Brian Niccol said a Reddit thread of people interviewing for his company showed him that his 'Back to Starbucks' plan was working

Tech Insider : Business
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol at Fast Company conference
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said Luckin Coffee is forcing product innovation.

Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast Company

Brian Niccol said he wants Starbucks to feel like the coffee shop from 'Friends'

Tech Insider : Business
Customers leave a Starbucks Coffee shop on September 25, 2025 in Corte Madera, California.
Brian Niccol said he wanted Starbucks to feel like the coffee shop from "Friends."

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Starbucks made a lot of changes in 2025. Some were great — but one was terrible.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
Starbucks drink with whipped cream
A fancy Starbucks coffee drink with whipped cream

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All of the changes Brian Niccol has made at Starbucks so far

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol stands in front of a step-and-repeat banner featuring the Fast Company logo.
Brian Niccol has spent his first year as CEO of Starbucks making a series of changes, big and small, to improve operations at the coffee giant.

Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast Company

Major food chains are reinventing themselves. We ranked their efforts to see who's winning the Great Restaurant Reset.

Tech Insider : Business
Two large billboards displaying a Pizza Hut and Cracker Barrel logos
Brands including Chili's, Starbucks, and Cracker Barrel have undergone revitalization efforts this year.

Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI

More than 4,100 stores and restaurants are closing across the US this year. Here's the list.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
The Zara logo appears on a storefront.
Zara's parent company, Inditex, said it closed 132 stores across its portfolio in 2025.

Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Starbucks gift cards dominate the holidays

Tech Insider : Business
A Starbucks gift card display.
Starbucks projects it will sell $60 million in gift cards on December 24th alone, its biggest sales day for gift cards of the year in the US and Canada.

Starbucks

Starbucks is doubling down on its free bachelor's degree program as enrollment surges 60%

Tech Insider : Business
Three graduates of Starbucks' College Achievement Plan (SCAP) program cheer while holding Starbucks cups.
Starbucks says its free college program boosts promotions, retention — and helps attract over a million applicants a year

Starbucks

The list of major companies laying off staff this year includes Verizon, IBM, Amazon, Starbucks, American Airlines, and more

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Technology
Verizon store
Verizon is one of the latest companies to cut jobs in 2025.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Cheap coffee is winning in grocery aisles — except when shoppers want Starbucks

Tech Insider : Business
A grocery aisle display of Starbucks coffee.
Bargain coffee is booming, but Starbucks beans remain the splurge shoppers won't quit.

Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images

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