From January through March, Starbucks flew 800 partners (employees) from the U.S. and Canada to <a href="https://www.starbuckscoffeefarm.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hacienda Alsacia</a> – <a href="https://coffeeexperiences.starbucks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Starbucks research and development farm in Costa Rica</a>&nbsp;– to participate in the 2023 Origin Experience (OE) and immerse in the story of coffee.&nbsp;Two more Origin Experiences are planned for later this year in Indonesia and Rwanda, for international partners.

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The partners, all of them certified Coffee Masters, represent a variety of roles within the company, from barista to manufacturing to operations leaders. They&nbsp;met farmers, agronomists and exporters; planted coffee seeds and harvested coffee cherries; saw how coffee is grown and processed; and learned about the best practices that have consistently resulted in yields at Hacienda Alsacia that are 4 to 5 times the national average.

See what they experienced, through this photo essay, and hear from&nbsp;partners about what they’re taking away.

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“My hope is you’ll never look at a bean or a cup of coffee the same way again,” says Beth Ann Williamson, one of the OE guides, right before partners get off the bus at the Hacienda Alsacia Visitor Center. OE starts with – what else? – a tasting of coffee grown, processed and roasted on the farm. Partners then get guided tours of the Visitor Center, which recently celebrated its 5th anniversary, where they take in sweeping views of the farm and begin to learn about what coffee plants look like at different stages, and how it transforms from seed to cup.

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Carlos Mario Rodriguez, Starbucks head of global research and development, and <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2023/on-international-womens-day-starbucks-celebrates-the-women-leading-the-way-in-the-coffee-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sara Bogantes, agronomist</a>, explain the work being done to develop the next generation of coffee plants. Their job is to find and cultivate hybrids and varietals with the elusive combination of high yield, good taste and resistance to climate change and disease. Bogantes, a 4th generation coffee farmer, talks about the Starbucks core collection she manages – 617 different kinds of coffee available to farmers through Starbucks open-source agronomy initiative.&nbsp;

After lunch, underneath a big open-air tent on a soccer field, Victor Trejos, general manager of the farm, leads partners out to the Esperanza (hope) plot, named after his mother who passed three years ago, and named after the “hope and love you need to be a coffee farmer.” Partners plant seedlings into the ground, and decorate and personalize identification stakes next to each. “It was oddly emotional,“ says Josh Tesdall, a shift supervisor from St. Paul, Minnesota. “It feels like I contributed to my job in a way that I've never been able to before.”&nbsp;

Don Concho and Doña Maritza, two coffee harvesters, share their family’s story of migrating from Nicaragua and talk about the work of picking coffee cherries by hand. After learning it takes about 25 coffee cherries to make an espresso shot, partners team up and harvest ripe coffee cherries for the next half hour. They marvel at the physical labor needed to fill even the bottom of their baskets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Partners don safety helmets and vests to tour the loud, vibrating three-story wet mill. They can see how the raw coffee cherries are washed and processed; how the skin, pulp and mucilage are removed; and how the beans are sorted into different grades. Some of the beans go to a large concrete drying pad and racks nearby. Others go to the adjacent dry mill where they’re tumbled in heat and prepped for shipping in large burlap coffee sacks. Trejos surprises each partner with their own burlap sack.&nbsp;&nbsp;

An hourlong drive away,&nbsp;partners meet Napoleon Chavez, 38, a smallholder farmer. About five years ago, his family coffee business was almost wiped out by coffee rust, a fungal disease. He restarted his farm with seedlings from&nbsp;Hacienda Alsacia and adopted Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/cafe-practices-starbucks-approach-to-ethically-sourcing-coffee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">C.A.F.E. Practices</a>.&nbsp;He’s since doubled his yield, and now runs a model farm, where he evangelizes ethical sourcing and sustainability solutions to others in his community.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Inside the coffee laboratory, partners practice cupping, the formal observation of the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. Three cups are placed in front of each partner – a blind tasting of single-origin coffees from around the world. The conversation starts with the senses and how each coffee smells and reacts on the tongue after a big slurp. One sample elicits “tobacco,” “peppery” and “heavier mouthfeel.” Another is described as “sour,” “blueberries” and “juicy.” Other discussions follow. Is unripe banana a good or bad smell? What causes some coffee to taste like a band-aid, or a raw potato?&nbsp;&nbsp;

A tractor pulls a large trailer along a hilly ridge at about 5,000 feet elevation, past densely packed rows of coffee trees on the foothills of Poas, an active volcano. The tractor stops and partners walk up to an overlook, the highest point on the farm. Felipe Arbelaez Jaramillo, the manager of the Starbucks Colombia Farmer Support Center, introduces himself and talks about the role of the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-farmer-support-centers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10 FSCs around the world:</a> to help farmers improve crop quality and yield.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After learning about the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2023/the-starbucks-foundation-announces-grants-to-uplift-1-million-women-and-girls-in-coffee-growing-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work of The Starbucks Foundation in origin communities</a>, and a discussion around&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/cafe-practices-starbucks-approach-to-ethically-sourcing-coffee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">C.A.F.E. Practices of ethical sourcing and sustainability</a>, partners are asked to gather their thoughts and prepare the stories they want to share when they get back home. It’s been a full, whirlwind schedule – back-to-back 13-hour days. Some want to lead a coffee tasting. Others build&nbsp;photo essays or write poems they plan to share with family members and co-workers back home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Starbucks Origin

Starbucks recently flew 800 partners (employees) from the U.S. and Canada to Hacienda Alsacia, our research and development farm in Costa Rica, to immerse in the story of coffee.

