Starbucks’ new CEO slams overloaded menus, inconsistent products and long, hectic waits

In his first week in the job, 50-year-old star CEO Brian Niccol pledged to restore Starbucks to its former glory, at a time when the coffeehouse hotspot served as a second living room for many of its customers.

The turnaround wizard who revived Chipotle’s fortunes during his six-plus years at the helm of the Tex-Mex fast-food chain said Starbucks’ more than 39,000 stores worldwide need to get back to their roots, offering high-quality, custom coffee that consumers can enjoy on-site.

“We all feel like we’ve strayed from our core business,” he wrote in an open letter to the entire company, summarizing many conversations he’s had with staff. “We’re refocusing on what has always made Starbucks different: a welcoming coffee shop where people come together and where we serve the best coffee, hand-crafted by our skilled baristas.”

Niccol is about to get down to business. On his second day at the company, he addresses the fundamental problems he sees in the company and gives a brief overview of the company’s strategic direction.

By comparison, his predecessor Laxman Narasimhan received nearly six months of on-the-job training before taking office in March 2023, and only presented his first strategic overview a month later.

Starbucks’ fourth CEO in two years, Niccol takes over at a difficult time for the chain.

Narasimhan has cut the company’s financial targets three times in less than a year and presided over two consecutive quarters in which sales at the same stores fell.

To boost sales, Starbucks launched its wildly popular fall-themed Pumpkin Spice latte in August, which many saw as a sign of desperation.

Brian Niccol’s plan to change things

Niccol said his first focus would be on fixing problems at his U.S. stores, a concern for founder Howard Schultz because that accounts for the bulk of his global profits.

In Starbucks’ local market, consumers are typically spoiled for choice and often have several convenient coffee chains along their daily commute where they can buy a cup of coffee on their way to work.

A brand that charges high prices must therefore differentiate itself through its experience, and lately, Starbucks customers have been turning their backs on the chain out of frustration.

More than 60% of its critical morning traffic comes from app users, but the company recently admitted that a significant portion of its customers were canceling their orders due to excessive wait times when they arrived at their local Starbucks.

Instead, Nichols wants consumers to associate the chain with emotions of joy and human connection, as well as great coffee, and here he sees plenty of room for improvement.

“In some countries, especially the US, we don’t always measure up,” Niccol writes. “It can sometimes feel like a transaction; the menus can be overwhelming, the product is uneven, the wait is too long or the transfer too hectic.”

This focus on human connection is nothing new; it’s a brand claim that harkens back to Schultz’s vision, which Narasimhan also highlighted.

The Decline of Starbucks

But Niccol’s predecessor industrialized the process further to save a few seconds wait times, diminishing baristas’ long-held role as the “heart of Starbucks” and turning the experience into more of a McCafé.

Starbucks seeks better returns has also moved away from its coffee roots, focusing increasingly on caffeinated soft drinks, where it can often generate higher margins.

Ultimately, the Seattle-based chain must win back customers lost after suing unionized employees who called for solidarity with Palestinians caught in the crossfire of Israel’s war against Hamas.

Starbucks attempted to clarify that it opposed the misappropriation of its brand, but by this point, progressive consumers had begun boycotting the chain.

With shares no longer at their levels of five years ago, the board forced Narasimhan out of the company in August, effective immediately, ending the CEO’s tenure after less than 18 months.

Niccol’s hiring received an enthusiastic endorsement from investors, easily justifying the $85 million performance-based signing bonus in cash and stock that Starbucks offered to lure him away from Chipotle.

It remains to be seen whether he is more successful than Narasimhan in restoring the emotional connection consumers once had with the brand.

“We will return to what made Starbucks, Starbucks,” Niccol promised.

The company could not immediately be reached for further comment.

This article originally appeared on Fortune.com