Queensway’s Post

I believe excellent suggestions for Starbucks are presented by Mr. Calhoun. He is spot on in his opinion of the Starbucks identity crisis. I agree with his observation that mobile orders are overwhelming staff. Mobile order customers spend but seconds in facility and do not appreciate the Starbucks in-store culture. I agree with the suggestions of Mr. Calhoun and would add the additional thoughts: lots and lots of comfy chairs and many more two-person tables. Do away entirely with the long twenty person tables now being placed in some Starbucks. Soothing background music should be playing in all stores and smiles and an up beat attitude by employees would be helpful too. Of course, such attitude would be easier with much better staff compensation. A major reduction in the new CEO’s compensation (about by 50% as a start) with the monies directed to staff salaries would be a significant improvement and equitable too. Finally, improve cleaning of the stores. Most Starbucks store I visit have overflowing and dirty trashcans. Little things like overflowing trash can never should be permitted to happen. It happens dues to overwhelmed and poorly compensated employees. Try to do better, Starbucks. I hope you will be able to improve.

There are a couple of fascinating points in this piece: 1. When did we move from black coffee and espresso drinks to Harvest Spice Energy Infusion, Iced Maple Bourbon Latte, and Melon Burst Iced Energy Drink? 2. There is a lot of chatter about the end of commercial real estate, but all of these retail locations are looking for the same thing: a retail strip center end cap. These days, the hottest commercial real estate in most cities is known as the “end cap,” the far end corners of a shopping center or strip mall that allow for a cafe and drive-through to be built. -- Personally, I am curious as to who is financing all of this expansion. #starbucks #realestate #retail #coffee #midwest

How to save Starbucks: 1. Close all stores in countries where there are wide-spread boycotts resulting in loss of revenue 2. Open the dining rooms (and uncover the electrical outlets) 3. Decrease the prices (most sellers don't want to do this because they don't understand that prices can help drive demand)

Starbucks is turning the volume down. The Seattle-based coffee giant is introducing ceiling baffles in new and renovated stores to absorb sound and minimize reverberations that could help the chain save when it comes to order mix-ups. Specifically, the company expects that these ceiling-mounted baffles, which are fairly simple to install, will improve the ability of baristas to accurately capture customer orders, making the coffee shops more inviting for individuals with hearing impairments. By diminishing background noise, these changes are likely to cut down on barista mistakes, particularly for those taking drive-thru orders in a busy store.

Some #Breakingnews and key takeaways from Starbucks, fresh off their Q4 earnings call: -***Non-dairy milk upcharges are going away -The company is slowing down store renovations for now -***Starbucks won't be increasing prices through FY 2025 -They're bringing back the condiment bar -***They're bringing back the Sharpies so baristas can go back to misspelling your name again (KIDDING. Kinda) -Starbucks is cutting down its menu size to simplify operations and re-focus on good coffee. -The goal is to get the in-store service time down to 4 minutes or less The changes from Brian Niccol continue! What are your thoughts? Here's my preliminary story on Nation's Restaurant News. More to come tomorrow: https://lnkd.in/e8aBicxR

So, here’s what I found out about Greggs while nosing around: They don’t just open one shop and call it a day. Oh no. They go all in and pop up at every street corner like it’s a neighborhood invasion. Why? Because if you’re tripping over a Greggs every 50 feet, you’re definitely not going to anyone else. It’s genius. And sneaky. Kind of like Starbucks, where you can sip a latte while staring at another Starbucks right across the street. The point is, these guys go one locally dense. They want you to have zero excuses not to choose them. But what do some other restaurant operators do? They spread wide, like spreading butter too thin on toast—barely making a dent anywhere. They rush to plant flags all over different cities like they’re playing a game of Risk. But there’s a problem: in each city, they’re just… there. Not dominating, not owning the space, just existing. And supporting those faraway stores? That’s a headache on a whole new level. Recruitment? A nightmare. Marketing? Forget it. You’re basically running around trying to hold things together with duct tape and hope. But here’s the kicker: While you’re busy playing Whac-A-Mole with operations in six different cities, copycats swoop in. Enter the #SamwerBrothers, the German kings of copy-paste businesses. They see your scattered effort and think, “Ah, yes, perfect. We’ll take it from here.” Now, I know what you’re thinking. "Going one locally dense? Slows down expansion, doesn’t it?" Sure. But here’s the thing—what if instead of trying to be everywhere and impress no one, you became a #LocalLegend? What if you focused your marketing on the people who could literally walk to your restaurant? So, you can either be the restaurant a few have heard of — or you can go deep, dominate one block at a time, and make sure no one even considers the competition. Me? I will be Greggs-ing the heck out of every street corner I could find. #RestaurantBusiness #RestaurantOperation #RestaurantScaling

Another bold change to Marks and Spencer cafes? THEY ARE ACCEPTING CASH AGAIN! Signs still say “Card Only “ BUT if you WANT to pay by cash you can - and they have change to give, so cash acceptance is being managed properly. Well done, Marks and Spencer - now put up some “Cash Welcome” stickers. I can provide them from my association with the “Cash is Cool” organisation! Another retailer that has also almost returned to the straight and narrow is Boots Opticians. They are also accepting cash again BUT not offering change in stand-alone locations. Come on, Boots UK - nearly there, BUT you can do better than that! In any event, two very positive moves by major British retailers. I would urge ALL customers to use cash in these retailers. That would help reaffirm the enduring importance of Payment Choice. By the way, who told you “cashless” was a dead man walking? WE DID Payment Choice Alliance

This recent article outlining Brian Niccol’s first major move as Starbucks new CEO caught my eye. Starbucks has seen a decline in their sales and Niccol feels it could be due to the environmental feel inside the cafes. They have gone from a traditional sit-down coffee shop to transactionally focused, rapid pickup locations. Niccol plans to reinvent Starbucks back into the community coffeehouse it once was. Although not always obvious, or may be a subconscious feeling, the look and feel of a restaurant is just as crucial as the food that is served. At Crow Works we believe this to our core. In fact our company mission is: We strive to create a world of experiences and environments that provoke thought and connect people to each other where they gather, eat, dream and share. I am excited to see Starbucks’ transformation. We are cheering them on as Crow Works continues to work with our customers to create inviting environments where connection can take place. https://lnkd.in/erP-vvJs

Correct, expert set-up and preventative maintenance are paramount in keeping commercial coffee machines clean - and coffee tasting its best for your customers and staff. Having this level of in-house expertise (see our engineer Trevor below) is essential for our customers - from showrooms to offices, cafes and hospitality venues generally. #coffee #business #Lavazza Promise for Business

The American coffee wars are heating up! 🔥 ☕ You know the top 3 players but the newcomers in the space are changing the status quo. 🥇 Starbucks - 16,480 locations 🥈 Dunkin' - 9,600 locations 🥉 Tim Hortons - 5,700 locations 4: Dutch Bros Coffee - 910 locations 5: Scooter's Coffee - 800 locations 6: Caribou Coffee - 500 locations 7: Krispy Kreme - 370 locations 8: The Human Bean - 300 locations 9: Peet's Coffee - 290 locations 10: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® - 200 locations Dutch Bros and Scooters coffee are growing at incredible rates (30-40% YoY), both opening 500+ locations since the pandemic. #retail #retaildevelopment #QSR #restaurants #coffeeshops #retailgrowth #franchisebusiness #retailexpansion