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My cup is full with gratitude and optimism on&nbsp;this morning&nbsp;of my first Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

While Monday may have been&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/laxman-narasimhan-assumes-role-of-starbucks-chief-executive-officer/">“day one”</a>&nbsp;for me in my new role, the past six months of my immersion into the company have been shaped by so many of you who have taught me about our very special culture at Starbucks.

With you, I’ve experienced every aspect of the business to learn what it truly means to wear the green apron. You’ve welcomed me into our stores, trained me in how to be a barista, taught me about the work in our support centers, immersed me in our brand, our supply chain and manufacturing business, and you’ve introduced me to our agronomists and farmers in Origin where our coffee is sourced – all to help me deeply understand what we do, how we do it, and the challenges and opportunities facing us.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/message-from-laxman-to-all-partners/">Thank you</a>&nbsp;Starbucks partners and, of course, Howard, our founder, for taking such care and time with your support for me as I embarked on this journey.

Through my immersion, Howard, the leadership team, and I have spent a significant amount of time discussing the universal need for human connection – something Starbucks is uniquely positioned to deliver – in a world full of isolation, loneliness, and social exclusion. Together, we have acknowledged the opportunity for a refounding of Starbucks – to nurture the limitless possibilities for human connection over every cup of coffee.

To fully realize our limitless potential, however, we have to first address what is limiting us.&nbsp;With our reinvention plan introduced last year, we will continue our focus on improving the store, customer, and of course, the partner experience, including long-term hiring and retention, and continuing our investment in partner wages and store operations. Actioning our reinvention plan has been a critical step in unlocking our limitless potential. We know we have more work to do, and we will keep our partners updated as we continue to make progress too.

While our performance is strong, our health needs to be stronger. We must care for the artists and the theater in the front of our stores, and the factory in the back. We strive to be&nbsp;a different kind of company operating in a different kind of world. We must appreciate our history and honor what made Starbucks great; while evolving and modernizing our brand, our business, and our culture to meet the needs of today.

For long-term, sustainable growth, we will look to discover ways to further&nbsp;elevate the brand through coffee and in our stores; building on our leadership position, we will&nbsp;strengthen and further scale digital experiences for our customers; we will evolve to a&nbsp;more global presence&nbsp;for our business and our brand; we will work to&nbsp;become less wasteful and move with greater speed; and, critically, we will&nbsp;reinvigorate our culture around what it means to be a partner at Starbucks.

We are a team of partners, and as ceo, I will continue to earn my green apron every day. As we innovate and grow, with rigor and vigor, we will be directly engaging with retail partners to guide us. I have learned so much about the retail experience from working in our stores. To keep us close to the culture and our customers, as well as to our challenges and opportunities, I intend to continue working in stores for a half day each month, and I expect each member of the leadership team to also ensure our support centers stay connected and engaged in the realities of our stores for discussion and improvement.

I’m excited to get to know more of you as we begin creating this future together, and I want you to know that I’ll be bringing the heart, hands, mind, and spirit required to lead Starbucks. I will always be a fierce advocate for our partners and our culture. And importantly, I’ll balance our pursuit of brand innovation and operational excellence with our commitment to building meaningful human connections over coffee to bring out the best in our partners and help us all thrive, together.

As a company that started with just one store in Pike Place market, to now over 36,000 stores in over 80 markets around the world, we celebrate the millions of connections and conversations that happen at Starbucks and the one question we ask our customers each day, “How may we serve you today?”

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Dear partners, My cup is full with gratitude and optimism on this morning of my first Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Laxman Letter to Partners: With Gratitude and Optimism - Starbucks Stories

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Laxman Letter to Partners: With Gratitude and Optimism

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I accept the position of ceo of Starbucks with the deepest of humility. I am thankful to chair Mellody Hobson and the Board of Directors for entrusting me with this responsibility.

Starbucks is an incredible company and its best days are ahead of it. We have a critical role to play in bringing human connection to a world that’s quite disconnected. And in that quest, the best days for you, my partners, are ahead of you.

I met Howard Schultz a year ago in New York City. From that moment, he has been a sensei who has introduced me to the company and to its ways — and the importance of coffee. Throughout my six month immersion journey, Howard has been generous in his advice and guidance, all steeped in ensuring I understood the history of Starbucks and its cherished culture. At one point, someone asked why my immersion was to take six months. I replied that the question was asked with a Western lens. If the question was asked with an Eastern lens, it would be: “Why did the immersion take only six months?”