Costa Rica Origin Experience 2023

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

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Starbucks Corporation

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When Angie was a teenager growing up near Minneapolis, Minnesota, she attended meetings throughout high school with an organization called <a href="https://treehousehope.org/">TreeHouse</a>, which is committed to bringing hope to teens by providing free transportation and meals, support groups, one-to-one mentoring and financial and college readiness.

She still vividly remembers one of the volunteers, Cheryl, who donated her time and money to help make delicious home-cooked meals for the kids, including – when Angie was 16 years old – a Thanksgiving spread with baked turkey, mac and cheese and pumpkin pie.

“All the things you see in movies … I was like, I finally understand what it means to be full on Thanksgiving,” says Angie, 23. “I’d never had a Thanksgiving up until that point, and I was just so taken aback. (The TreeHouse volunteers) were all happy, and they were talking about the things that they were thankful for.

“They told us that they were thankful for us, for being us.”

That validation, Angie says, helped her become who she is today: a Starbucks store manager in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a college student studying accounting, in position to give back to the organization that once helped her.

Before the pandemic, she volunteered during TreeHouse’s meal nights. During the ensuing shutdown, she reached out to kids through texts and Zoom, helping with issues like social isolation and distance learning.

“This organization was a vital part of my upbringing,” Angie says. “For the first time in my young life I had reliable adults, a meal to look forward to every Tuesday and Thursday and stability even through my very unstable life.”

Earlier this year, she helped TreeHouse secure a $1,000 Neighborhood Grant from <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/the-starbucks-foundation/">The Starbucks Foundation</a>, to help maintain its fleet of vans for transporting teens to and from programming and activities. It required filling out an in-house nomination form through the Starbucks partner (employee) hub portal. Angie wrote about her history with TreeHouse and why she thought TreeHouse deserved a grant.

“I just feel so happy they were able to get that money, and continue doing what they’re doing, because it’s awesome work,” Angie says. “I feel grateful that I am in a place now that I can, at least somewhat, help – a little bit, just a tiny bit for the amount that they were able to help me.”

Leveraging Starbucks values and resources

Since 2019, The Starbucks Foundation has awarded more than $10 million to more than 6,000 nonprofit and charitable organizations through its <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/strengthening-communities-through-neighborhood-grants/">Neighborhood Grants initiative</a>. All the organizations have been nominated by Starbucks partners. The program operates under the guiding principle that Starbucks partners know their communities best, and local impact is most meaningful when it starts with them.

The next opportunity for Starbucks partners to nominate organizations is during Season of Cheer from Dec. 5-18. The focus will be on organizations working on homelessness, hunger relief and supporting youth and families. Partners are encouraged to choose organizations they are actively engaged with.

For Angie, Starbucks was her first job; she started as a barista at age 16. She enjoyed talking to people and took pride in her work. Encouraged by one of her store managers, she applied for leadership positions and started taking classes towards her accounting degree through the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/careers/working-at-starbucks/education/">Starbucks College Achievement Plan</a>, which provides 100 percent tuition coverage at Arizona State University’s online program.

When she learned she could serve her community through the Neighborhood Grants program, she immediately thought about TreeHouse. The Twin Cities-based organization, which has a mission to “end hopelessness among teens,” creates safe spaces for young people and helps them take on barriers to employment and education. TreeHouse serves more than 3,000 teenagers at more than 50 sites across 10 states.

“I am passionate about this organization because I see the work that they have done with my old middle- and high school peers and myself,” Angie says. “We never felt alone or unheard.

“I feel like, I’ve only ever been on the receiving end. I want someone, like a little Angie somewhere out there, to get the same things I did … People were so selflessly willing to help me. I hope that I can do the same.”

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Angie, a store manager in St. Paul, Minnesota, volunteers with TreeHouse, a youth organization that mentored her as a teen. She also helped the organization receive a Neighborhood Grant from The Starbucks Foundation.

Full circle: Starbucks partner gives back to non-profit that helped her as a teen

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For some, it’s a way to pay for a wedding, make a down payment on a home or a car, or get through an emergency. But for everyone who works for Starbucks, it’s also what makes them a partner in the company: Bean Stock, an annual allotment of the company’s stock given to all benefits-eligible employees.

Bean Stock began in 1991. On the same day Starbucks opened its 100th store, Howard Schultz stood at the company’s roasting plant in Seattle and announced that all Starbucks employees would receive company stock.

