Kelly Goodejohn, Starbucks chief social impact officer, shared the following message with Starbucks partners (employees):
Partners,
Across the country, many families continue to face growing uncertainty around food access. Food banks are seeing higher demand and fewer resources, making it harder for communities to get the support they need.
As we see increasing needs in our communities, I wanted to share the work we do all year round to address hunger and food insecurity:
$5.5M in Starbucks FoodShare Capacity Grants this year is supporting more than 300 food banks and hunger relief organizations nationwide.
Of that, $2M is helping move FoodShare donations faster and more efficiently—which will help deliver more than 3M meals from our U.S. coffeehouses in the next three months.
$2.8M is supplementing those donations with additional food items.
So far, we’ve donated or enabled 29M meals this year through grants and programs like FoodShare, now in 100% of our U.S. company-operated coffeehouses.
And thanks to partner nominations, The Starbucks Foundation has awarded nearly 7,000 Neighborhood Grants since 2019—totaling $12.8M—to organizations tackling hunger relief.
To every partner making this possible—thank you. Whether you’re packing unsold food for your daily FoodShare pickup at the end of your shift, or donating or volunteering in your community, your work makes a difference during these critical times.
Let’s keep going. Let’s keep showing up. Because together, we can help support our communities in the fight against hunger.
Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer, Brian Niccol, shared a message with partners in China earlier today about an important milestone. Starbucks will form a joint venture with Boyu Capital to accelerate growth in one of our most important markets. You can read that message below and find more details in our press release.
To our Partners in China-
I want to express my appreciation for our partners who have made Starbucks China a success over the past 26 years. Your craft, care and commitment have built a business grounded in coffee, connection and community. With the momentum we have in our business today, and the market opportunity ahead, I am more confident than ever in the growth potential for Starbucks in China.
Since we began exploring new ways to accelerate our growth, we have received strong interest from many respected potential partners. After a thorough evaluation, we have reached an agreement to form a joint venture with Boyu, a trusted local partner.
Under the agreement, Boyu and Starbucks will operate a joint venture with Boyu holding up to a 60% interest in Starbucks retail operations in China. Starbucks will retain a 40% interest in the joint venture and, importantly, will continue to own and license the Starbucks brand and intellectual property to the new entity. Starbucks will continue to operate non-retail assets such as the Kunshan Coffee Innovation Park and Yunnan Farmer Support Center.
This approach allows us to combine the strength of the Starbucks brand, our coffee expertise, the third place, and our unique partner culture with Boyu’s deep knowledge of the China market and local expertise.
Importantly, Boyu shares our commitment to ensuring a great partner experience so we can in turn deliver world-class customer service.
Working together, we aim to bring the Starbucks experience to more customers, in more cities across China. We see a path to grow from today’s 8,000 Starbucks coffeehouses to more than 20,000 over time.
We expect to finalize the joint venture in Q2 FY2026, after completing required regulatory approvals. We will share more details as we have them during the process.
We are excited to open a new chapter for Starbucks in China, and to accelerate our growth.
Thank you again for all you have done to make Starbucks in China a success. I’m excited for the road ahead.
Relevance and being in culture matter now more than ever. As we continue to get Back to Starbucks and ignite the soul of Starbucks, we are engaging with our passionate customer and partner base and celebrating and showcasing their creativity in innovative ways on social media.
Our approach is all about honoring the fandom, fueling the excitement, and making every touch point of the brand – whether in the coffeehouse or on our social channels – feel fresh, personal, and full of possibility.
Global Coffee Creators
The care and craft behind every cup of Starbucks coffee—from bean to cup—is an amazing story. And, when you get to meet coffee farmers and partners around the world, you really get to see the passion behind our coffee.
That’s why we launched the Global Coffee Creator Program; we wanted to invite creators and partners to share these stories in their voice.
They’ll travel the world, capturing their journey to iconic Starbucks locations and highlight the care that goes into every cup of coffee as well as the diverse Starbucks experiences in communities around the world, all through a social lens.
It’s a great example of how we are connecting with the socially driven next gen audiences and promoting our expertise and leadership in coffee. This program is about more than just content creation; it’s about the importance and evolution of the role creators play in brand storytelling.
