Do we like Starbucks?
Global coffeehouse chain with over 13,700 US stores, plus a big China business. Based in Seattle, US.
Our score: 5 out of 10. Mixed. It has real farmer-support programmes and a turnaround under way, but it still has no union contract and has paid out over worker scheduling. Climate goals are slipping too.
Starbucks is the world's biggest coffee chain. Brian Niccol, who ran Chipotle before it, took over as chairman and CEO in September 2024 after the previous boss stepped down. The company had been struggling with falling sales and slow service, and Niccol's 'Back to Starbucks' plan aims to fix both.
Two years in, Niccol says the shine is back. CNBC reports that over 1,000 stores have been renovated in nine months. Fast Company says the company is spending over $1bn to bring back comfy seating. This week he said a multi-brand company is possible, though it denied a report that it was after Chipotle.
The big sore spot is labour. Workers United has been seeking a first contract since late 2021. Its baristas ran a strike that began 13 November 2025, and Atlanta Civic Circle says it lasted 131 days. Bargaining was due to restart in April. In August the union called a boycott, saying Starbucks went back to stonewalling.
There are legal bruises too. In December 2025 Starbucks settled a $38.9m New York City case. The city said it cut hours and changed schedules without notice at more than 300 locations. In September 2026 it also paid Florida $1m to end a DEI lawsuit, with no admission of wrongdoing.
On coffee, the company reports real progress. It says it has donated 100m climate-resilient trees and deployed $100m+ in farmer financing. But its total emissions are up 7% on 2019, and it is reassessing its 2030 climate target. Good intentions, uneven follow-through, and a labour fight that is still open: we'd call that a 5.