“When we introduced Bean Stock... a first for the retail industry, we began to call ourselves&nbsp;partners, sharing in the company’s success,” wrote Schultz, Starbucks interim chief executive officer, in a letter to partners on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The landmark&nbsp;<a href="https://starbucksbeanstock.com/en-us/welcome-en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bean Stock program</a>&nbsp;was the first of its kind in the retail industry. This year, more than 230,000 partners in 21 markets will receive Bean Stock, including Austria, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, China, Canada and the United States.&nbsp;

“It is my hope that this reality of partnership deepens our sense of pride, of mutual support and of shared vision for Starbucks,” Schultz told the company’s 1,300 partners back in in 1991, during his first stint as ceo. “No matter where you are in the company – the roasting plant, the stores, the office – every person will have a stake in the success of the company.”

Read on for stories of how Starbucks partners have used Bean Stock over the years:

Karen Capaldi, store manager, Durango, Colorado

The dream of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania first took hold of Karen Capaldi when she was a college student in the 1980s. At the University of Colorado in Boulder, one of her professors used the receding glaciers on Kilimanjaro – the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world – as an example of the effects of global warming on the planet.

Fast forward almost 30 years. Capaldi had been a Starbucks store manager in Denver for about eight years, and learned that partners who’ve been with the company for 10 years are eligible for a sabbatical, called a Coffee Break.

“I ventured out, took six months off, cashed in my Bean Stock, took a small loan off my 401K and pursued my dream,” Capaldi says. “(In 2012) I summited Kilimanjaro with five other women. I got to stand on top of Kilimanjaro, on a glacier. It was the most amazing experience of my life. It totally changed my life and made me who I am today.”

The experience is still vivid, she says: the intensity of the sun at the 19,000-foot-plus-high peak; watching her breath at -28 degrees Fahrenheit immediately turn into ice crystals; the tunnels in the glaciers formed by pockets of hot air shooting out of the mountain.

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During that sabbatical, Capaldi also traveled around the world, did volunteer work in Rwanda and started <a href="https://www.thedreammakerproject.com/">The DreamMaker Project</a>, through which she began interviewing people she met, including Starbucks partners, about their dreams. After her trip, Capaldi joined the Board of Directors for the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, in honor of the porters who helped her reach the peak. She’s now a store manager in Durango, Colorado.

“It wasn’t a trip, it was the biggest investment in me,” Capaldi says. “I knew it was going to change me, and it did, summiting Kilimanjaro and feeling immense pride in doing that. But when you have to do that type of deep thinking, have that deep resolve, it changes who you are, not only how you interact with the world, but how I interact with people, my family, friends, all of that.

“You get one shot at living your life, and I want it to be the most on-purpose and deliberate thing I do. It was the biggest investment I’ve made in my life, with the largest return. It showed me truly who I am on a physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual level.”

Whitney Hoiberg, shift supervisor, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

In 2008, Whitney Hoiberg was pregnant with her first child. The plan was to go on maternity leave from her job at Starbucks and get through the next year relying on her husband’s income. But then his work as a stone mason almost completely dried up.

“I don’t think we really thought about the finances very much,” Hoiberg remembers. “When you go from being a young couple doing just fine because there’s no major expenses, and all of a sudden, you have a child… It was scary, how quickly our bank account was disappearing.

“But I had the stock. It was there, it was money we could access. It made a huge difference in paying our rent and keeping our electricity on. It was a big deal.”

The Bean Stock kept her family afloat for almost a year, until she returned to Starbucks and her husband’s work picked up again.

Hoiberg, 42, has been at Starbucks for almost 18 years, starting as a barista and moving up to store manager. She became a shift supervisor so she’d have more time to raise her two children.

“When I first started the job at Starbucks, I thought it would be a summer job,” Hoiberg says. “But being part-time and still having full benefits, it was like, ‘That exists? Give me every benefit I can have.’ I fully leaned into anything I could find.

“You have to look at the whole package: the health benefits, the discounts, the (food and beverage benefits), the Bean Stock. Add up all those dollar values, this has to be one of the highest paid part-time jobs you can get. Bean Stock is a great place to have money come when you need it. You can save up for when you need something or those rainy days that you don’t know are coming.”

Bria Smith, barista, Chandler, Arizona

Bria Smith, 24, started working at Starbucks when she was 16 years old. When she turned 18, her future mother-in-law, a Starbucks store manager in the Seattle area, helped her start a 401k retirement account and learn about Bean Stock.

“I was intrigued that Bean Stock was even an option for me,” Smith says. “Being that young, it made me think about the future… I’d read articles about people not starting their 401ks til their 30s or 40s, so it was cool to feel like I was ahead of the game, and it gave me confidence that I was setting myself up for success.”

In March 2021, she and her husband moved to Arizona to be closer to family. With real estate prices increasing, they decided to buy. They used Bean Stock, plus part of their retirement account and their savings to put a down payment on a two-story condominium in Scottsdale.

“Obviously, you start out small like I did, but it does build into something impactful,” Smith says. “It’s not always about the paycheck you’re going to get every two weeks.”

Bean Stock isn’t the only benefit Smith has taken advantage of. In May, she earned a psychology degree through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which provides benefit-eligible partners (employees) with 100 percent tuition coverage at Arizona State University’s online program. She wants to become a marriage and family therapist.

