Leadership Experience 2025: Starbucks Rallies 14,000 North America Coffeehouse Leaders to Accelerate its 'Back to Starbucks' Strategy
"Getting 'Back to Starbucks' means refocusing on what has always set us apart — a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather, and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our skilled baristas," said Niccol. "We are bringing together our coffeehouse leaders from across North America to celebrate, empower and equip them to accelerate our transformation. The coffeehouse experience defines the Starbucks brand, and these leaders and their teams bring that experience to life for millions of customers every day."
A New Era of Leadership and Customer Experience
LE25 is an important milestone for Starbucks. Over three days, coffeehouse leaders will engage in immersive workshops, connect over new ways of working, hear directly from company leaders, and experience the first-ever Starbucks Global Barista Championship, celebrating craft, connection, excellence at its best.
The event will accelerate Starbucks turnaround—centered on exceptional service, simplified routines, and deeper customer connections. Leaders will explore new innovations, clearer customer service standards, and a renewed focus on hospitality, including a goal of four-minute wait times – without compromising the warmth and connection that define the Starbucks Experience.
"This isn't just a reset—it's a recommitment to who we are when we are at our best," said Grams. "LE25 is our moment to recommit to a culture of hospitality and excellence. We're making progress, have real momentum with our "Back to Starbucks" plan and are on the right track to turn the business around."
Since launching its Back to Starbucks strategy nine months ago, customers are already feeling the difference, with welcoming spaces, more confident baristas, faster service, and the return of small but meaningful touches like ceramic mugs, handwritten notes on cups, a more consistent dress code, and a much-loved customer favourite: the condiment bar.
"Our turnaround is rooted in listening—to partners and customers—and taking action on what we hear," added Grams. "We're listening and testing in the coffeehouse, and then applying our learnings to scale quickly and enhance the customer and partner experience."
Leading with Partners, Winning with Customers
Starbucks continues to be a leader in partner (employee) care, offering competitive pay and industry-leading benefits such as a recently launched paid parental leave top-up benefit for all eligible Canadian store partners, equity in the form of stock, $5,000 in mental health benefits for eligible partners and more. Additionally, as part of its focus on making Starbucks the best job in retail, the company has established a goal to hire 90% of retail leaders from within, fostering a culture of growth and opportunity.
"We believe a great partner experience fuels the customer experience," said Grams. "We always have more work to do, but our partners are rallying behind Back to Starbucks and telling us they like what they see. When our partners feel supported, our customers notice the difference too."
Coffee and Craft Take Center Stage
LE25 kicks off today with Starbucks largest-ever coffee tasting, featuring a first taste of the new Starbucks 1971 Roast™, available in the U.S. and Canada this Winter. The company is also celebrating the impact of its investment in the Global Farmer Fund, supporting long-term sustainability across Origin communities.
LE25 will also spotlight the first-ever Starbucks Global Barista Championship— a celebration of Starbucks baristas who embody the company's commitment to community, connection and craft. Over the three-day competition, 12 baristas from around the world will showcase their coffee passion and expertise through a variety of skills and knowledge-based competitions.
"We're returning to what made us iconic: handcrafted coffee, human connection, and a relentless focus on excellence," said Niccol. "We're reigniting the soul of Starbucks, together."
Giving Back in Las Vegas
This week, Starbucks is demonstrating how major events can be designed with sustainability and community in mind. LE25 is powered by 100% renewable electricity sourced within 500 miles of Las Vegas. Starbucks will donate any surplus food to its FoodShare partner Three Square Food Bank, divert food waste and coffee grounds from the event to local farms, and plant 10 trees per attendee to support reforestation efforts in South American coffee-growing communities. The Starbucks Foundation will invite attendees to vote for five local Las Vegas organizations to receive grants, with an estimated $100,000 to be donated to causes like hunger relief, homelessness, youth empowerment and more. The Starbucks Foundation is also donating a $10,000 Neighborhood Grant to each Barista Championship contestant's chosen nonprofit.
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