Howard Schultz encourages Starbucks workers to support new leadership’s plan
Aug 2, 2025, 6:03 AM | Updated: 5:26 pm
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. In a recent LinkedIn post published, Schultz says the company’s leaders should spend more time in stores and focus on coffee drinks as they work to turn around flagging sales. (File photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)
(File photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)
Amid declining sales, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is urging employees to support the company’s new leadership and turnaround plan.
Bloomberg reviewed a recording of an internal meeting held in Seattle this week. During the meeting, Schultz told employees, “There has to be a sense of urgency about the work.” He encouraged them to buy into Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol’s strategy, which includes increasing the required number of in-office days from three to four.
“We can’t afford to do this part-time,” Schultz said. “We have to commit to the company.”
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Starbucks is trying to recover from six straight quarters of same-store sales declines, Bloomberg reported.
“The transformation of Starbucks — it’s not guaranteed,” he said in the meeting recording cited by Bloomberg. “We’re not entitled to it. We’re not entitled to success. We have to succeed every single day.”
Niccol announced the new four-day in-office requirement last month.
“At Starbucks, coffee and human connection are at our core. We believe in the power of connection, not just in our coffeehouses, but in how we work together as support partners,” he stated in a message to employees posted on the company’s website.
“We understand not everyone will agree with this approach. We’ve listened and thought carefully,” he continued. “But as a company built on human connection, and given the scale of the turnaround ahead, we believe this is the right path for Starbucks.”
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