“I think one of the best things about Starbucks is the growth aspect,” Smith says. “Starbucks has helped me grow into a better person. It’s shaped me from being a very insecure, shy person to being able to have conversations with anyone. I think that is such an incredible skill to have.”

Marianne Wilson, store manager, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

In 2014, about a year after immigrating to Canada from the Philippines, Marianne Wilson’s husband got sick and died.

“Starbucks took care of me during the biggest crisis of my life,” says Wilson, who by then was working as a Starbucks store manager. “I was left to carry on the dreams we had for our boys. I would not have done it successfully if I did not have Starbucks, and my leaders, to lean on. They carried me through those hard times.”&nbsp;

For Wilson, 48, Bean Stock is her family’s travel fund. She used it to buy a vintage travel trailer – named “Onwards” – for some memorable road trips. She’s taken her kids to Disneyland. And this winter, she’s returning to Southeast Asia for a month to celebrate her parents’ Golden (50th) anniversary.

“I know some partners are saving Bean Stock for retirement,” Wilson says, “but I live and enjoy life right here, right now, especially after losing my first husband.”

She’s since remarried “to a wonderful man named Kevin, who I met through Starbucks. He was a regular customer. Even my second chance at love, I feel Starbucks has provided for me.”

Wilson, who had 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry in the Philippines, was drawn to Starbucks because of the mission – to inspire and nurture the human spirit.

“I’m a partner first because of that,” Wilson says. “On my left arm, I have a tattoo that says, ‘gugma ug kahajag’ which means ‘love and light’ in my dialect. That’s my life mission, and that’s what our Starbucks mission also means – to nurture and inspire is to be love and light.

“I am so proud of Starbucks, and I have always been proud to be part of our relevance to human experience. During the lockdown, the biggest challenge of our generation – and the crucial litmus test of so many businesses and individuals – I saw firsthand how we comforted the community, and provided normalcy, stability and support.”&nbsp;

Benjamin Jackson, store manager, Greenville, South Carolina&nbsp;

About six months ago, Benjamin Jackson’s landlord told him the price of his rental would go up – “an enormous amount.” Luckily, he was ready. He’d been saving his Bean Stock for this very moment.

“When I started to receive shares, I knew I wasn’t going to blow them,” Jackson says. “I wasn’t going to spill the Bean Stock. I really wanted to use it for something that was important and something that was going to build on my financial well-being.”

He cashed out his stock, enough to help put a down payment on a mid-century split-level home at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with three bedrooms, a large brick fireplace in the living room and a covered porch.

“I’m not going to lie, it was stressful,” Jackson says. “If one piece had been missing, it wouldn’t have been possible – my personal savings, Bean Stock, all that collectively. The preparation met the opportunity; it was the perfect timing.”

Jackson, 46, was a theater actor and playwright. One of his shows, “Steeple People: A Southern Gospel Comedy,” is still being produced across the country. He started working at Starbucks nine years ago for the benefits. He’s grateful for the career progression and a deepening of his understanding of partnership.

“Starbucks is more than a job,” Jackson says. “We have a financial stake in the company. Not only a responsibility for its success, but we reap the benefits of that success. So, when we talk about shareholder value, we’re talking about each other.

“We’re talking about the barista who’s been in the store who’s on the warming station… It’s the partner who’s three years in, who’s running drive thru. That’s who we’re talking about, the people you work with every day, the people you laugh with every day.”

Collage of couple in their van; woman in Africa; mother and daughter holding a photo

Since 1991, the landmark Bean Stock program has awarded Starbucks stock options, annually. This year, more than 230,000 partners in 21 markets will receive Bean Stock.

Starbucks awards stock options annually to partners; here’s how some have used Bean Stock

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Since early 2020, Starbucks has adhered to three guiding principles for navigating the pandemic:

① Prioritizing the health and well-being of our partners and customers ② Playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials as they work to mitigate the spread of this virus ③ Showing up in a positive and responsible way to serve our communities

As we take stock of our journey to this point, we’ve created a chronological timeline that outlines some of the major standards and policies we’ve put in place to protect our partners and customers. We will continue to heed the advice of public health experts and make decisions based on sound science.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you’d prefer a summary of our actions throughout the course of the pandemic, please see <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/response-to-covid/" data-type="story_category" data-id="3142">Our Response to COVID-19</a>.

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Mar. 4, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/navigating-through-covid-19/" target="_blank">Starbucks outlines precautionary steps during COVID-19 outbreak</a>

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Mar. 5, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/one-global-companys-bold-steps-to-navigate-covid-19-in-china-and-the-lessons-learned/" target="_blank">Navigating COVID-19 in China and lessons learned</a> Starbucks U.S. leverages lessons from Starbucks China on dealing with the early days of COVID-19.

Mar. 6, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/letter-to-partners-update-on-covid-19-preparedness/" target="_blank">Putting into action care and concern for partners and customers</a> Letter from Rosann Williams, executive vice president and president North America for Starbucks, details processes and protocols following first confirmed case in a Starbucks store.

