celebrations this season.” – Coco Jones

“We’re so pumped to be part of this year’s Starbucks Holiday album! The idea that someone could be ordering a Refresher and hear our song playing is actually crazy. We love Christmas music and the holidays in general so getting to release our own holiday song and have people listen to it is really cool.” – JYT 

“We hope this version feels familiar and fresh at the same time. The song has such a beautiful feeling at its heart, and singing it in Spanish let us connect with it in our own way. It’s special to share that perspective on Starbucks Holiday Blend album.” – TRÍADA

“For our family, Christmas is the best time of the year. The holidays are about togetherness, so singing ‘What Christmas Means to Me’ felt like a natural way to celebrate the season and share a piece of that family connection.” – The Womack Sisters

Starbucks holiday season starts on Nov. 5

This holiday season, Starbucks is bringing people together through the tastes, sounds and traditions that make the season special. From returning favorites like Peppermint Mocha and Gingerbread Chai to festive new beverages and merchandise, Starbucks is creating more ways to gather, connect and share a little joy all season long.

Giving back this holiday season

Starbucks Holiday Blend includes a $500,000 donation to World Central Kitchen to support humanitarian relief efforts around the world. Since its founding, World Central Kitchen has moved with the urgency of now to be first on the ground with a hot meal, served with dignity and hope. World Central Kitchen has been a non-profit partner of The Starbucks Foundation since 2019.

LISTEN TO “HOLIDAY BLEND” HERE.

“They changed the color palette, painted the walls, put in new furniture, we have some really cool art … we’ve got drapes and a rug … they’ve just completely changed the feeling of the store. I love it. It’s so nice,” Saphire said. “I’ve actually taken some time to go around to each chair to see which one is the most comfortable.”

Saphire’s coffeehouse is just one example of a broad effort to bring a warmer Starbucks experience to more neighborhoods. Starbucks accelerated its plan to complete at least 1,500 coffeehouse uplifts by the end of fiscal 2026, with plans to pick up the pace even further in fiscal 2027 – bringing more places to settle in, connect and enjoy coffee to communities across North America.

Saphire was curious how designers would incorporate her coffeehouse’s unique features – tall ceilings, large windows, a fireplace. But as Clark points out, each uplift design is also unique, tailored specifically to the space and the community it serves, and all with the shared purpose of making Starbucks a place where people want to spend time, connect and feel at home.

“There’s a real craft to transforming an existing coffeehouse. We look at each one as the unique space it is, and we’re thoughtful about what we keep, what we change and how all of those details come together to make the space warmer, more comfortable and work better for customers and partners,” said Pamela Phelan, vice president of store development.

A new Starbucks Community Center

When it opens, the new Starbucks Community Center will be a welcoming place where Starbucks partners, neighbors, volunteers and local organizations can gather, learn and serve together. The new space – more than three times the size of Second Harvest’s current community space – will host meetings, training sessions, volunteer events and community programs.

The center will give local groups more room to connect, share resources and support neighbors across Middle Tennessee, while creating regular opportunities for Starbucks partners to volunteer with Second Harvest.

Expanding FoodShare in Nashville

This partnership builds on something Starbucks partners do every day: make sure food doesn’t go to waste when it can help someone in their community. Through FoodShare, partners already prepare unsold food for donation as part of their regular coffeehouse routines.

Next year, our work with Second Harvest will enable us to expand FoodShare in Nashville, connecting surplus food from our local coffeehouses directly with Second Harvest.

Once expanded, FoodShare is expected to provide approximately 406,000 meals each year and keep about 487,000 pounds of food out of waste streams. Our FoodShare program will also continue to provide grant support to help build the capacity needed to collect and distribute these donations.

Together, this work will help more people across Middle Tennessee access the food and support they need. I’m grateful for what we’re building with Second Harvest, and for the Starbucks partners who show up every day to make their communities stronger in Nashville and around the country.

The original Bearista™ Glass Cold Cup, a viral sensation that first launched last year donning an iconic Starbucks green hat, will arrive in select coffeehouses on Dec. 1, available while supplies last. 

The Bearista™ Glass Cold Cups join additional collections of festive drinkware Starbucks is bringing to coffeehouses this upcoming holiday season. Explore more Starbucks holiday merchandise here.

What were some of the biggest operational changes Starbucks needed to make to put the customer back at the center? 

MG: True hospitality isn’t created by one standard. It’s all the elements working together: training, staffing, the key moments that shape each customer’s visit, the third place and the support around our coffeehouses. That focus has helped us build momentum. We’ve made progress, but we have not arrived. 

How do you make this kind of customer service consistent across every coffeehouse? 

MG: Customers appreciate speed and convenience, but they most remember how you made them feel. Our job is to create the environment where partners can make that connection authentically. That starts with highly visible leadership. Great coaching is about helping partners deliver their best today while developing them toward their aspirations. Every barista should be able to see a future at Starbucks, and every leader has a responsibility to help build the next generation of leaders from within. 

How are you giving coffeehouse leaders more ownership of the customer and partner experience? 

MG: Our coffeehouse leaders know their customers, partners and communities best. When we empower them, support them and trust them to lead, great things happen. Food ordering is one example. Coffeehouse leaders can make ordering decisions based on what they know about their business and customers, helping them keep the products their customers want available.  

When customers walk into a Starbucks a year from now, what do you hope feels different? 

MG: It’s a natural, authentic experience that you can see, hear and feel. It’s the temperature of the coffeehouse, the music, the comfort of the seating and the sounds of a coffeehouse coming to life. The details matter. That’s the Starbucks vibe. It’s much more than hospitality. It’s an experience. 

Throughout the competition, partners showcased the skills at the heart of the Starbucks Experience, from deep coffee knowledge, beverage quality and latte art to storytelling and a commitment to Green Apron Service. 

In the final, Jackson M., Emeka P. and Richard R. each delivered an outstanding performance reflecting the very best of Starbucks. Please join me in congratulating Jackson, our other finalists, all 24 regional champions and the thousands of partners who took part in this year’s competition. Their talent, dedication and passion made this an inspiring celebration of our partners and the experiences they create for customers every day. 

Meet our champion and explore full coverage of the 2026 North America Barista Championship.