A group of Starbucks investors is escalating their pressure campaign over the coffee giant's ongoing labor turmoil - and this time, they're targeting the board. Ahead of the company's March 25 annual meeting, a coalition of long-term shareholders is urging investors to vote against the reelection of Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, the lead independent director, and Beth Ford, the chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. The group citeswhat they call "sustained oversight failures of labor relations."
While Grasso doesn't point out any single menu item as the "healthiest" ("healthy is very subjective," the expert adds), each tends to have health goals, needs, and preferences that differ from others. "When I'm eating out, I like to look for options that include a good mix of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates," Grasso tells us. "That combo helps keep you satisfied, supports steady blood sugar, and provides more sustainable energy."
Working at Starbucks can be something of a sensory overload, and for those who might be sensitive to being over stimulated, it's certainly something you should know before applying to work at Starbucks. The crowds can be intense, there are alarms and notifications every which way, and now and again, you hear the sound of screaming milk from the espresso machine.
In a soft-flour tortilla wrap is a rich filling made from cage-free scrambled eggs; crisp, double-smoked bacon; pork sausage; melted Cheddar cheese; and potatoes - any one of these is sure to fill you up for the day ahead. Outside of the high protein amount, another awesome thing about this wrap is how nicely it's balanced between satisfying hunger and keeping you energized through the morning - all for 640 calories.
Americans are drinking more coffee than they have in decades. But fewer of them are getting it from Starbucks. The company that revolutionized the United States' coffee culture remains America's biggest player, with nearly 17,000 U.S. stores and plans to open hundreds more. But it's facing unprecedented competition, which will make it harder to win back the customers it already lost.
Clearly, something is working. Starbucks' latest earnings report on Wednesday showed sales up for the second quarter in a row. This is a reversal of a downward trend over the last 18 months, ever since Brian Niccol, former Chipotle CEO, took over at Starbucks. Niccol's big campaign is "back to Starbucks" - attempting to revive the coffee chain to its glory days as a place people wanted to sit and chat and drink coffee, not just order over an app for pickup or drive-thru.
Starbucks has undergone its fair share of changes since opening in 1971, expanding from a small Seattle coffee shop into a global caffeine empire. There was the invention of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the introduction of breakfast sandwiches, and even the addition of new coffee roasts, all of which appealed to customers in one way or another. A recent change that didn't resonate well with customers? The removal of the self-serve condiment bar, but luckily, this was reversed rather quickly.
The coffee giant hit the ground running with its annual yuletide campaign Nov. 1. In a nod to the adult coloring book craze, this year's cups feature hints of red and green, but are mostly black-and-white, encouraging customers to fill in the stylized trees, ornaments, and gifts with the hues of their choice. However, it's the commercial for this year's holiday campaign, titled "Give Good," that's generating the most buzz.
Starbucks fans take note: You can stay in your jammies, skip the drive-through, and enjoy some of the brand's most iconic beverages in the comfort of your own home. Hot drinks, cold drinks, beverage enhancers, fruity juices, Starbucks has something for everyone. The popular coffee chain has been winning the hearts of java enthusiasts since 1971, and its success has grown exponentially ever since. In fact, the company reported sales of $37.2 billion in 2025. That's a lot of thirst quenching.
In addition to accusations of labor and human rights violations on the coffee farms that Starbucks partners with, the lawsuit also alleges that testing has found toxic substances in its Decaf House Blend medium roast coffee. The substances supposedly include methylene chloride, benzene, and toluene. The lawsuit says the presence of these chemicals violates Starbuck's labels of "100% Arabica coffee." More importantly, each are considered volatile organic compounds and are unsafe for human consumption at the levels allegedly detected.
Starbucks said on Tuesday that it had conducted an investigation of the incident and had fired the employee who had handed over the coffee cup at the drive-thru window, even though the investigation found that the drawing was not intentionally meant to be offensive. Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said the drawing of a popular meme, John Pork, was created in the morning, hours before the deputy visited the coffee shop.
Starting off strong for anyone who can't get enough of the viral Dubai chocolate trend, the winter menu launches two new Dubai Chocolate drinks for a limited time: the Iced Dubai Chocolate Matcha and the Iced Dubai Chocolate Mocha. The former features unsweetened matcha, pistachio sauce, milk, and ice, topped with silky chocolate cream cold foam and a salted brown-buttery topping. The latter features Starbucks Espresso roast, chocolate mocha sauce, milk, and ice, topped with chocolate cream cold foam and the same salted brown-buttery topping.
"If you don't like customer service, you're probably not going to like working at Starbucks. We're in that transition of getting people to understand that," Niccol said. "When I saw that in the Reddit thread, I was like, 'OK, we're making progress on what the standard of services that we want [are].'"
and when preparing an order, nothing complicates it more than drinks with seven or more customizations. From alternative milks and sugar free syrups, to specific numbers of pumps to additional shots of espresso - the amount of changes you're able to make to any single drink from Starbucks is fairly extensive. With some clever ordering, however, you can ensure that the many changes you need aren't overwhelming for your barista.
Within a white hot chocolate order, expect some of the usual tasting notes of a quality hot chocolate pour, except the white chocolate drink offers an extra creamy consistency. On the app or in your local store, look to modify a typical hot chocolate by asking for no mocha or mocha drizzle and swap it out with white mocha sauce.
Starbucks has poached a senior manager from E.l.f. Cosmetics as part of its ongoing quest to re-energize the Starbucks brand through cultural collaborations. Neiv Toledano has joined Starbucks as its senior marketing manager of fashion and beauty. While Starbucks has always had employees who have worked on collaborations, including in the fashion and beauty spaces, this is a first-of-its-kind dedicated role and a signal that Starbucks is placing a bigger premium on these types of partnerships.