Mar. 9, 2020 Starbucks joins Seattle business and community leaders to provide support and resources through COVID-19 Starbucks joins COVID-19 Response Fund in Seattle to rapidly deploy resources to local organizations on the frontlines of the outbreak. Commits more than $2.5 million, including $250,000 from The Starbucks Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mar. 11, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/letter-to-partners-caring-for-starbucks-partners-during-covid-19/" target="_blank">Caring for Starbucks partners during COVID-19</a> In addition to existing benefits, Starbucks announces additional mental health support and catastrophe pay for employees exposed or diagnosed with COVID-19.&nbsp;Benefit is 14 days.

Mar. 11, 2020 Kevin Johnson, Starbucks ceo, outlines steps company is taking for health of customers, partners and community Starbucks announces stores are prepared to modify operations on a case-by-case, community-by-community, store-by-store basis – including store closure and limited seating – based on partner safety and local directives.&nbsp;

Mar. 15, 2020 Starbucks will temporarily change to a “to go” model in U.S. and Canada stores Starbucks implements social distancing in stores and moves to a “to go” model for at least two weeks in U.S. and Canada.&nbsp;

Mar. 16, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-transforms-mental-health-benefit-for-us-employees/" target="_blank">Starbucks Transforms Mental Health Benefit for U.S. Employees</a> Starbucks announces new mental health care benefit in partnership with Lyra Health, which enables U.S. partners to receive up to 20 free therapy sessions.

Mar. 20, 2020 Starbucks temporarily moves to primarily drive-thru-only in U.S., confirms expanded catastrophe pay for worried partners Starbucks closes access to cafes and reduces service to drive-thru and delivery only for two weeks in the U.S. Exceptions are made for cafes serving in or around hospitals and health care centers.&nbsp;

Mar. 22, 2020 Update on how Starbucks is supporting partners and communities during COVID-19 During two-week closure, Starbucks drive-thru stores stayed open and partners showed up to support each other. Starbucks Service Pay introduced for partners who choose to continue coming to work.&nbsp;

Mar. 22, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/a-time-for-resilience/" target="_blank">A </a><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/a-time-for-resilience/" target="_blank">message from Starbucks ceo Kevin Johnson: A time for resilience</a> Starbucks ceo Kevin Johnson recognizes the gravity of the times in a letter to partners and customers, committing to pay all Starbucks U.S. and Canada retail partners for 30 days, whether or not they come to work.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“No partner should have to choose between work and their health,” he said.

Mar. 22, 2020 Message from Rossann Williams: Providing additional COVID-19 Partner Care In a letter to partners, Rossann Williams announces Starbucks Service Pay, an additional $3 per hour for shifts worked as scheduled, and a new temporary food benefit and partner discount.&nbsp;

Mar. 25, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-bring-coffee-and-comfort-to-covid-19-front-line-responders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks offers free coffee to front-line responders</a> Starbucks announced it will offer free coffee to front line responders through May 3, 2020. In addition, The Starbucks Foundation donates $500,000 to support front-line responders.&nbsp;

Apr. 1, 2020 Starbucks Playbook for Navigating COVID-19 Company establishes three guiding principles for navigating the pandemic:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Apr. 1, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-donates-more-than-3m-to-global-covid-19-relief-efforts/" target="_blank">Using our scale for good around the world during extraordinary times</a> The Starbucks Foundation donates more than $3 million to support global COVID-19 relief efforts around the world, designed to partner with key organizations in order to ensure those who need the most help get it.&nbsp;

Also, all temporary benefits for Starbucks partners extended through May 3. Thermometers provided in all stores.

Apr. 8, 2020 Taking care of Starbucks partners around the world through emergency relief Starbucks contributes $10 million to establish the new Starbucks Global Partner Emergency Relief Program for partners facing extreme hardship as a result of COVID-19.&nbsp;

Apr. 8, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-provides-update-on-recovery-in-china-impact-of-covid-19-on-us-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks provides update on recovery in China, impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Business</a> In an open stakeholder letter from ceo Kevin Johnson and cfo Pat Grismer filed as an 8-K, the company provided an update on business recovery in China, the impact COVID-19 has had on U.S. business and how it is well positioned financially to weather this crisis. The company remains optimistic about Starbucks resilience and is confident it will emerge from this crisis stronger than before. &nbsp;

Apr. 16, 2020 Starbucks shares how it's prepared to "monitor and adapt" the customer experience through COVID-19 In a letter to partners, Kevin Johnson outlined the company’s transition to a new phase of operations in the U.S., best described as “monitor and adapt,” based on experience in China during COVID-19. As was the case in China, Starbucks will gradually expand and shift the customer experiences in stores based on a clear decision-making framework.

Apr. 16, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/a-letter-to-partners-partner-care-as-we-rebuild-from-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A letter to partners: Comprehensive partner care as we adapt to COVID-19</a> In a letter to partners, Rossann Williams shares that many stores will reopen on May 4, Starbucks will extend Service Pay through the end of May and extend catastrophe pay.&nbsp;

Apr. 16, 2020 Starbucks Joins in the Efforts to Support Food Banks in the U.S. and Canada Starbucks announced additional efforts to support food banks in the U.S. and Canada as they struggle to meet the increased demand, shortages in food donations and logistical complexities related to their operations. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To date, The Starbucks Foundation has donated over $5.5 million to support global COVID-19 response efforts.

