News Blog

Cultural relevance isn’t a marketing tactic, a brand expression or a set of partnerships, it’s a core operating principle. This is why continuing our work of getting Back to Starbucks means infusing culture into every part of the business. 

At Starbucks, culture isn’t the job of one specific team, it’s a mindset. It lives in how and where we show up in the world, but also in the ways we design our menu, build technology and empower our partners (employees). It lives in how we listen and respond to customers in real time. It is central to how teams work together, how decisions get made and how quickly we respond to the shifting needs of our customers and our coffeehouses. 

Our strategy is anchored in delivering with both discipline and speed. Our five core seasons set the emotional direction for the year while continuous cultural signals – often shared by our customers and partners – add energy and momentum across a high‑frequency business.  

Culture starts from the inside. Starbucks partners are deeply connected to what’s happening in the world, and when they’re empowered with the right tools, clarity and trust, their instincts lead to innovation that flows directly into the customer experience. The result is a brand that feels human, relevant and consistent across channels, moments and seasons. 

This mindset and the systems we’ve designed also mean that when a cultural moment comes along that resonates – one that aligns naturally with who we are – we’re able to respond authentically without feeling the need to chase every trend. 

And over the years, as Starbucks has grown, so has the potential to do good around the world.

Our scale matters because of what it makes possible – it allows us to help positively impact more people around the world in meaningful ways.

This month, during Global Month of Good, we want to pause to look at the impact that Starbucks partners (employees), The Starbucks Foundation and licensed business operators have on the communities they serve, all year long. It’s about more than just a month but rather creating lasting action that can make a difference for people the world over.

Helping fight hunger, one meal at a time

Hunger is a daily reality for far too many people around the globe. In the United States alone, more than 47 million people, including more than 7 million children, are food insecure, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Starbucks is committed to doing something about that. The Starbucks FoodShare program helps divert unsold food to food banks and community organizations across the United States.

Since the program began in 2016, more than 144 million pounds of surplus food have been donated, helping reduce food waste while getting it to the people in local communities experiencing hunger.

Over the winter holidays, Starbucks partnered with World Food Program USA to roll out a global hunger-relief campaign. Across Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America, the campaign provided 12 million meals globally through the World Food Programme’s school meals program.

Creating opportunities for the next generation

Sometimes just getting an opportunity can be life changing.

The Starbucks Foundation and Alshaya Group made a historic investment in youth empowerment in 2024 across the Middle East and Eurasia through the EmpowerME program, in partnership with Habitat Derneği and INJAZ Al-Arab/JA MENA part of JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide.

The impact has been profound with more than 132,000 young people given training and new skills to support career development and advancement.

Helping support coffee farmers around the world

Coffee connects people, from the farmers who grow it to the baristas who serve it and the customers who drink it.

In October 2025, Starbucks Puerto Rico celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the Don’t Let It Fall (No lo Dejes Caer) volunteer initiative. Each harvest season, green apron partners visit local farms during the busy harvest season to support farmers in picking coffee cherries before they fall and go to waste. As part of the celebration, The Starbucks Foundation announced two Global Community Impact Grants to:

• Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico, to provide year-round meals on the weekend and nutritional education to young people in Puerto Rico who experience food insecurity.
• PROCAFE, to empower youth across Puerto Rico to partake in community conservation initiatives and hand-on leadership building reaffirming its long-standing commitment to coffee farmers on the island.

In Indonesia, Starbucks Indonesia and the Ministry of Agriculture signed a multiyear memorandum of understanding to help strengthen the country’s coffee ecosystem through support for training, seed and equipment donations, as well as climate-smart farming practices.

The collaboration, running through 2027 across several coffee growing regions, focuses on helping empower smallholder farmers, improving coffee farmer productivity and crop yields, supporting farmer economic opportunity and promoting sustainable farming practices.

Expanding access to clean water and community care

Through its partnership with Planet Water Foundation, The Starbucks Foundation is helping support sustainable access to clean water across Asia Pacific and Latin America.

To date, 97 AquaTower water filtration systems have been installed, helping up to 174,600 people with access to safe drinking water, improved health outcomes and greater resilience for families and schools.

The AquaTowers reflect the power of Starbucks partners and communities coming together. Partners help build each tower and provide education about clean water, handwashing and more. In the Philippines, a Starbucks partner helped build an AquaTower at the very school they once attended.
Starbucks is proud to continue this work, with plans for more AquaTowers, including in Malaysia.

During this month, and all year long, we are proud to continue this work. It reflects who we are at Starbucks — using our scale and our partnerships to create lasting, meaningful change — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time

Since 2019, nearly 200,000 nominations through The Starbucks Foundation’s Neighborhood Grants and Global Community Impact Grants programs have helped direct almost $30 million to nonprofit organizations and community resources across North America and more than 60 markets worldwide. Together, these programs bring to life the spirit of our Community Coffeehouses and reflect how partners make a positive impact in their own neighborhoods.

From addressing hunger and supporting under-resourced communities to uplifting youth, serving our communities is part of Starbucks ethos.  

Learn more about how Starbucks partners lead through the power of positive contribution, here.  

Built for moments that need a little planning

Scheduled ordering allows customers to select a pickup time when placing a Mobile Order & Pay order, instead of ordering for immediate pickup.

