Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol speaks with FOX Business’ Liz Claman from the company’s leadership conference, where he weighs in on top priorities and growth strategies, as well as adding protein cold foam to drinks in menu innovation.
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is requiring employees to return to the office four days a week as the coffee giant aims to turnaround its business.
Employees at its Seattle and Toronto support centers, as well as its North America regional offices, will be required to be in the office Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting in October, Niccol told employees in a letter on Monday. Currently, employees are only required to be in the office three days a week.
All executives, starting at the vice president level, were asked to relocate to Seattle or Toronto in February so they can be “physically present with their teams.” On Monday, Niccol also extended this requirement to all support center people leaders. They are expected to be based in Seattle or Toronto within the next 12 months, according to Niccol.
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The initiatives are part of Niccol’s effort to rebuild the company’s culture through his “Back to Starbucks” strategy, aimed at getting the business back on track.
A Starbucks logo at a location in New York, US, on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“We are reestablishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we’re together,” Niccol said in the letter. “We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster. Being in person also helps us build and strengthen our culture. As we work to turn the business around, all these things matter more than ever.”
Employees are still able to travel where they are needed and can step out of the office or leave early, if an occasion arises, according to Niccol. However, “the default for support partners should be working in person, in a Starbucks office, alongside your team and cross-functional partners,” he said.
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A barista prepares a drink inside a Starbucks coffee shop in New York, US, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Niccol is working to boost profitability and improve the work environment after the company faced years of growing pressure from unionization campaigns nationwide and consecutive disappointing fiscal quarters as traffic declined.
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Earlier this year, Niccol cut more than 1,000 corporate jobs to simplify operations “to make it easier to drive the business forward.”
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol looks on during the Golden Bear Pro-Am prior to the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 28, 2025 in Dublin, Ohio. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
He also trimmed down the menu in order to speed up operations at its cafés and reduce wait times. He has also been working on returning the cafés to their former “coffeehouse” aesthetic with “personal touches” like offering mugs and writing names on cups with Sharpies, as well as bringing back the condiment bar. The goal is to keep customers in its stores for longer.