Apr. 16, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/">Starbucks partners offer support to frontline workers across Asia, donating free food and beverage</a><a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">s</a>

Apr. 29, 2020 More stores to welcome customers – here’s what to expect Starbucks prepares customers for a new experience, focusing on the ability to use the Starbucks App to order and pay ahead of time and then pick up the order in drive-thrus. Grab-and-go also introduced, as well as Starbucks Delivers via Uber Eats.

May 4, 2020 The Third Place: Needed Now More than Ever In a letter from the ceo, Starbucks announces plans to responsibly reopen more than 85 percent of company-operated stores by May 9 across the U.S. The Third Place concept shifts from physical space to mindset as communities seek to reconnect and heal.

May 18, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-teams-with-john-krasinski-some-good-news/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Starbucks Foundation teams with John Krasinski’s Some Good News</a> The Starbucks Foundation teams up with John Krasinski’s Some Good News to announce Some Good Merch, with Starbucks matching the first $1 million in proceeds for COVID-19 relief efforts.&nbsp;

May 21, 2020 Building a Bridge to Our Future Leadership letters to partners reiterate the need for Starbucks to be prepared as the public comes out of isolation and people crave connection and community. Launch multifaceted ad campaign designed to help customers find stores, check hours and use contactless payment. Hours and operations continue to be modified.

May 26, 2020 Letter from Rossann: A letter to partners: Partner care as we rebuild from COVID-19 Starbucks implements a new COVID-19 Leave of Absence policy for partners who prefer to take an unpaid leave through Sept. 30 and accrue up to 30 hours per week toward benefits eligibility.

May 28, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-supporting-community-response-and-resilience-during-covid-19/" target="_blank">The Starbucks Foundation: Supporting Community Response and Resilience during COVID-19</a> The Starbucks Foundation distributes more than $1 million to more than 400 local organizations across the U.S. and Canada to support COVID-19 community response, inspired and informed by Starbucks partners.&nbsp;

Supporting coffee-growing communities: The&nbsp;Starbucks Foundation has donated $1 million to Mercy Corps to support COVID-19 prevention communication and extend urgently needed direct support across coffee and tea farming communities in Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala, India and Ethiopia. To prevent transmission and protect lives and livelihoods, Mercy Corps is providing hygiene supplies as well as vouchers, clean water filters and other assistance to vulnerable families during this crisis. These efforts have reached more than 200,000 people to date.

Jun. 10, 2020 Restore and Build Resilience: Elevating the Customer and Partner Experience Starbucks releases “Bridge to the Future” vision to stakeholders, including specifics on how the company is transforming customer and partner experience during the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jul. 9, 2020 Protecting Partners and Customers – An Update on Facial Coverings Facial coverings required in all company owned locations in the U.S. In select locations without mandates, customers not wearing facial coverings can order at the drive-thru, do curbside pickup or place an order for delivery. Recommit to playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. Release of “At-a-Glance” guide for customers.

Jul. 17, 2020 Starbucks ceo discusses the company’s playbook for navigating COVID-19 Kevin Johnson joins national Retail Federation to discuss Starbucks response to the pandemic and ongoing evolution of Third Place. He reiterates learnings from China, mask policy, and how Starbucks is navigating the next phase.

Jan. 5, 2021 Starbucks gives 2.2M cups of free coffee to front-line responders in December &nbsp; Starbucks update in midst of winter surge:&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since March 2020, The Starbucks Foundation has donated more than $1 million to support front-line responders, including delivery of personal protective equipment, essential medical items, care packages and handwritten letters and support for emergency assistance including mental health resources for first responders and health care workers. Since the start of COVID-19, Starbucks has provided:&nbsp;

Jan. 18, 2021 Starbucks Joins the Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center (WSVCCC) Starbucks joins the Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center (WSVCCC), a new statewide public-private partnership to boost vaccine distribution efforts established by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington Department of Health. Partners from across the company join the humanitarian effort.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Feb. 8, 2021 Starbucks Offers Vaccine Pay and Expanded COVID-19 Benefits for Partners Ongoing safety protocols in every store + updated policies:&nbsp;

Feb. 8, 2021 Starbucks begins developing a vaccine campaign with partners focusing on education, engagement, empowerment and enablement The company also hosted educational sessions on vaccines with Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center.

Mar. 8, 2021 Hardship grants for partners announced Another resource available to partners is the company’s CUP Fund, which provides grants for partners experiencing financial hardships. Starting March 8, 2021, partners can apply for an expedited 2021 COVID-19 CUP Fund grant for certain financial hardship needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to $500.

