New Starbucks CEO claims he'll fix coffee chain's most infuriating problem... people don't believe him

Starbucks has lost tens millions of customers this year after coffee drinkers became fed up with waiting 20 minutes for a drink,

The huge sales lump led to the the old boss being sacked – but his replacement is promising to deliver faster coffee in a bid to win customers back. 

Brian Niccol, previously the Chipotle boss, has promised that customers will get a brewed coffee in under 30 seconds.

During an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, the new CEO shared plans to prioritize speed and efficiency, which include creating dedicated mobile order pickup areas.

The CEO mentioned that the aim is to provide customers with a quick and seamless experience, particularly when ordering a brewed cup of coffee and interacting with the barista.

‘My hope is we can get you a brewed cup of coffee in less than 30 seconds.’

Starbucks regular Jasmin Guevara joked: ‘That seems very, very optimistic given the utter chaos there is in most cafes.’ 

Customers’ biggest gripe – along with high prices – has been ‘ridiculous’ wait times – with 20 minutes common to get a coffee.

Recent data from industry experts reveal that currently, one out of every twelve customers waits between 15 and 30 minutes for their order, a stark contrast to the situation before the pandemic when very few customers experienced such lengthy wait times. 

Niccol added that his team is ‘right now’ working on a technology solution that will make mobile order wait times much more accurate.

Chipotle's CEO Brian Niccol (pictured) promises brewed coffee in 30 seconds

Chipotle’s CEO Brian Niccol (pictured) promises brewed coffee in 30 seconds

‘Today, you know, we just kind of give you an estimate, ‘Hey, it’ll be ready in three to five minutes,’ he said. 

‘In the future, what’ll happen is we’ll be like, ‘Rebecca, your drink will be ready at nine,’ instead of it just being made, sitting on the counter [and] waiting for people to come.’   

In the summer, former CEO Laxman Narasimhan admitted that the chain’s infamously slow service – which led to an astonishing one in seven mobile orders being abandoned – was a big factor in sales slumping.

Niccol, who replaced Narasimhan in September, is steering Starbucks through a critical transition. He landed a $100 mullion pay package, and will not be required to relocate from his home in Newport Beach, California, to Seattle, the headquarters of the global café chain.

It is the latest of a series of plans Niccol has to turn things around at Starbucks, which has about 17,000 stores in North America.

The new Starbucks boss had said in October that he will simplify the chain’s ‘overly complex menu’ as another way to speed up the service.

Appointed in September after leading Chipotle for six years, Niccol said the chain needed to ‘fundamentally change’ its strategy.

The company’s last earnings report, for the three months from July to September. revealed that sales had fallen sharply for the third consecutive quarter. 

US sales fell 6 percent, as cash-strapped customers are increasingly put off by high prices and long wait times for drinks. 

‘Simplifying the menu may help resolve the problem of cafes becoming more stressful and less appealing, but they are not the only issues in play,’ Neil Saunders, Managing Director of GlobalData Retail, told DailyMail.com. 

‘The main issue is that consumers are buying less coffee from Starbucks in order to save money,’ he said. 

Offering more promotions does not seem to have worked, said Saunders, and the chain announced in early October that it was scaling back on discounts offered through its mobile app. 

‘The other issue which compounds the problem is that Starbucks has gone off track in terms of the added value it is supposed to provide,’ he added.

‘Its cafes are too busy, lines too long, and too many of them are not pleasant places to linger. That means some people have defected to rivals, including independent chains.’

CEO Niccol said the company needed to address issues with staffing levels at coffee shops and the pricing of its drinks and food. 

The new Starbucks boss has said he will simplify the chain's 'overly complex menu' in a bid to win back customers amid slumping sales

The new Starbucks boss has said he will simplify the chain’s ‘overly complex menu’ in a bid to win back customers amid slumping sales

US sales fell 6 percent in the last quarter, as cash-strapped customers are increasingly put off by high prices and long wait times for drinks

US sales fell 6 percent in the last quarter, as cash-strapped customers are increasingly put off by high prices and long wait times for drinks

‘People love Starbucks, but I’ve heard from some customers that we’ve drifted from our core, that we’ve made it harder to be a customer than it should be, and that we’ve stopped communicating with them,’ he said in a prerecorded video after announcing the latest earnings report. 

