Starbucks’s new initiatives include pop-ups, barista championship — and more
Starbucks revealed five new initiatives at its first-ever "Promise Day," a gathering of its employees from across the company.
The coffee giant said the event, hosted in-person at its support center in Seattle and virtually around the world, will be an annual gathering “dedicated to Starbucks partners and all those the Starbucks brand influences and uplifts.”
“A year ago, we gathered together as partners in this very room to re-found the company and define a shared path forward,” said Starbucks global CEO Laxman Narasimhan. “And since committing ourselves to these promises a year ago, you have each helped us realize what we can achieve when we’re at our best.”
For the first time in the company’s 53-year history, Starbucks baristas (employees) from around the world will have the chance to compete side by side in the "Global Barista Championships" to be crowned the ‘’top barista on the planet.”
Barista champions from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean will be invited to compete in the inaugural event, which will at held at Hacienda Alsacia in 2025. (Located in Costa Rica, Hacienda Alsacia is the company's first and only company-owned and operated coffee farm and is dedicated exclusively to research and development.)
Starbucks’ other new initiatives are detailed below.
•The company will open “coffee experience” pop-ups in cities in the U.S. and around the world next year. The pop-ups will offer customers exclusive and unexpected collaborations and experimental coffees from unique origins made with innovative techniques.
•In December, Starbucks will break ground on a new sustainability learning and innovation lab at Hacienda Alsacia. In December, the retailer also will welcome the first cohort of college students to learn about innovation in agronomy and coffee growing at Starbucks coffee farm, Hacienda Alsacia.
Starbucks will also expand its network of coffee innovation farms to four countries in the coming years in an effort to help the next generation mitigate the impact of climate change on coffee supply.
•Beginning next week, Starbucks will donate 100% of this year’s sales of its Odyssey Blend whole bean coffee in North America to support World Central Kitchen’s global humanitarian efforts. The effort is part of a new, annual community giveback program from purchases of select whole bean coffees.
In addition, as part of its year-round Giving Match program, Starbucks will match North American partner donations to World Central Kitchen through the Starbucks Community Champion Portal.
•To support its environmental commitment, Starbucks is helping reduce waste in stores from single-use cups. Starting in May, all North America support partners and partners at North American company-operated stores will receive a reusable Green Apron Cup to use for their shift beverage. The company has set a goal to reduce waste sent to landfill by 50% by 2030.