Apr. 18, 2021 Starbucks launches vaccine "make your plan" resources for partners to help them find vaccine locations in their community

Apr. 19, 2021 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/starbucks-support-of-safe-and-equitable-vaccine-distribution/" target="_blank">Starbucks Support of Safe and Equitable Vaccine Distribution</a> Starbucks offers up to 4 hours of paid time off if partners experience vaccine-related side effects and miss a scheduled shift within 48 hours of receiving each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, up to two doses. (This is in addition to offering two hours of paid time off per dose for partners who choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine, up to two doses.) The company offers online tools for partners, as well as their friends and family, to create their vaccine plan and easily access state-by-state vaccine distribution and availability information.&nbsp;

In addition, the company has made several investments in innovative programs that help increase safe and equitable access to vaccines, including a $250,000 donation to help fund Team Rubicon’s mobile vaccination site pilots, as well as a total of $50,000 to local Seattle-area hospitals Swedish and UW Medicine to support their efforts to deliver vaccines directly to underserved communities.

Apr. 30, 2021 Starbucks support for India's COVID-19 response Starbucks announces support for partners in India:&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jun. 21, 2021 Starbucks provides stores with a toolkit on how to partner with community organizations to host popup vaccine events

Oct. 18, 2021 Starbucks launches internal weekly COVID-19 updates to U.S. store managers As Delta surges and large businesses anticipate a mandate from the federal government requiring all employees get vaccinated, Starbucks launches internal weekly COVID-19 updates to U.S. store managers and an email account for partners to ask outstanding questions. The Q&amp;A is released weekly and reflects a fluid situation.

Nov. 1, 2021 Booster Pay information shared with partners All U.S. store partners who self-disclosed their vaccine information are eligible to receive 2 hours of paid time off for their vaccine booster shot.

Jan. 4, 2022 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/letter-to-starbucks-partners-vaccines-testing-and-supporting-you-in-next-phase-of-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Letter to Starbucks partners: Vaccines, testing and supporting you in next phase of COVID-19</a> The Supreme Court strikes down the OSHA ETS vaccine mandate. Starbucks continues to provide guidance on safety measures, empowering store managers to make the best decisions in their local communities in accordance with local regulations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jan. 10, 2022 Starbucks Support Center begins reopening in waves Starbucks Support Center, which had been closed (except to office dependent partners (employees) since spring of 2020, reopens in waves, with safety precautions in mind. All non-retail domestic and international air travel will continue to require written evp approval during this period.&nbsp;

As we take stock of our journey to this point, we’ve created a chronological timeline that outlines some of the major standards and policies we’ve put in place to protect our partners and customers. We will continue to heed the advice of public health experts and make decisions based on sound science. 

Timeline: Starbucks COVID-19 Milestones

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Kevin Johnson unveils the voter registration initiatives Starbucks is launching to ensure partners and customers have the opportunity for their voices to be heard.

The struggle for civil rights and racial equity in America requires continuous conversations and daily work. This is especially true for a business like ours that lives its mission grounded in humanity and that touches the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world.&nbsp;

Over the recent weeks, I, along with the entire leadership team, have revisited the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2019/01/Covington-Report-to-Starbucks-Jan-23-2019.pdf">Civil Rights Assessment</a> of Starbucks that was conducted by Covington &amp; Burling, under the leadership of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. That assessment, and the one-year update published <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/an-update-on-starbucks-civil-rights-assessment/">in February</a>, do a good job summarizing the actions Starbucks has taken to promote civil rights—for partners, for customers, and for the communities we serve. It shows the different ways that, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/starbucks-equity-and-inclusion-timeline/">for years</a>, Starbucks has facilitated that conversation and engaged in the daily work.&nbsp;

However, the potency—and the potential—of this national moment highlights that, although we have made progress, there is still so much more for us to do. We approach this as a quest to stand up for racial justice and equity, create opportunity for others, and strengthen every community we serve and in which we live.

Roz and I have met with leaders of all our business resource groups and with retail leaders to reflect on our journey together, and to share and solicit ideas about how Starbucks and Starbucks partners can continue to do more. As a company, we know the benefit of being thoughtful and intentional, listening to our partners and stakeholders and making decisions that ensure our partners feel seen, heard and valued.&nbsp;That is exactly what we have been doing.

The upcoming election is a reminder that we, as citizens, play an active role in our society by simply getting involved and voting. Who you vote for is a very personal decision that you make as a citizen. It is one way for you to be heard. It is how democracy works. Yet we know that barriers exist, notably in Black and Brown communities throughout the nation, that lend to systemic racism and require greater voter access and protections. I&nbsp;want to share how we are working, in a uniquely Starbucks way, to ensure you&nbsp;have the&nbsp;opportunity for your voice to be heard.

Starbucks is taking a major step forward this year to ensure that no partner will have to choose between working their shift or voting on or before Election Day. Through conversations between managers and nearly 200,000 partners, we’ll ensure you have the tools and the time necessary to register and cast your vote. To further enable this, partners have created a new <a href="http://www.StarbucksPartnersVote.com">portal</a> with tools and resources to support your civic engagement, includinginformation onhow to register to vote, request a mail-in ballot, and volunteer to help make this year’s election safe and accessible.

