Starbucks is doubling down on hospitality in hopes of reversing six straight quarters of declining U.S. sales. Under CEO Brian Niccol, the chain is retraining more than 200,000 baristas with a new Green Apron Service model—a script that emphasizes eye contact, warm greetings, and personal touches like handwritten cup notes.
The training encourages baristas to slow down and connect: “Pause for a second to make eye contact. Don’t rush the moment,” reads one section. If things go wrong, employees are coached to use the LATTE method: Listen, Apologize, Take action, Thank, and Ensure satisfaction.
To make this possible, Starbucks is hiring more staff, creating greeter roles, and redesigning order flows so baristas aren’t stretched too thin. Early test stores saw shorter wait times and improved customer satisfaction, convincing leadership to roll out the program to all 10,000+ U.S. cafes months ahead of schedule.
The strategy marks a return to Starbucks’ roots as a welcoming “third place,” even as rivals like Dunkin’ and Dutch Bros focus on speed and price. For Niccol, restoring the café’s human touch is central to turning the company around—one smile, one latte, and one meaningful glance at a time.