Green Apron Creators
At the heart of the Starbucks Experience is our partners (baristas), and we are elevating partner voices through the program Green Apron Creators, which we have been piloting for the last year.
We have found an incredible group of baristas who are creating authentic social content about working at Starbucks, in their voice, for our social channels. I love seeing their creativity and passion show up through engaging content.
In addition to great content, it’s also a relevant development opportunity that resonates with Gen Z, which make up a majority of our baristas. This helps drive sales and connection as the program enables us to extend the coffeehouse experience beyond the walls of our cafes.
We’re excited about the feedback so far and are continuing to gather learnings from the pilot to inform the future of the program.
I still remember the first time I ordered Starbucks delivery. It was a rainy morning, and I was working from home in back-to-back meetings. I craved my usual – an oatmilk latte and a breakfast sandwich – but couldn’t step away. So I opened my go-to delivery app, placed my order, and 20 minutes later, it arrived: hot, tasty and sealed with care. That small moment of comfort made a big difference in my day.
Now, that same experience is enjoyed by millions of customers across the country. Starbucks delivery is officially available from 100% of eligible U.S. company-operated locations through the apps you already use – DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. With more coffeehouses participating, delivery is faster, more reliable, and consistently high-quality.
This expansion is part of how we’re evolving to meet our customers where they are. Whether you’re working from home, running errands, or sending a thoughtful treat to someone you care about, delivery offers a new way to enjoy Starbucks – on your terms.
And it’s making a meaningful impact. Our delivery business in the U.S. has continued to expand rapidly, growing nearly 30% year-over-year in the fourth quarter – and surpassing $1 billion in sales for the full fiscal year. Delivery orders are nearly twice the size of in-store transactions, and more than 40% include food.
But beyond the numbers, delivery is about something deeper: connection. It’s about creating small moments of joy – a morning coffee that lifts your spirits, or a surprise snack that says, “I’m thinking of you.” Every order is prepared with care through our Green Apron Service, ensuring quality and attention to detail. With best-in-class order accuracy and customer ratings, and average delivery times under 25 minutes, we’re proud to bring the Starbucks Experience to your doorstep.
As part of our broader “Back to Starbucks” strategy, delivery also helps us stay relevant in a digital-first world – offering convenience without compromising the warmth and care that define who we are. And we’re just getting started. Looking ahead, we’re exploring ways to make delivery even more seamless and personalized.
So whether you’re starting your day, taking a break, or sending a little joy to someone else, Starbucks is just a tap away.
Here’s to more moments, more connection, and more Starbucks – delivered.
Workers United, which represents only 4% of our partners, chose to walk away from the bargaining table. We’ve asked them to return—many times. If they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk.
Any agreement must be reasonable and reflect reality: Starbucksoffers the best job in retail, including more than $30 per hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners. Benefits include comprehensive health care, equity in the company, up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave and college tuition paid upfront—all available for partners who average just 20 hours a week of work.
We’ve invested over $500 million to improve staffing and support in our coffeehouses. The results speak for themselves. People like working at Starbucks: rosters are growing, turnover is nearly half the industry average, partner engagement is up and we receive more than 1 million job applications a year.
As a reminder Starbucks offers competitive pay and the following benefits. No other retailer comes close:
Pay and benefits average $30 per hour for a barista
Comprehensive healthcare for you and your family, with a wide choice of high-quality plans that include prescription drug coverage, medical, vision, dental and mental health benefits.
Free mental health sessions through our Lyra benefit
401k with a company match
Bean Stock company equity grants
Starbucks College Achievement Plan: 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University
Paid parental leave – up to 18 weeks
Paid vacation and sick time
8 paid holidays
Free Spotify premium membership
Free food and drink allowances when working
Starbucks partner discount
Free coffee mark out
Free Headspace account
Partner emergency financial assistance with the CUP Fund
Short-term disability insurance
Giving Match, up to $1,000 per year
Ability to nominate your favorite non-profit for a Neighborhood Grant
My Starbucks Savings, with $250 when you open an account
Student loan management tools
Siren Card to help you manage your money and build credit
Stock Investment Plan for Starbucks shares at a discount
Starbucks Global Academy with over 60 free curated courses
Up to $240 reimbursement when you participate in a fitness event
Discounts at other retailers through Perks at Work
Commuter benefits
Elite Athlete Program for partners participating in athletics at a world-class level
When partners grow, Starbucks grows. That’s the idea behind a new initiative designed to strengthen leadership and unlock new career paths in our coffeehouses.