Voting, while essential, is just one step toward addressing many of the issues in front of us as a society. In the coming weeks and months, you can expect to hear more about the principles we are developing and commitments we will make to further racial equity, justice and opportunity. You will hear about greater transparency into diversity and inclusion data when it comes to hiring, developing and advancing partners across all roles within the company. You will hear about us partnering with civil rights groups, non-profits, governments and first responders who share our belief that every single human being—including Black, Indigenous and people of color—feels safe, welcome and respected. You’ll also hear about other ways we are further using our scale for good in the communities we serve. The bottom line being: Starbucks will not wait for change, we will make change of our own.&nbsp;

THREE CRITICAL QUESTIONS

As we continue to build on all that we have done over the past several years, we are focusing on three important questions&nbsp;for each of us to consider. These questions serve as a framework for thoughtful conversation and action:

As a citizen, what is my role and responsibility?

As a Starbucks partner, what is my role and responsibility to promote a culture of inclusion, allyship, diversity, and equity, both in our stores and throughout our extended work environment?

As a company, what is Starbucks role and responsibility to step up our commitment to promote justice, equity, opportunity and resiliency in all communities we serve?&nbsp;

We will use these questions to guide an ongoing conversation, informed by the Civil Rights Audit and by suggestions from partners around the world, and by our 50-year journey as a company. I encourage all Starbucks partners to take part in this conversation. There are&nbsp; simple actions we can all consider taking now, such as re-reading the audit or signing up for a <a href="https://tobewelcoming.com/">To Be Welcoming</a> course, which we developed together with Arizona State University.

We have a responsibility to promote justice and build bridges, and a mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit. To truly accomplish that requires recognition of, daily commitment to, and investment in racial justice in America.&nbsp;Our journey continues.

With respect and gratitude, Kevin&nbsp;

Kevin Johnson unveils the voter registration initiatives Starbucks is launching to ensure partners and customers have the opportunity for their voices to be heard.

A message from Starbucks ceo to partners and customers on civic responsibility

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This page shows data from our 2019 Report. For the most up-to-date goals and progress, see our <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-global-environmental-and-social-impact-report-2021/">2021 Global Environmental &amp; Social Impact Report.</a>

At Starbucks we take actions to strengthen our communities by listening, supporting, investing and uplifting in meaningful ways – whether that’s the neighborhoods that host our stores, or the regions that grow our coffee. In late FY19 at Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/12000-starbucks-partners-gather-in-chicago-for-transformative-leadership-experience/">Leadership Experience</a>, we rolled out new resources and tools to empower 12,000 store leaders in the U.S. and Canada to serve their communities in ways that align to Starbucks global social impact priorities and are also locally relevant. We’ve seen success from this especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with examples tracked <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/community/">here</a>.

Goal: Open Community Stores in 15 diverse, low to medium income urban communities in the U.S. by the end of 2020 We’ve invested globally in 16 Community Stores, 14 in the U.S., one in South Korea, and one in Thailand, which provide extra services and resources specific to their communities. In the U.S. in FY19, new stores opened in Dallas, Birmingham, Ala. and Jonesboro, Ga., with an expanded commitment in early 2020 to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">operate 100 of them</a> by 2025.

Our <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/starbucks-military-commitment/">Military Family Stores</a> create a welcoming space to bring active duty military and their spouses together with their communities.

Our <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/all-signs-point-to-washington-dc/">Signing Stores</a> are designed to provide employment opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing people and drive greater connection within that community.

1,500+ Coffee with a Cop events in Starbucks stores since 2017

Goal: Promote dialogue, empathy and stronger neighborhoods through by building relationships with law enforcement and first responders Building trusted relationships with law enforcement is an important part of sustaining a welcoming and safe environment in its stores. Starbucks has continued to build relationships and trust with law enforcement through alliances with national organizations as well as interactive <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/coffee-with-a-cop/">Coffee with a Cop</a> events.

Over 20 million meals donated in the U.S., with ~60% of eligible stores participating

Goal: Rescue 100% of food available to donate in all U.S. company-operated stores Starbucks FoodShare program in the U.S., which launched in 2016 in partnership with Feeding America, packages eligible unsold food and provides meals to food banks and mobile pantries. As of June 2020, we’ve now donated more than 25 million meals, with recent spikes as <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/as-food-bank-need-spikes-starbucks-and-feeding-america-fight-hunger-together/">food bank needs</a> increase. We continue to learn from the many logistical challenges of ongoing perishable food delivery as we increase the scale of this program.

Internationally, similar programs exist in several markets, including a FoodShare launch in Canada in FY19 and food waste programs in 13 countries across EMEA.

Goal: Test an innovative community service model After a successful test in FY19, we expanded <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/the-starbucks-foundation-and-points-of-light-expand-innovative-service-model-in-20-cities-across-the-united-states/">The Starbucks Foundation Service Fellows</a> program, in which 100 Starbucks hourly store partners in 20 cities work 20 hours in their store each week while spending another 20 hours with a local nonprofit. The program is catalytic in communities that need support and provides an opportunity for Starbucks partners to build local nonprofit capacity and further serve their communities.

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Timeline: Starbucks COVID-19 Milestones

A message from Starbucks ceo to partners and customers on civic responsibility

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