Howard believes strongly that the partners in this company come first. While there is always more we can do, and will do, the investments set in place by Howard over the last year have set the table for a new future for the company. He knows — because he came up with it — that in order to exceed the customer expectations, we must first exceed partner expectations. For that, Howard deserves nothing but all the praise and the gratitude.

I know this to be incontrovertibly true, even if some in the world may choose to assert a different view. For Howard, every decision, every idea, and every innovation has to be viewed through the lens of our partners and how it will shape their experience. Take our newest innovation, Oleato — a creation that came from Howard’s mind. While we may all take great pride in the excitement from our customers, Howard’s biggest joy was seeing that partners were energized by the idea, eagerly queuing up to try the product at the Seattle Support Center.

I was at Pike Place last week very early in the morning. It was before the store opened. And then we opened it. There was silence. I walked the store, touching the wood on the shelves. I saw the hook that stood near the entrance that was meant for Caroline, a customer who came there to connect with employees. I saw the shelves — exactly as they were when the store first opened many years ago. The espresso machines slowly turned on. The market began bustling. And soon, lines of customers formed. Customers that craved what Starbucks has to offer.

Think of this. Our business is a human connection business. It’s a human connection business over coffee. It took genius to take Starbucks from 11 stores to 36,000. It took genius to make us the first company that gave out Bean Stock. It took genius to lead on healthcare and benefits — including our transgender healthcare. It took genius to be the first company in China to provide benefits no other company had. It took genius to coin the phrase “performance through the lens of humanity”.

And it took 40 years of work. Of inspiration. Of struggles. Of doing the right thing even when no one thought it to be the case. And it took the genius of the individual coupled with the symphony of thousands of partners to create the magic of Starbucks. And that is the foundation of the limitless future that I know we will enjoy as a brand. A brand that our partners make special, every day.

And as Howard leaves, let me repeat what I said in our town hall. He will always be our founder. We will always honor him.

Quite simply, and with love: Thank You Howard.

Message from Laxman to All Partners - Starbucks Stories

Dear partners, I accept the position of ceo of Starbucks with the deepest of humility. I am thankful to chair Mellody Hobson and the Board of Directors for entrusting me with this responsibility. Starbucks is an incredible company and its best days are ahead of it. We have a critical role to play in bringing […]

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Message from Laxman to All Partners

As I step down as interim ceo of Starbucks, I am leaving you with this letter, written on the sunset of my last day as ceo for all of you to read on the morning of this new era. This is not a letter with advice. Everything you need to know resides inside of each of you.

What I want to write to you about is the love and responsibility for our company that we all share. Today, I am entrusting you all with Starbucks – something that holds a place in my heart second only to that of my beloved family.

Starbucks truly has been my life‘s work – but more than that, it’s always been about the lives of the millions of partners over the years who have proudly worn the green apron and it’s about the hundreds of thousands more who will join Starbucks in the years to come. It’s about every customer who comes through our doors. It’s about the communities our stores call home. Our company is like a river – the stewards of it will change over time, but it’s always growing and changing, carving a new path and moving forward to something better.

As I step away, I leave you all as the stewards, in service of all of our partners. They are the heart and soul of our company – the living embodiment of human connection. Through the years, I’ve seen over and over the profound impact our partners have on our customers, from a new parent whose first outing is to a Starbucks to introduce their baby to their favorite barista, to a store where partners learned sign language to better serve a deaf customer, to a widower who said that when he goes to his Starbucks, it may be the only time all week someone greets him by name. Our partners are making a difference in millions of lives a day. Serve them well.

I want to acknowledge that there are times when the responsibility for our partners, customers and communities around the world will feel heavy. But as partners, know that you are not shouldering the responsibility alone. Lean into one another – you will find support everywhere, from the boardroom to partners in plants to store managers to the newest baristas. Our partners have been teaching me for more than 40 years. They will help you all continue to earn your green apron every day.

And, importantly, lean into the joy. There is so much joy. Every single interaction that we have as partners and that we have with customers is an opportunity for meaningful connection. It adds up to a limitless capacity for joy, love and support, with the center being Starbucks. Remember that.

As I turn Starbucks over to you now, know that you have my utmost confidence, trust and love. You all are the future of Starbucks.&nbsp;The world needs Starbucks – and Starbucks needs all of you.

The privilege and honor of being part of Starbucks has been the gift of my lifetime. I know it will be yours as well.

“As I step away, I leave you all as the stewards, in service of all of our partners. They are the heart and soul of our company – the living embodiment of human connection,” wrote Howard Schultz to the senior leadership team on the eve of Laxman Narasimhan’s first day as Starbucks new chief executive officer.