It starts with a pilot that’s now underway in select coffeehouses in California, Illinois and Texas where 62 partners (employees) stepped into newly created, dedicated full-time coffeehouse coach roles. Of these new hires, 90% are internal hires — shift supervisors and baristas who raised their hands to grow, lead and make a bigger impact as we get Back to Starbucks.
This isn’t just a staffing update. It’s a meaningful investment in the heart of our business: our coffeehouses and the partners who run them. As I shared at our Leadership Experience in Las Vegas this June, we’re planning a major shift in 2026 — bringing at least one coffeehouse coach to nearly every coffeehouse across the U.S. and Canada. That means thousands of new leadership roles and double the leadership support in our coffeehouses.
When we have strong, stable leaders throughout our operating hours, everything gets better — partner experience, customer connection and coffeehouse performance. Coffeehouse coaches will give coffeehouse leaders more support to run the business, coach their teams and create great experiences for partners and customers. And when the team feels supported, they thrive.
Industry data backs this up: Engaged teams are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Internally, we’ve seen that coffeehouses with stable leadership deliver stronger results across the board.
This pilot also creates a clearer career path for our hourly partners. It’s all part of our commitment to hire 90% of retail leadership roles internally, within the next three years.
What we’re learning
Early insights from the pilot are helping shape our plans as we look ahead to 2026:
Engaged partners, ready to grow: Coffeehouses with high barista and shift supervisor engagement scores saw the strongest interest in coffeehouse coach roles. When partners feel supported, they want to step into leadership opportunities.
Leadership stability matters: Coffeehouses with longer-tenured leaders had more “ready-now” talent, reinforcing the link between leadership consistency and career growth.
A Hyper-Local Approach: Of the 62 coffeehouse coach hires, 56 were internal. Some districts had 100% internal hires; others ranged from 77–92%. These differences will help us plan a thoughtful, market-based rollout in 2026.
Looking ahead
As the pilot wraps in December, we’ll use what we’ve learned — about onboarding, training, scheduling, customer experience, partner engagement and more — to shape our national rollout.
To every partner who stepped into this new role: congratulations! You’re helping shape the future of coffeehouse leadership as we get Back to Starbucks.
And to every barista, shift supervisor or external candidate thinking about what’s next: keep an eye out for open coffeehouse coach roles in 2026. We see you. We believe in you.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more resilient Starbucks —one coffeehouse at a time.
Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer, Brian Niccol, shared the following message with Starbucks partners (employees):
Partners,
In June, I shared with you that Brad Lerman, evp, chief legal officer, will be leaving Starbucks. Since joining the company in 2023, Brad has had a meaningful impact. He’s significantly strengthened our global legal and compliance function, and provided steady, thoughtful counsel on important issues. I want to extend my thanks to Brad for his many contributions to Starbucks and his continued leadership throughout the search for his successor.
I’m pleased to share with you that we have selected Pilar Ramos to serve as executive vice president, chief legal officer. Pilar will join the Executive Leadership Team and also serve as an advisor to the Board of Directors. She’ll provide advice on a wide range of strategic and operational matters, as she partners with us to execute the Back to Starbucks plan. Brad will remain in role for the next few weeks to ensure continuity as Pilar begins her onboarding. We expect the transition to be completed by mid-November.
Pilar is a trusted advisor and distinguished team leader who brings deep corporate and global experience across several industries. She comes to us from TelevisaUnivision, the leading Spanish-language media company, where she serves as EVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, leading the Law, Government Affairs and Compliance functions. She previously held several senior positions at Mastercard, most recently as EVP & General Counsel, North America – the company’s largest business unit.
An alumna of the University of Pennsylvania, Pilar is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations and The Economic Club of New York. She also serves on the Boards of LatinoJustice, The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute.
