The revamping of Starbucks

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Starbucks branch in Pleasant Hill, CA.


When Starbucks was still a new coffee shop in the Philippines, my extended family would go there for drinks and pastries after dinner or for desserts after lunch at Lola Bats' house. I used to stop at one of its branches to eat while taking a break from long drives. I also made sure to stop by a branch somewhere in Loyola Heights to have my venti signature hot chocolate with peppermint syrup to drink during my lecture class at the Ateneo de Manila University. In short, Starbucks was my "third place", or a location other than home (the first place) and office (the second place) where people gather to socialise and/or people-watch. In fact, Starbucks was one of the first places I visited with Sherry Lou, a classmate in the BSc Biology program at UPLB, on my first evening in Sydney!

I was culture-shocked to learn that my third place in the Philippines was just a pitstop for many people in the USA. The classy coffee shops I was accustomed to seeing in Manila were takeaway counters or kiosks inside Safeway or Target. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I eventually got used to ordering my venti double chocolate chip creme frappuccino with soy milk, whipped cream, and peppermint syrup through the mobile app and picking it up at the drive-thru. It was all about efficiency and convenience. The baristas were kind and friendly, but the experience was quite different.

The shift away from the company motto, "To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup, one neighbourhood at a time," was probably one of the reasons for the drop in sales in key markets. The new CEO, Brian Niccol, wants to bring back the cozy feeling of sipping coffee surrounded by family and friends to the third-place experience. To shape the consumer experience, Starbucks has changed the interior design of its branches, bringing back the condiments section, the electric outlets per table, the cozy seats, and a zen aesthetic that reminds me of Apple Park's Caffè Macs. 

Yes, the current corporate direction leans into coffee. After all, Starbucks was originally all about coffee: the origins of the different beans used in the drinks, the stories of the farmers who grew the coffee beans, and the environment in which the coffee beans were cultivated. 

The menu change means streamlining the drink menus to remove the creme-based frappuccinos (*sigh*). I felt sad when I learned about Starbucks' new menu direction. It's the end of an era (for me) and a short stint (for Donan) because our favourite double chocolate chip creme frappuccino is now off the official menu. We no longer have a reason to purchase food at Starbucks.

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