‘You are the future of Starbucks’: Howard Schultz’ letter to leaders as he steps down

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There are seasons in life when we find ourselves transforming and growing in ways we never imagined possible.

The last time I felt on the precipice of such incredible transformation was the winter of 1983. I was on my way back to Seattle after countless hours walking the streets of Milan and immersing into the world of Italian-style espresso. I experienced a coffeehouse culture rich with the spirit of connection and community, and I was overflowing with inspiration to bring it to the United States. This dream transformed my image of what Starbucks could mean to people and transformed our brand into a global movement to inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Transformation was Starbucks catalyst for growth, both for our business and for our purpose as a company. And our embrace of this growth mindset means that our quest for transformative inspiration is never ending—we must always be searching for new ideas, or old ideas that can be transformed into something exceptional.

This summer, I was once again captivated by a transformational idea while traveling through Italy. I came across a time-honored tradition that transformed my coffee experience and improved my life. It was wholly unexpected, yet the possibilities filled me with excitement.

Today, we reassert our enduring aspiration to deliver coffee innovation to customers around the world, by bringing together two time-honored Italian traditions to create a new coffee ritual—a unique alchemy of two of nature's most transcendent ingredients: coffee and olive oil.

As with anything we have ever done, the proof is in the cup. When you take your first sip of one of our innovative new Starbucks OleatoTM beverages, you will taste a unique blend of artistry, craft, premium quality ingredients and bold innovation that create a truly extraordinary experience. This is much bigger than any beverage—it demonstrates the creativity and bold vision that makes Starbucks a global leader in coffee innovation.

Many have underestimated us before, and they’ve been wrong. I am full of optimism that when we follow our intuition and dedicate ourselves to the art and elegance of coffee, embrace our passion for the experience and support our green apron partners to provide the highest level of care to customers, we will exceed expectations every time.

In fact, Italians have embraced Starbucks in a way that many did not see coming. In Starbucks stores across Italy, our top selling beverage is the solo espresso – a validation of the quality of the coffee that has defined Starbucks since its founding in 1971. &nbsp;

With this alchemy of unexpected ingredients, we return to the spirit of entrepreneurship that has differentiated Starbucks for more than 50 years. I truly believe that our enduring drive to constantly exceed the expectations of our partners and customers is the key to our future.

As I prepare to pass the mantle of leadership to Laxman and the rest of the Executive Leadership Team, it’s my deepest wish to share this moment of inspiration and love with you. This innovation is a tribute to the convening power of coffee and connection, and the entrepreneurial spirit that drives us forward to new possibilities.

No matter where our next season of life may take us, I remain ever your partner.

Howard Schultz introduces Starbucks Oleato™, a unique alchemy of two of nature's most transcendent ingredients: coffee and olive oil.

Message from Howard Schultz: Introducing Starbucks Oleato™ - Starbucks Stories Message from Howard Schultz: Introducing Starbucks Oleato™

Message from Howard Schultz: Introducing Starbucks Oleato™

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We are devasted by the mass tragedy that unfolds in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria after earthquakes hit the region Monday and aftershocks continue. The Starbucks Foundation, Starbucks Corporation, and Alshaya Group, have committed donating $1 million USD total to nonprofits focused on providing immediate relief and aid: &nbsp;

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Reflecting the strong links with the local community, we operate over 600 stores throughout Türkiye (Turkey), we are working closely with our licensee and local leadership to ensure our partners and their families are cared for. In addition to the financial contribution to nonprofits, partners in affected areas are being provided with catastrophe pay, mental health and welfare support and paid leave for partners to look after family members. Food and shelter are also being provided to partners who have been displaced by the earthquake.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the affected cities under the State of Emergency in Turkey, 500 partners from 40 Starbucks stores have been working together since the earthquakes to support local communities, including providing drinks and food to rescue teams. &nbsp;

"We are devastated by the mass tragedy that unfolds in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria and our hearts are with all those who have lost loved ones. We know recovery will take a long time and we are committed to continuing to support our green apron partners and communities we serve in Türkiye (Turkey), through both financial contributions and on-the-ground support.” said Duncan Moir, President, Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa. &nbsp;

"Our team on the ground in Türkiye has already been incredibly strong in their response to this crisis, demonstrating a spirit of resilience and compassion that we are truly proud of," commented Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman, Alshaya Group. "Through these donations, we hope we can help the rescue effort and the devasting impact on communities."&nbsp;

Recovery for these communities will take time. We will continue to monitor the situation to support our green apron partners and the communities we serve in Türkiye (Turkey), along with contributing to relief efforts throughout the affected areas. 

