Brian Niccol

Starbucks' same-store sales rose 7.7% in Q4, driven by ticket growth

Starbucks reports 7.2% global same-store sales growth, plans major tech modernization

Starbucks plans 4% growth in fiscal 2027 with new store formats and technology

Starbucks reported a 7.7% rise in U.S. same-store sales for the fourth quarter, driven by service improvements and record membership in its loyalty rewards program.

Seattle-based Starbucks ended its fiscal year with a 7.2% increase in global comparable coffeehouse sales for the fourth quarter, with both average ticket and transactions rising.

The Starbucks shop in Snohomish, Washington, is part of a New Urbanist development along the city’s major retail corridor.

Starbucks improves service and sales with Green Apron Service Model

I have a complicated relationship with the Starbucks story right now.

Starbucks confirmed Monday that it is not pursuing an acquisition of Chipotle, putting an end to speculation surrounding what could have been the largest merger in restaurant industry history.

This is from the weekly restaurant finance newsletter The Bottom Line.

The coffee chain denied it was buying the burrito chain, but analysts offered an interesting view of what a mega-merger would have meant to the restaurant industry.

We restaurant journalists have a standard example to represent the biggest possible story we could imagine in the business.

Starbucks explores acquiring Chipotle in a potential $50 billion deal.

Chipotle’s pickup lane journey quietly began in late 2018 when it started piloting an earlier generation of what would widely become known as the “Chipotlane.” The following November, at CNBC’s Evolve Summit in Los Angel

In the year 2026, quick-service restaurants’ biggest competitors aren’t each other — they’re convenience stores.

Starbucks could be on the verge of another significant overseas deal.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the closure of O’Charley’s, which has closed its corporate stores, leaving about four franchisee-owned units.

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has led changes over two years

Chipotle is debuting two simultaneous limited-time offerings, Pollo Asado and Chili Lime Chips, as part of a strategic push for menu innovation and rewards engagement.

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.

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.

- Finance Starbucks and Chipotle shine while Wingstop flails and Jersey Mike’s goes public Plus, Panera Bread’s HQ move and DoorDash’s drone delivery. .jpg?width=100&auto=webp&qual

The brands leading this year’s QSR 50 are succeeding in an environment with cautious consumers, fierce competition, and shifting expectations.

Why did Cracker Barrel change its CEO one year after its logo controversy?