A look at 2 years of massive changes at Starbucks
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has led changes over two years
· Restaurant Business· September 10, 2026
Company
Starbucks — page 3
Starbucks is a company in Burnaze's franchise knowledge graph, mentioned since 2015. 916 stories link here, each summarized from the original publisher. * Starbucks plans 4% growth in fiscal 2027 with new store formats and technology, including AI that helps baristas take drive-thru orders [[2026-10-30 4 operations moves behind Starbucks' 2027 growth plan (59ac4d)]]. * The company's global same-store sales grew 6.2% for the full fiscal year, with North America lifting 6.6% and the U.S. 6.5% [[2026-10-30 Starbucks Prepares for a ‘Major Tech Modernization’ (3522ab)]]. * Starbucks' U.S. same-store sales rose 7.7% in Q4, driven by a 5.2% increase in ticket size and 2.4% transaction growth [[2026-10-30 Starbucks’ strong comps driven by ticket growth (e212f6)]]. * Starbucks ended its fiscal year with a 7.2% increase in global comparable coffeehouse sales for the fourth quarter, driven by a 5% increase in average ticket and a 2.7% increase in comparable transactions in North America [[2026-10-29 Starbucks closes fiscal 2026 with 7.9% North America comp gain (9a894f)]]. * The company reported a 7.9% North America comp gain and a 6.2% global comp sales growth for the full fiscal year [[2026-10-29 Starbucks closes fiscal 2026 with 7.9% North America comp gain (9a894f)]]. * Starbucks is transforming its aesthetic through overnight remodels, with 1,500 locations remodeled by the end of September and thousands more planned [[2026-10-27 How Starbucks' overnight remodels transform the chain's aesthetic (40fee8)]]. * Starbucks improved its service and sales with the Green Apron Service Model, which sets standards for baristas and increases labor hours in stores [[2026-10-19 How Starbucks improved service and turned its sales around (6192ae)]]. * Starbucks confirmed it is not pursuing an acquisition of Chipotle, ending speculation about a potential merger [[2026-10-12 Starbucks Confirms it is Not Buying Chipotle (46e121)]] Filed under Restaurants / Coffee & tea.
- Brian Niccol
- Howard Schultz
- Cathy Smith
- Mike Grams
- Laxman Narasimhan
- Andrew Alfano
- Tressie Lieberman
- Anand Varadarajan
QSR's bet big on beverages
Quick-service chains like McDonald’s and Taco Bell are increasingly prioritizing specialty beverages and energy drinks as a primary driver for customer traffic and new dayparts.
· QSR Web· September 10, 2026
Domino’s new campaign has us asking what belongs on fast-food’s Mount Rushmore
Domino's compares its new pizza to Big Mac, Whopper, and others
· Restaurant Business· September 9, 2026
Scooter’s Has a Role to Play in the Drive-Thru Coffee Rush
Scooter’s Coffee has surpassed 900 locations following a rapid expansion phase, with the vast majority of its drive-thru-focused units operated by franchisees.
· QSR Magazine· September 7, 2026
Starbucks Ruling Puts Brand Standards and Labor Rights in Focus
A federal appeals court has sided with Starbucks in a dispute over employee clothing and union organizing, finding that the National Labor Relations Board did not properly weigh the company's dress standards against empl
· 1851 Franchise· September 4, 2026
⛫ From Borders to Wahlburgers
Rick Vanzura is currently the CEO of GrowthFactor, an AI-native site selection operating system.
· Empires Weekly· September 2, 2026
Value Incentives are Undermining Restaurant Loyalty Programs
Many restaurant loyalty programs revolve around discounting. From BOGO to dollar menu offerings, these loyalty rewards are focused on bringing greater value to members.
· QSR Magazine· September 2, 2026
Starbucks’ pumpkin spice launch breaks records, again
Starbucks' fall menu launch breaks records with 35.1% traffic increase.
· Restaurant Dive· September 1, 2026
Q2 2026’s restaurant winners and losers
Coffee is in, pizza is out, and some legacy QSR chains are struggling with much-needed turnarounds.
· Restaurant Dive· September 1, 2026
Another restaurant chain doesn’t get sold
This is from the weekly restaurant finance newsletter The Bottom Line.
· Restaurant Business· August 31, 2026
Starbucks faces another union boycott, activist investor pressure
Pro-labor investors want the chain to split its board chair and CEO roles as Starbucks Workers United asks consumers to join its contract fight.
· Restaurant Dive· August 31, 2026
Starbucks Unicorn Frappucino drives biggest sales weekend ever
The chain spent months building anticipation for the drink, which was available for just two days and drove a 28.5% traffic bump, compared to a typical Saturday.
· Restaurant Dive· August 24, 2026
Why fast food's drive toward 100% digital is misguided
McDonald's tests drive-thru AI ordering with 38% of consumers opposed.
· Restaurant Business· August 20, 2026
7 Brew’s latest growth is coming to the grocery aisle
- Beverage Trends - Quick Service - News 7 Brew’s latest growth is coming to the grocery aisle The fast-growing drive-thru coffee chain will start selling bottled coffee and energy
· Nation's Restaurant News· August 20, 2026
Chipotle, Mike’s Red Tacos, and 2016 nostalgia
- Fast Casual - Marketing & Branding - Executives Restaurant Daily Chipotle, Mike’s Red Tacos, and 2016 nostalgia Get all the headlines in today’s Restaurant Daily podcast. [](http
· Nation's Restaurant News· August 20, 2026
A&W develops larger store prototype
The diner-inspired format is designed to foster meaningful guest connections through hospitality and differentiate the brand from transactional QSR dining rooms.
· Restaurant Dive· August 20, 2026
'Vibe coding' is changing the build-or-buy debate for restaurants
Keva juice chain uses AI to build software, saving $30,000 annually
· Restaurant Business· August 19, 2026
⛫ "Craveable Wellness" is Winning
Cava posted an incredible Q2, bucking the trend of many other franchises and chains right now.
· Empires Weekly· August 17, 2026
Jollibee Franchise Success: Strategy & Leadership Insights
Jollibee was recently featured on the FULL COMP podcast , where Vice President of Franchising Peter Wright joined host Josh Kopel to discuss the leadership philosophy, franchise development strategy and…
· 1851 Franchise· August 17, 2026
Pistachio Trend Takes Over Franchise Dessert Menus
Franchise brands like Starbucks and Kilwins are adding pistachio to menus as consumer engagement with the ingredient surges over 300% in the past year.
· Franchise Wire· August 16, 2026
Nationwide Life Insurance Company Provides $51M Refi for D.C.-Area Retail Center
A $51 million refinancing deal has been secured for a grocery-anchored retail center in Maryland, highlighting the value of established multi-unit retail hubs in wealthy demographics.
· Commercial Observer· August 14, 2026
Emerging Chains to Watch: Pump & Pantry
The Nebraska-based convenience store chain is expanding into Iowa and Minnesota following the acquisition of 21 Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh locations.
· CStore Decisions· August 13, 2026
Townhouse Taps Veteran Franchise and Quick-Service Restaurant Executives to Fuel U.S. Expansion
Townhouse has assembled a franchise leadership team with more than seven decades of combined franchise, multi-unit and consumer-brand experience to support operators in the beauty segment.
· Franchising.com· August 12, 2026
Starbucks brings up the rear in a pumpkin menu launch this month
Starbucks launches Pumpkin Spice Latte on August 25, after competitors.
· Restaurant Business· August 12, 2026