U.S., EMEA and Canada: Our partners and customers have already raised more than $500,000 USD for Turkey and Syria relief efforts, in addition to a $1 million USD donation from The Starbucks Foundation, Starbucks and our local licensee Alshaya Group.

Korea: Shinsegae Group, parent company for Starbucks Korea, donated US $500,000 to <a href="https://www.childfund.or.kr/eng/main.do" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ChildFund Korea</a> for emergency relief and aid in Turkey and Syria. ChildFund Korea is carrying out emergency relief activities with local non-profit organizations to support people affected by the earthquake in the region.

Hong Kong Support Center (HKSC): Last week, the Social Impact Network hosted a potluck and merchandise sale to raise funds for the Hong Kong Red Cross to support disaster relief in Turkey. This was matched by HKSC, raising a total of $224,930 HKD (~ $28,654 USD).

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For Starbucks partners (employees) and customers looking to help impacted communities, you can join The Starbucks Foundation in supporting the Red Cross by making a donation at the register at any U.S. company-owned store.&nbsp;In addition, Starbucks is inviting customers to make a donation to Red Cross through the Starbucks mobile app in the U.S. through February 22.

We encourage global partners (employees) to make a personal donation that may be eligible for a Giving Match.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The Starbucks Foundation strengthens humanity by transforming lives across the world, with a focus on enabling community resiliency and prosperity and uplifting communities affected by disaster. Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization under U.S. law.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 36,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com">stories.starbucks.com</a> or <a href="https://www.starbucks.com./" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.starbucks.com.</a>&nbsp;

Alshaya Group has partnered with Starbucks since 1999 to operate the brand across the Middle East and currently operates over 600 Starbucks locations throughout Turkey.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Starbucks Foundation, Starbucks Corporation, and Alshaya Group, have committed donating $1 million USD total to nonprofits focused on providing immediate relief and aid.

Supporting our partners and communities affected by the earthquake in Türkiye (Turkey) & surrounding regions

Supporting our partners and communities affected by the earthquake in Türkiye (Turkey), Syria &#038; surrounding regions

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Supporting our partners and communities affected by the earthquake in Türkiye (Turkey), Syria & surrounding regions

As we prepare to return to the office a minimum of 3 days beginning next week, I want to share an update on what we’re doing to support your partner experience.&nbsp;First, I want to thank our Modern Workspace team for their fast and tireless work to find solutions in service of all of us.

Over the course of the coming months, we will:

I’m also pleased to share that we will bring more team choice for common days.&nbsp;We will shift our common days in the SSC from Tuesday and&nbsp;Wednesday to one common day for all SSC partners which will remain Tuesday. The additional common day will be either Wednesday or Thursday, defined by your team at the director level. The third day remains flexible, to be determined by agreement between partner and manager.

We will use tomorrow’s SSC Connect to share resources, including team norm setting tools, tips for choosing spaces and navigating the SSC, our full suite of commute options, building amenities, and more to support you through this transition. If you are unable to join us, please be sure to review this week’s SSC Happenings Newsletter for a recap of the tools, resources and information that we’ll cover.

On behalf of the ELT, I want to thank you for the thoughtful questions and feedback you have shared in your town halls since we announced this policy. Your leaders have shared your ideas and they are informing solutions we are building as we move forward.

Your partner, Sara Kelly evp, chief partner officer

As we prepare to return to the office a minimum of 3 days beginning next week, I want to share an update on what we’re doing to support your partner experience.

Message from Sara: Supporting partners as we return to the office

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Since I returned last April, I’ve had conversations with many of you about our principles and aspirations for our company.&nbsp;

Three ideas—in some form or another—come up again and again to describe Starbucks:

Connection through coffee

Nurturing belonging, joy, love

Starbucks can be a feeling, a safe haven, a true Third Place

These are powerful descriptions of why we work here. For Starbucks to be linked to any of them as an idea, as a place of work or as a community of partners is an awesome responsibility.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And all of us, no matter what your role is in the company, are stewards of these ideas.

