Starbucks is pioneering the ‘coffeehouse of the future’ with comfy chairs and couches as its CEO pushes to reimagines its stores

Starting in New York and Southern California, Starbucks is enhancing its stores with premium features aimed at cultivating a “coffeehouse vibe,” as part of Niccol’s Back to Starbucks plan. Among the changes, Starbucks is adding cozier seating, warmer lighting, and locally inspired art to try to give each redesigned location more of a unique feel. 

At a Bridgehampton, NY, location that is among the first to be remodeled, cozy chairs and couches, accentuated by dark, Starbucks-themed green walls and hardwood floors give the location a distinct look. A redesigned store in East Hampton, NY also stands out for its wall art paying homage to the town’s seaside location and nautical roots.

Courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Company

Courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Company

The redesigned Starbucks locations are part of Niccol’s plan to make Starbucks a place where customers want to spend time. Apart from the redesigns, some of the changes include offering ceramic mugs for some in-house orders, as well as bringing back the condiment bar for customers to add their own milk and sugar to drinks. The company is also instructing its baristas to warmly acknowledge customers, to help them feel welcome.

Starbucks has also made big strategic changes to improve efficiency, including cutting down on its extensive food and drink menu and doing away with some options for drink customizations. A new order sequencing algorithm piloted during the first quarter has also helped the company reduce wait times, with three-quarter of orders at test locations arriving in under four minutes at peak.

Courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Company

The big changes Niccol has spearheaded have drawn praise from Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, who said he “did a cartwheel” after hearing about the CEO’s Back to Starbucks plan.

Still, the changes have yet to yield much in terms of financials, with the company reporting $8.8 billion for the second quarter, just below analyst expectations. Niccol said in an April note, however, that he was confident in his turnaround plan.

“We have a lot of work ahead, but we are on the right track and moving quickly,” Niccol said.