For moments that require a bit more planning, customers can schedule ahead around meetings, classes or busy days. And for those moments when plans change, customers can continue ordering the way they always have.

What the experience looks like in the app

Scheduled ordering fits naturally into the existing Starbucks® app experience, with one additional choice during checkout:

1. Build your order in the Starbucks® app as usual
2. On the Review Order screen, select Pickup Time
3. Choose from available five minute pickup windows (for example, 9:10-9:15 a.m.), up to one hour in advance
4. Complete your order and arrive at the time you selected

Pickup times reflect real time availability at each coffeehouse and are powered by our Smart Queue algorithm, which automatically sequences and balances orders across café, Drive Thru, and Mobile Order & Pay. This gives customers the flexibility to choose how they want to order – or make changes – before checking out.

More ways to order, more flexibility

As scheduled ordering rolls out across North America, availability may vary by location.

Sometimes a little planning ahead can make a busy day feel easier to manage.

Today, Anand is sharing with the Starbucks Technology (ST) team that we’re moving select teams within ST to Nashville, while others in ST will remain in Seattle. Partners whose roles are being relocated will hear directly from their technology leaders, and we’ll support them as they make the decision on what’s right for them.

More broadly our new office in Nashville reflects three key advantages: proximity to key suppliers, access to a deep and growing talent pool in the region, notably in technology, and alignment with where we expect future coffeehouse growth. We are committed to supporting strong in-office cultures across our geographic footprint, which is why intact teams will be based in the same location to maximize collaboration and impact.

In May, we will open a temporary office in a building in the Gulch, while we build out the interior of our full-time location, a stunning new building in the downtown Peabody Union complex, where we will occupy the whole building. We expect to move into the Peabody Union space in 2027.

We are excited about this phase of growth for our talent and the company. We also recognize that announcements like this can raise questions. We’re committed to communicating as decisions are made in the next couple of months and will keep you updated so you have the facts and hear updates directly from Starbucks. For now, our focus is on supporting the teams most directly impacted, as well as continuing to drive Back to Starbucks as an enterprise.  

Thank you for everything you do to bring the Starbucks experience to life every day. This next chapter reflects the strength of our foundation and our confidence in the future we’re building together.

With appreciation,

Sara

Why we built this 

Over the past year, one thing has become clear: customers aren’t always starting with a menu. They’re starting with a feeling.

People open chat tools to think out loud – to describe the kind of moment they’re in, or imagine something they want to create. “I need something warm and cozy.” “Give me a boost.” “It’s sunny and I want something refreshing.” Or sometimes a picture says it best.

We want to meet customers right in that moment of inspiration and make it easier than ever to find a drink that fits.

The beta Starbucks app in ChatGPT is a huge step to make that possible. And it does it in a way that still feels unmistakably Starbucks – warm, inviting, and rooted in creativity.  

Powered by innovation, grounded in human connection 

This is the kind of technology that sparks creativity and helps customers discover something new. For our baristas, it means customers arrive feeling more ready, more inspired, and more excited about the drink they’re about to enjoy – which creates even richer moments of connection across the counter.

As a beta experience, it’s also an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and refine as we go. You’ll see us continue exploring new ways technology can delight our customers while supporting our baristas. This is only the beginning.  

Read more here about how Starbucks is supporting the moments that matter with AI.  

It’s important to keep the good vibes moving forward, he says, but also to leave 2006 back where it belongs: in the past. Because whether you’re making peace with what was, Refreshing for what is or refueling for what’s next, Starbucks can help you move forward with all good energy.  

We’re also continuing to innovate our tea platform, which continues to be a favorite for many customers in the afternoon. Tea sales have climbed more than 70% since 2021* and we’re leaning into the fandom by offering new flavors, including the new Iced Mango Cream Chai and Iced Mango Cream Matcha coming to coffeehouses in the U.S. on April 7.  

Starbucks coffeehouses will look and feel different during the afternoon starting this spring and throughout the summer. Digital menu boards will transition from morning recommendations to spotlight afternoon favorites like Energy Refreshers, iced teas and grab‑and‑go snacks. The atmosphere will shift too, with upbeat afternoon playlists bringing an energetic coffeehouse vibe.  For customers who begin their visit in the Starbucks app, the afternoon menu will highlight refreshing beverages, protein-packed sandwiches, sweet treats, and other ways to help customers achieve a little boost.

Together, these elements, combined with green apron service will shape a new daily ritual for our customers, one that brings the signature warmth, innovation and connection of Starbucks into the heart of their afternoon. With refreshed menus and an evolved coffeehouse experience we’re creating more reasons than ever to choose Starbucks as that essential mid‑day reset. This is just the beginning of what’s possible when we reimagine the afternoon, the Starbucks way. 

*FY25 U.S. company-operated 

That commitment to partners continues to guide how the business evolves.  Starbucks recently introduced new ways for hourly partners to earn more, but also to grow in their careers. 

The company has expanded leadership pathways, like the new coffeehouse coach position, and has added even more opportunities to learn, like the Next Leadership Academy. These efforts help shape and inspire strong teams, build culture and support our partners being able to deliver the Green Apron Service that sets Starbucks apart and brings joy and connection to customers every day. 

Want to join us? Learn more and explore open roles here.