IN SERVICE OF ONE ANOTHER AS GREEN APRON PARTNERS&nbsp;

I want to share a change in our policy about hybrid work&nbsp;consistent with our past, but boldly about our future. Before I do, let me share context.&nbsp;

The pandemic was a full-out attack on the ideas that make Starbucks, Starbucks. It disrupted human connection. It made the world harder for so many. And it threatened our ability to be a safe haven and a Third Place.&nbsp;

At the SSC and across our regional offices, we had the privilege and the ability to pivot to virtual work. Most of us stopped coming into the office—at first, because of safety, and to protect ourselves and our loved ones. As days stretched into weeks, many of us claimed new freedoms, pioneered new ways of working, achieved new productivity.

But many partners didn’t have that privilege. They had to keep coming into their workplace—our stores, our plants, our distribution centers—day after day. They faced the hardship. They faced the challenges in their communities—deeply, passionately and often with great heroics.&nbsp;

Today, when we talk with our store partners, we hear how much they need us. As the nation comes out of the pandemic, they want to thrive, not just survive. We need to support them better. We need to simplify their jobs. We need to dive even deeper into each store and every store to support partners the way they need us to, now.

I believe they are asking support partners to be better integrated, showing up as one team, working to be not just a little better but profoundly better. They are asking us to do the transformative work that I believe can only be done effectively when we are physically together—the kind of thinking, daring collaboration, courageous conversations that cannot be done on Teams calls, or in just pre-scheduled meetings, or just as transactions.&nbsp;

Partners, it’s time for us to come back to the office—to do this Mission-critical work face-to-face, and in person. It’s time we rebuild and revive the energy of the SSC and our regional offices as thriving, active hubs.

Effective Jan. 30, all SSC partners within commuting distance are expected to work in the SSC a minimum of three days per week. To rebuild our connection to each other and synchronize teams and efforts, two of your days will be Tuesday and Wednesday—and the third day will be aligned on in partnership with your leader and team. The other two days of the week are work from anywhere—home, office, a Starbucks store, or beyond. We will still honor our partners that work fully digitally and will continue to hire fully digital roles as appropriate, with a commitment to foster inclusivity across all our teams.

This policy applies to partners within commuting distance of the SSC. It is a shift designed to preserve the flexibility and productivity that you’ve built through your work-at-home rituals while, at the same time, bringing us together in a synchronized way for the in-person work that’s vital for our future success.

This policy also applies to region-based support partners within commuting distance of a regional office with a slight nuance. Effective January 30, the expectation is to be in the regional office a minimum of three days per week with one of those days being a common day identified by local leadership, when all partners are in the office together. The remaining days of the week are up to you - home, store, office or beyond - building on the rituals, balance, and productivity you’ve created in your work from home routines.

I want to be clear that this policy is not intended to take our retail leaders (DM+ and others whose day-to-day work is done primarily in stores or "in-market") away from stores. In fact, there should be little to no change for those partners.

Let me be frank and honest about why we are making this shift now.

First, is our culture.&nbsp;We are a company rooted in human connection. We must have authentic and deep human connection everywhere we work—in stores, the SSC, roasting plants, coffee farms—everywhere. While we have built transactive connection and on-screen skills through COVID, we have lost a true human connection at the SSC. We need to rebuild that. Failing to do so as we emerge from the pandemic puts us at a great loss, depriving us of vital relationships and the impromptu connections and idea generation that comes from convening in person.&nbsp;In a real sense, the more we lose human connection with each other and within our stores and the vital relationships that define who we are, we put our brand into peril.

I think many of us crave a bigger meaning to our work, and the camaraderie and joy from doing our best work together. We will spend time this quarter reclaiming that and strengthening our relationships. Our culture depends on rituals—from coffee tastings to storytelling to seeing how our design experiences look end-to-end by putting the work up on a wall, and on and on. We will revive and reinvent these rituals to build our culture. And we will use in-person time to spend on our Reinvention efforts, forging the deeper hard choices, trade-offs, and integration, so we succeed.

Second, is fairness. I applaud the hard work from all of us. But it’s time to right something that has been inherently not fair. Partners in our offices have had the privilege of not coming into the workplace and when we embarked on hybrid work last year, each of us made a promise to each other to be in the office between one to two days a week. From our badging data, it’s clear that a good number of SSC partners are not meeting their minimum promise of one day a week. This is why I am also announcing that this policy—three days in the SSC and regional offices—is a requirement, and we expect every partner to respect it like we do every other workplace policy. It’s that critical to our business success.&nbsp;