Pilar will begin her in-store immersion in Miami later this month, before joining us in Seattle in early November. She is known to enjoy her daily grande cappuccino and is excited to explore the city and surrounding areas.
Please join me in thanking Brad for his important contributions and welcoming Pilar to Starbucks.
Starbucks brings back Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, Apple Crisp cold foam and new Apple Crisp Protein Cold Foam
It finally feels like fall – with hayrides, pumpkin patches and now Starbucks Apple Crisp! Starbucks is surprising and delighting customers with its return in U.S. coffeehouses starting Oct. 9, for a very limited time while supplies last.
The fan-favorite Starbucks Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso features Starbucks Blonde Espresso and notes of apple, cinnamon and brown sugar, shaken together and topped with oatmilk for a perfectly balanced seasonal sip that is full of fall flavor.
“The warm, gooey taste of apple crisp melds with the light roast flavors of Starbucks Blonde Espresso and creamy oatmilk to create a chilled yet cozy cup of coffee that evokes the comfort of autumn,” said Starbucks beverage developer Billy Altieri.
Customers can customize any beverage with apple brown sugar syrup, or add a silky layer of Apple Crisp Cream Cold Foam. For a boost of protein, the new Apple Crisp Protein Cold Foam delivers about 15 grams of protein per grande beverage. Customizations cost extra.
Calling all Starbucks Lovers! In celebration of Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” album drop on Friday, Oct. 3, Starbucks is throwing a global glitter party with fans in a way only Starbucks can.
Participating Starbucks coffeehouses around the world are hosting the largest global listening party of Swift’s new album, playing “The Life of a Showgirl” and “Starbucks Lovers” playlists.
Also, for this weekend, a Starbucks in Nashville will be transformed into “The Life of a Showgirl” Starbies coffeehouse — a dazzling tribute to TS12. Customers can immerse themselves in Taylor-inspired experiences including an exclusive vinyl pop-up record store, photo booth, friendship bracelets, glitter sprinkles on Starbucks cold foam and more. Starbies and Taylor Swift fans, this is your moment. Come sip, sing and sparkle.
Starbucks also brewed up a little surprise for Swifties when the album dropped. The first 113,000 fans (and Starbucks Rewards members) who had the eyes of a mastermind and caught the Easter egg in Starbucks social posts unlocked a free Starbucks drink for whatever’s on their Wi$h Li$t.
Starbucks and Swift share a history of coming together to celebrate her new albums. Most recently, in 2021, Starbucks partnered with Swift to celebrate the release of “Red (Taylor’s Version)”. As part of the collaboration, fans could order “Taylor’s Latte” — a grande caramel nonfat latte, which is Swift’s favorite drink. The drink was accompanied by themed stickers, Starbucks eGift Cards with lyrics like “Autumn leaves falling down” and a curated Spotify playlist featuring Swift’s music.
*Please note: the artist will not be in attendance.
Immediately following changes to our North America portfolio, we reached out to Worker’s United to work on a framework for how these updates would affect represented partners in coffeehouses we made the decision to close.
Given the industry-leading offer provided to impacted partners — including reassignment opportunities, where possible, and generous severance — we were able to quickly reach an agreement with Workers United to similarly help represented partners through this transition. This reflects our commitment to partner care.
The agreement is consistent with options provided to non-represented partners, which include:
The offer of reassignment to nearby locations, where possible, based on business need and partner availability.
Where reassignment isn’t available, represented partners will receive the same severance package as non-represented partners, including:
Pay for scheduled shifts through October 5.
If enrolled in benefits:
Three months of fully covered COBRA premiums.
Access to Lyra mental health support for 18 months.
Access to Starbucks College Achievement Plan through the December term.
A commitment to full compliance with Fair Workweek laws and WARN Act requirements, where applicable.
Eligibility for rehire for partners who were not reassigned.
Our agreement with the union provides two minor adjustments for represented partners:
For a small number of represented partners with disputed final written warnings, we’ve agreed to a good-faith review to ensure reassignment is fairly assessed.
Represented partners with a reassignment option will be notified this week and must communicate whether they accept their assignment by October 3. Those who do not accept their assignments will be provided severance.
These decisions affect our partners and their families — we take that seriously.