‘As a result, some are visiting less often, and I think today’s results tell that same story.’ 

‘Starbucks is still a huge business, but its growth engine has stopped spinning and it will need to review its proposition if it wants to advance, especially in the North American market,’ Saunders added. 

It comes as stressed Starbucks workers have complained of chronic issues with understaffing, which leads to backlogs in coffee shops.

According to an internal survey seen by Bloomberg, only 33 percent of workers at the company’s 10,000 US locations say stores consistently have sufficient workers.

‘We are constantly only given a skeleton staff,’ one worker said in comments collected as part of the survey. 

You May Also Like
Democrats' New Scheme to Bully El Salvador Into Sending MS-13 Gangbanger Garcia Back to U.S.

Democratic Plan to Pressure El Salvador to Return MS-13 Gang Member Garcia to the United States

When it comes down to it, Democrats are essentially seen as typical…
Highland Park parade shooting: Robert Crimo III transferred to Stateville prison to serve life sentence for killing 7, injuring 48

Robert Crimo III moved to Stateville prison for lifelong sentence after Highland Park parade shooting kills 7 and wounds 48

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) — The Highland Park parade shooter will now begin…
Trump's lone GOP-critic in Congress considers shock career move amid Pentagon power struggle

The only Republican congressman who criticizes Trump is thinking about making a surprising career change during a power struggle at the Pentagon.

One of the few remaining critics of Donald Trump on the Republican…
Luigi Mangione heads to federal court as DOJ debuts death penalty 'shift': ex-federal prosecutor

Luigi Mangione Appears in Federal Court as Department of Justice Changes Stance on Death Penalty: Former Federal Prosecutor

Luigi Mangione is set to appear in federal court on Friday afternoon…
Beyonce mercilessly mocked as tickets for 'flop' Cowboy Carter tour reach same price as a McDonald's meal

Beyonce ridiculed as ticket prices for failed Cowboy Carter tour drop to cost of a meal at McDonald’s.

Beyonce has been ridiculed by music fans after tickets for her struggling…
Doctor reveals the 5-second trick he never skips on cruise ships - and says it could save lives

Doctor shares life-saving 5-second trick he always uses onboard cruise ships

Before starting his holiday at sea, a travel expert shared a simple…
Justin Bieber hits out at Hollywood 'bullies' in concerning post as he puts on united front with wife Hailey

Justin Bieber stands up against Hollywood ‘bullies’ in a worrying post while showing solidarity with wife Hailey

Justin Bieber shared a bold message on Friday, criticizing ‘Hollywood bullies’ following…
Trump tenderly applies mascara to 'eyeliner man' JD Vance as the pair snuggle in an all-pink bedroom in wild AI image as China unleashes meme warfare on US amid tariff stand-off

“Imagined Image Shows Trump and JD Vance Bonding in a Pink Bedroom as China Engages in Meme Warfare Amid Tariff Stand-Off”

Critics from China are poking fun at Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy…
Pope Francis funeral: Trump and Zelenskyy among dignitaries converging on Rome

Dignitaries including Trump and Zelenskyy to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome

VATICAN CITY — Leaders from around the world will gather in Rome…
Will There Be A ‘You’ Season 6 On Netflix? Everything We Know

What We Know About the Possibility of ‘You’ Season 6 on Netflix

After debuting on Lifetime six years ago, the hit show You has…
Arbor Day 2025: Morton Arboretum helps students plant trees at Ted Lenart Regional Gifted Center in West Chatham, Chicago

Morton Arboretum supports tree planting with students at Ted Lenart Regional Gifted Center in West Chatham, Chicago for Arbor Day 2025

CHICAGO (WLS) — Some students in the city’s West Chatham neighborhood rolled…
What Musk's DOGE nerds never saw coming... and how it could cost Americans billions

Unforeseen Consequences of Musk’s DOGE Enthusiasm Could Result in Billions in Losses for Americans

Experts are warning that Elon Musk’s cuts to waste, fraud and abuse…