Additionally, our Modern Workplace team has spent the past two years tirelessly redesigning a workplace of the future with countless amenities to support an inspiring and uplifting environment.&nbsp;We are providing those resources in support of enabling your very best contributions.&nbsp;And we acknowledge that we have some work still to do as we reimagine the future of the workplace, given the policy shift we are announcing today.&nbsp;Know that we are committed to adjusting quickly and will need to give the team some time to refine the vision.&nbsp;

Third, we must correct the unintended consequences that have emerged from conducting so much of our work virtually. Many of you have shared in our partner surveys and co-creation sessions that we are losing the art of collaboration, doing so much of our work in silos prevents actual prioritization, and we are having a hard time operationalizing decisions quickly and thoughtfully. What’s more, we’re losing a connection to a shared mission, something bigger. Being together will give us a chance to work on all these things.&nbsp;

Our call to action is to build the SSC and regional offices into vibrant hubs of great people doing great work, in person with each other.&nbsp;All of us will be facing in the same one direction in service of our stores, so that we fulfill our much larger Mission.&nbsp;You can expect that, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the SSC, we’ll be engaging in the in-person rituals, imaginative conversations about our future, the restoration of our Mission and values and the real work of our Reinvention.&nbsp;And be assured, Laxman, the leaders of the company and I will be working with you in powerful ways as you come back.

As with all big shifts, having open dialogue and providing space to work together to live up to a new policy is a long-standing tradition at Starbucks.&nbsp;

Shortly, all support partners will receive an invitation to join your leader for a team town hall to discuss this decision and invent ways to bring it to life.&nbsp;We welcome your input as we build towards the future.

I’ve also asked Sara Kelly and the executive team to share their plans for making our time together in this new form of hybrid work a superior use of all our time, talent and hopes for this company. You will hear more from them shortly.

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“It’s time we rebuild and revive the energy of the SSC and our regional offices as thriving, active hubs,” wrote Starbucks chief executive officer Howard Schultz in a letter to Starbucks support partners.

Message to Starbucks support partners: Returning to each other and to the office - Starbucks Stories

Message to Starbucks support partners: Returning to each other and to the office

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I have been thinking of you and your families over the holidays and, as we enter the new calendar year, I am reflecting on the enormous challenges you have encountered in the last few years.&nbsp;I cannot be more grateful for your&nbsp;selflessness and the incredible&nbsp;resilience you have shown in taking care of each other, serving our customers and supporting our&nbsp;communities, despite&nbsp;the&nbsp;continued disruptions to your home and work lives.&nbsp;It is during moments of adversity that we reveal&nbsp;our true character. Thank you for staying true to our values and exemplifying the very best of Starbucks.

I have been in weekly discussions with our China Leadership team and in daily touch with Belinda Wong to follow developments in China. I am very sorry to hear that there has been a spike in infections in the country since early December that has and continues to severely impact your lives and our business. I want to remind you, once again, that the health and well-being of your families, your partners and you is our number one priority. We will continue to protect and support our partners as China enters its post-Covid phase and begins the gradual process of fully reopening. 

The gradual return to normalcy and pre-Covid routines in people’s lives will undoubtedly contribute to our business recovery in China over time.&nbsp;Our customers are&nbsp;craving&nbsp;for a&nbsp;return to&nbsp;familiar&nbsp;routines and lifestyles, and huge pent-up consumer demand&nbsp;will be&nbsp;unleashed when people feel they are truly safe to venture outside. That will happen. And when it happens our customers will head to our stores&nbsp;in tremendous numbers to enjoy moments of reconnection, their favorite Starbucks beverages and the premium&nbsp;Starbucks Experience&nbsp;you deliver.

Nonetheless, and as Belinda has repeatedly shared, challenges and uncertainties remain and the recovery path ahead will be nonlinear.&nbsp;&nbsp;While the spread of Covid has impacted all retail businesses in China in these last two months, we believe the disruptions are temporary, and normalcy will gradually return for our stores and customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

I know this because Starbucks commitment to China, and to our partners and business in China has never wavered, and is unwavering today. I remain confident that, even more than two decades after entering the market, we are&nbsp;still&nbsp;only in the early chapters of&nbsp;our&nbsp;growth story&nbsp;in China.&nbsp;I believe that one day, China will be Starbucks largest market.&nbsp;I am certain of that because of you, our China partners. Your demonstrated ability to meet&nbsp;every challenge, navigate every obstacle and volatility – and build even more operating muscle with every unexpected test – gives me the greatest confidence imaginable in the future of our business in China. Starbucks will continue to invest in you, and in China, for decades to come. And I promise you our best days are ahead.&nbsp;

Please know that I cannot wait to see you in person in China very soon.&nbsp;I’ll be looking for the very first opportunity to do so. In the meantime, with Chinese New Year approaching, please accept my very best wishes as you reunite with your families and celebrate a healthy and&nbsp;prosperous&nbsp;Year of the Rabbit.

