Hayden Stumpo’s Post

Looks like just coffee, right? Maybe even better coffee out there (TBD)—but #Starbucks has a fascinating backstory. ☕️ When Starbucks opened in 1971, it was just a coffee bean and spice retailer inspired by #PeetsCoffee. But in time, it grew into one of the most recognizable brands globally by doing three things well: 1. Start Strong: Starbucks built its reputation on quality beans and expertise before expanding. In business, a clear focus and commitment to quality build credibility and loyalty. 2. Adapt to Trends: When Howard Schultz saw Italian coffee bars, he recognized a unique opportunity for the U.S. By staying tuned to emerging trends, businesses can evolve with their market. 3. Embrace Change: Shifting to a café model wasn’t the original vision, but it led to incredible growth. Sometimes, big changes reveal big opportunities. Take a page from #Starbucks: Build strong, adapt smart, and don’t fear the pivot! #BusinessLessons #citygreen #network #clients #commercial #designinstall #services #coffee #atlanta #georgia #tennessee #nashville #Chattanooga #residential #design #install #landscape #land

As a fan of Howard Schultz, I fell in love with Starbucks after reading his book Onward, and I am excited about these proposed changes. Handwritten names on cups, warm ceramic mugs, and cozy furniture may seem insignificant to retail sales, but consider your favorite bars, restaurants, or shops. What makes them special is that they feel like an extension of your home. They know you, and you know them. It creates comfort and connection. When customers feel at ease and connected to the establishment, they are more likely to stay longer and return frequently. Comfort breeds loyalty and encourages spending, transforming casual visits into meaningful experiences that keep us coming back for more. #SalesAndMarketing #BrandLoyalty

Dunkin has quite a brand loyalty on the East Coast. I'm curious to see how Dutch Bros expansion plays out. They are certainly popular on the West Coast and have a strong, extremely loyal customer base. It is quite a commitment to their expansion efforts to spend approximately $41M to move 40% of their corporate operations to Arizona in order to support the expansion. “In January 2024 visits to Dutch Bros were 10% higher than in January 2023," the firm reported. Overall industry visited year over year "decreased by 2.7% during the same period.” The quote above stood out to me from the article linked below because discretional spending was high already in Jan. 2023. 10% higher in Jan. 2024 is impressive. Good Job Dutch Bros. Let's see how far you can go! Comment below who you prefer? Starbucks, Dunkin, Dutch Bros, none of the above..... #coffeelovers #retailrealestate #expansionmode

The "third place" is that physical social space that is not home and not work. Howard Schultz famously reintroduced the concept with Starbucks being that place in the '80s. However, competition in the retail coffee industry has rendered the third place obsolete. Improving profitability = efficiency, which means smaller store footprints and less labor costs. What can be done to bring back the third place? https://lnkd.in/g-h4HxU3

How many Starbucks locations can one city handle? ☕️✨ This past weekend, I was catching up with some friends, and we noticed something interesting... We passed three Starbucks locations, each just a block or two apart! 🤔 It made us wonder… how many Starbucks locations are actually in New York City? I didn’t have the answer on the spot, so I did a quick search (thanks, Google). Here’s what I found: - NYC has a whopping 241 Starbucks locations. - The city spans 302 square miles. - That means there’s about 1 Starbucks for every 1.25 square miles! With one Starbucks for every 35,000 people in NYC, it seems like there’s no limit to how much coffee this city can handle. And with so many locations, Starbucks is all about staying in touch with customers by responding to guest surveys to keep the experience top-notch. What do you think? Can there ever be too many Starbucks locations? ☕️  (Spoiler: Definitely not when they keep listening to their customers!) #starbucks #coffeelovers #caffineoverload #restaurants #restauranttech

Innovation, Growth and Transformation Series-1 "Your coffee is getting ready in 3 minutes" said the stewardess when I walked into the largest coffee shop in the world on a Sunday afternoon tired and exhausted post grocery shopping. I always liked the rich interiors of the place, an open patio with umbrellas and the space inside the outlet that oozes warmth. "When do you close today" I asked her again in the sixth minute and I said to myself why they haven't started brewing fresh when they still have 6 more hours to close. Perhaps it is a slow Sunday afternoon, I thought. It seems, the Coffee Shop is looking earnestly for its new CEO at the helm soon. The announcement from the Starbucks management that Brian Niccol will be their new CEO set off a euphoria on the #wallstreet, increasing the market capitalization of Starbucks by 25% in a single trading session. His task is clear and set out to him. Over the last few years, the coffee shop ceased to be the aspirational brand it used to be for many consumers. There are many coffee shops that have come up at every street corner in every city serving high quality coffee. It is not attracting new and young customers these days. In busy outlets in the mall and airports, the shops are hopelessly under employed taking longer times to serve each customer. "Do you have any salads" I asked curiously to know why they are stocking huge levels of olive oil on the merchandising. The breakfast items look all familiar and there is nothing new to me. Why is the company not coming up with new product launches? I asked myself. New product launches, adequately staffing each outlet, increasing margins of the franchisees, rapid expansion of the outlets, attracting new and young customers, restoring its aspirational brand status and still improve the finances are the top tasks on the new CEO list. It will be interesting to see what gets done at Starbucks over the next few years and I only hope it does not become a sandwich outlet between a Chipotle Mexican Grill and McDonald's. It has to maintain a fine balance now, to remain unique in the marketplace. #innovation #growth #transformation #leadership #strategy #retail #consumer