“Your demonstrated ability to meet every challenge, navigate every obstacle and volatility – and build even more operating muscle with every unexpected test – gives me the greatest confidence imaginable in the future of our business in China.”

Message to Starbucks China Partners: Sending love and good wishes for a prosperous Chinese New Year

https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/message-to-starbucks-china-partners-sending-love-and-good-wishes-for-a-prosperous-chinese-new-year/

Chief global public policy counsel Zulima Espinel shares our company’s ongoing commitment to advance inclusion and equity for all, following today’s important milestone when the Respect for Marriage Act was signed into law.

At Starbucks we believe we have a role and responsibility to serve communities by advancing inclusion, equity and belonging for everyone. This belief, core to our Mission and Values, is rooted in nurturing the human spirit and guides our decisions on how we can best use our voice and resources for good.

Today, our country reached an important milestone when the Respect for Marriage Act was signed into law. This bipartisan bill reflects broad support for same-sex and interracial marriages. The bill mandates federal recognition of marriages performed at the state level, guaranteeing rights and benefits under federal law and requires all states to recognize marriages performed in other states.

While this is an important step, we know that there may still be challenges to marriage equality in the legal system or in states and local jurisdictions. If you are passionate about this issue, we always encourage partners to make their voices heard with their elected officials, regardless of their political affiliation or views.

We know that creating a sense of belonging and advancing equity and inclusion requires intentional commitment from each of us to care for one another every day. <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-pride-a-long-legacy-of-lgbtq-inclusion/">For more than 30 years</a> our company has supported our LGBTQIA2+ partners and communities – from offering inclusive health coverage, to expanding voluntary self-identification for partners, to partnering with organizations like Human Rights Campaign and National Center for Transgender Equality. And we <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/business-coalition-for-equality">continue to advocate in support of the Equality Act </a>and oppose <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/business-statement-on-anti-lgbtq-state-legislation">the patchwork of harmful policies and</a> actions that have been proposed in several states around the country in addition to <a href="https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Final-Respect-for-Marriage-Act-Letter-to-the-Senate-8.2022.pdf">our recent advocacy around the Respect for Marriage Act</a>.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to advance inclusion and equity for all, inspired by how you care for one another, our customers and communities every day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chief global public policy counsel Zulima Espinel shares our company’s ongoing commitment to advance inclusion and equity for all.

Message from Zulima: Advancing Protections for Marriage Equality

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Zulima Espinel, chief global public policy counsel, shares resources for DACA recipients

We are proud that 250,000 partners across the country reflect the diverse communities we serve. Every day, you create welcoming spaces for each other and our customers and every day we are inspired to extend that sense of belonging beyond the four walls of our stores.&nbsp;

Inclusion is inherent to nurturing the human spirit and this is foundational to our long support for Dreamers, including our partners who are recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA.&nbsp;Earlier this month the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decided DACA is unlawful.&nbsp;While this decision did not immediately end the program for current DACA recipients,&nbsp;the program is at risk as it continues to move through the judicial system, likely up to the Supreme Court.&nbsp;

At Starbucks we will continue to use our voice and resources to support Dreamers and partners who are DACA recipients– <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2017/letter-from-howard-schultz-to-senators-lindsey-graham-and-richard-durbin/">just as we have since 2017</a>. We will continue to offer benefits and support to partners who are DACA recipients. Partners can also connect with an Immigration Advisor – confidentially and at no cost – to help with questions related to navigating the program and any changes to the law.

We will also continue to advocate. Just today, Starbucks joined dozens of businesses to urge Congress to come together and pass bipartisan legislation that will provide a long-term solution and legal path to citizenship for all DACA recipients and the permanent protection they deserve to continue to live and contribute to the United States. You can read the full letter <a href="https://www.coalitionfortheamericandream.us/daca-fifth-circuit-response/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.

I know many of you are passionate about this program so here are some tools and resources available:

We will continue to support and advocate for Dreamers so they can live, work, and dream in the country that they call home – not only because it is the right thing to do but because the communities we serve will be stronger for it.

Zulima Espinel, chief global public policy counsel

A letter to Starbucks partners (employees) from Zulima Espinel, chief global public policy counsel, sharing resources for DACA recipients.