New Vision for Starbucks: Brewing More Than Just Coffee Big changes are brewing at Starbucks. New CEO Brian Niccol wants to revitalize the in-store experience, encouraging customers to linger, connect, and make meaningful moments. In his first public message, Niccol emphasized the importance of transforming Starbucks stores into inviting spaces that invite connection and community. Key highlights of his vision include: Comfortable seating and thoughtful design Distinct "to-go" and "for-here" service areas Elevating the senses with signature sights, smells, and sounds As Niccol puts it, "Our stores will be inviting places to linger..." Are you excited about this new direction? How do you think this shift will impact the company? #Starbucks #CustomerExperience #CommunityBuilding

If Sharpies rejuvenates Starbucks' business like caffeine for everyone else, that will be a case study for the ages. The new CEO's plans to return the company to its roots includes personal touches like writing customer names or messages on cups. When you think Starbucks, 200,000 Sharpies don't necessarily come to mind. Now, they do, which means the plan is already working, right? Well, it's part of grand plan to rebuild the brand, which includes everything from streamlining the menu, running TV ads, and refurnishing stores with cozy furniture. We'll return to the furniture part in a moment. Personally, if hand writing names of customers on paper cups gets people, than all the power to Starbucks. While we're at, how about trying different colors like blue, green and red? It would certainly liven up things at the rather bland Starbucks cafes and probably HQ these days. That brings up the Starbucks cafes themselves. If you've walked into one lately and stuck around, you quickly realize they don't feel warm, fuzzy or even welcoming. If anything, they feel like someone decided to bring in the park bench in from the rain if you lucky. In some places, they don't even offer seating unless you count the little stand where the stir sticks, napkins and garbage can resides. In general, they can feel dark and dreary like a dystopian cantina. Bringing back the cozy furniture is probably the most straightforward way to create a welcoming environment again. One of the best things about Starbucks from years past was that it felt comfortable and a place you actually wanted to hang out. Don't get me wrong, I don't think we want a Central Perk from "Friends" because that would be irritating on so many levels. But, people need warmth, community and good vibes. If that means sitting on a comfy couch or chair holding our cups complete with names written in Sharpie, then perhaps Starbucks can make a comeback. More importantly, people may actually go back https://cnb.cx/3UwVoUe #starbucks #sharpies #marketing #brand #customerexperience #coffee #culture

Is there a restaurant, coffee shop or bookstore nearby that you really enjoy? It might be a good idea to go there more often, based on trends in the food service and retail industries.  In recent years, these businesses have increasingly focused on efficiency and productivity at the expense of the in-store experience. The trend accelerated — understandably — during COVID, when we couldn’t be in shops and restaurants. A prime example is Starbucks. The coffee giant built its brand as a “third place” — a warm, welcoming setting where we could interact with neighbors, work colleagues or whoever else might be sipping a Pike Place or a Caramel Macchiato. Third places are social goods, as they tend to make a neighborhood and its residents happier and healthier. They help build social capital – both bonding social capital (where people of similar interests & backgrounds can connect) and bridging social capital (where people of different interests & backgrounds can connect). Third places play a key role in our social fabric, particularly during our tumultuous political times. Yet, Starbucks locations across the country are changing, as the company is encouraging customers to place more mobile orders and spend less time talking, reading and working in its stores. Many stores are smaller now, with less room to sit and harder-to-find plugs for laptops. Interesting, Starbucks also is seeing business decline — its stock dropped 14% in the second quarter. I believe the trends in food service and retail are a call to action for all of us. It’s especially important in our age of disconnection and loneliness; we really need third places to thrive. Specifically, we need: 👉Consumers to recognize the value of third places and, as I wrote above, support them. 👉Local leaders to look at zoning laws and other levers they can pull to make it easier for third places to blossom in their communities. 👉Businesses like Starbucks to not forget what brought them success: creating places that people loved. As Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA would say, they need to make their place irreplaceable. cc Seth Kaplan

Yet another fire to put out, one among many at what was, until recently, an iconic brand in the F&B retail space. Despite having brought in a turnaround stalwart in the F&B space as their new CEO, I simply don't see how this ship will be turned around. Starbucks' coffee is far from good, their spaces are charmless with a cookie cutter-like consistency and their food is mediocre at best. And all the above comes at a premium price. Independent coffee shops are back in vogue. The few chains that are thriving do so because they combine well-designed spaces (that have character despite some level of standardization) with a consistently good flagship product instead of a mashup of syrupy beverages with gimmicky names. Starbucks needs to completely overhaul its model. Tinkering at the margins is not going to work.