Letter to Starbucks Partners: Our Support and Advocacy for Dreamers

https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/letter-to-starbucks-partners-our-support-and-advocacy-for-dreamers/

As communities across North America and the Caribbean are impacted by this hurricane season, Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation remain committed to supporting disaster relief efforts on the ground, leveraging long-term nonprofit partnerships and tapping into our local Starbucks teams to deliver critical support. 

Hurricane Fiona&nbsp;&nbsp;

Through partnerships with World Central Kitchen and the Red Cross, The Starbucks Foundation is supporting preparedness and relief efforts to communities impacted by Hurricane Fiona. World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is distributing thousands of meals a day to impacted communities across Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Turks &amp; Caicos. The Red Cross is providing relief and comfort to Fiona survivors across <a href="https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2022/red-cross-responds-to-devastating-storms-in-puerto-rico-usvi-ak.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Puerto Rico</a> and <a href="https://www.redcross.ca/about-us/media-news/news-releases/canadian-red-cross-launches-appeal-for-hurricane-fiona" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada</a>, including distributing relief items and providing health and mental health services.

Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation are closely monitoring the impact of Hurricane Ian to provide needed support to partners (employees) and communities. 

How To Support&nbsp;&nbsp;

For Starbucks partners (employees) and customers looking to help impacted communities, you can join The Starbucks Foundation and World Central Kitchen to help people affected by making a donation at the register at any U.S. company-owned store or directly on <a href="https://www.wck.org/starbucks-fiona-2022-response" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Central Kitchen’s website</a>. In addition, Starbucks is inviting customers to make a donation to World Central Kitchen through the Starbucks mobile app in the U.S. through October 12.

Customers in Canada can make a donation at the register in any Canada company-owned store to support the Canadian Red Cross.&nbsp;

The Starbucks Foundation strengthens humanity by transforming lives across the world, with a focus on enabling community resiliency and prosperity and uplifting communities affected by disaster. Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization under U.S. law. &nbsp;

As communities across North America and the Caribbean are impacted by this hurricane season, Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation remain committed to supporting disaster relief efforts on the ground.

Starbucks Supports Hurricane Relief Efforts Across North America and Caribbean  

https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/starbucks-supports-hurricane-relief-efforts-across-north-america-and-caribbean/

‘I am thrilled to announce that we have identified an individual with the ideal background, knowledge, and demonstrated track record of living his values to lead Starbucks into the future,’ wrote Howard Schultz in a letter to Starbucks partners.

As you know, when I rejoined Starbucks in the spring it was with the goal of co-creating the future of the company with all of you and working with the Board of Directors to identify our next chief executive officer – a person with not only the skills and experience to guide the transformation of a global brand that touches the lives of more than 100 million customers but also understands that the core of the&nbsp;Starbucks Experience&nbsp;is our mission and the culture brought to life by 400,000 partners every day.&nbsp;

I am thrilled to announce that we have identified an individual with the ideal background, knowledge, and demonstrated track record of living his values to lead Starbucks into the future. On October 1st,&nbsp;Laxman Narasimhan&nbsp;will join us as the next chief executive officer of Starbucks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Put simply, Laxman is steeped in humility with extraordinary executive and operational skills. &nbsp;&nbsp;

He is a&nbsp;strategic and transformational leader with deep experience in building powerful consumer brands, driving innovations that create loyalty and convenience for consumers, and working in partnership with employees to live up to their own full potential and fulfill a purpose. Over the course of his three-decade career in the retail and CPG industries, he has worked across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. And from the significant time that I, and others of us on the leadership team and Board have spent with him, we know that he is a world-class leader in every sense.

Of course, in taking on this role, Laxman has learned about the Reinvention plan in detail. And once he comes on board, he will immediately begin a full immersion into Starbucks as we accelerate our work to transform the company for the future. This will include spending time as a barista in our stores, meeting our partners around the world, visiting roasting plants, distribution centers and the farms where our coffee is grown, and more. This unique experience will position him to effectively bring his own perspectives to help build on and shape this work.&nbsp;

I am looking forward to introducing you all to Laxman and working closely with him as he listens, learns, and plans for the future of Starbucks for the benefit of our partners, customers, and communities. He is the leader we were looking for to lead Starbucks at this moment and for the future. Please join me in welcoming Laxman to Starbucks.&nbsp;

Message from Howard Schultz: Welcoming Laxman Narasimhan, our next ceo

I am thrilled to announce that we have identified an individual with the ideal background, knowledge, and demonstrated track record of living his values to lead Starbucks into the future.

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