Starbucks’ Grand Plan: Get Back to Being Starbucks

The strategy is fittingly called “Back to Starbucks.” Under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, the company is trying to restore the basics: faster service, more welcoming stores, stronger menu innovation, and a loyalty program that gives customers more reasons to return.

This is not a minor tune-up. Starbucks says its Green Apron Service operating model has been fully rolled out across North America company-operated stores, with the goal of improving service times, increasing throughput, and lifting customer satisfaction. The company also expects to add more than 25,000 café seats across the U.S. by the end of fiscal 2026, reinforcing the idea that Starbucks wants customers to linger again, not just grab a mobile order and leave.^[1]

The store-expansion plan matters because Starbucks already has enormous scale. At the end of its fiscal 2026 second quarter, the company had 41,129 stores worldwide, with the U.S. and China representing 61% of the global portfolio.^[2] Adding more than 2,000 net stores on top of that would be a meaningful growth lever, especially if traffic and margins continue to recover.

A Turnaround With a Proven Operator at the Center

Starbucks’ recent challenge was not that the brand disappeared. It was that the experience became less consistent. Long wait times, complicated drinks, mobile-order congestion, labor costs, and a less inviting store environment all chipped away at the company’s core promise.

That is why Niccol’s arrival mattered. He came in with a reputation for brand restoration and operational discipline, and Starbucks’ current strategy reflects that playbook: simplify where needed, improve execution, sharpen marketing, and make the physical store experience feel valuable again.

Management is also reworking Starbucks Rewards, which drove nearly 60% of U.S. company-operated revenue in fiscal 2025. The redesigned program includes Green, Gold, and Reserve tiers, faster Star earning as spending rises, and added perks for higher-engagement members.^[1] For retail investors, that is important because loyalty programs can create repeat behavior, better customer data, and more predictable demand.

The Latest Quarter Showed Real Momentum

The most encouraging part of the Starbucks story is that the turnaround is starting to show up in the numbers.

For the fiscal second quarter ended March 29, 2026, Starbucks reported consolidated net revenue of $9.5 billion, up 9% year over year. Global comparable-store sales rose 6.2%, driven by a 3.8% increase in transactions and a 2.3% increase in average ticket.^[2]

The U.S. business looked especially strong. North America comparable-store sales increased 7.1%, while U.S. comparable-store sales also rose 7.1%, supported by higher traffic and ticket growth.^[2]

Earnings improved, too. GAAP EPS came in at $0.45, up 32% year over year, while non-GAAP EPS was $0.50, up 22%. Starbucks also raised its fiscal 2026 guidance, now calling for global and U.S. comparable-store sales growth of 5% or greater, non-GAAP operating margin to improve slightly year over year, non-GAAP EPS of $2.25 to $2.45, and 600 to 650 net new coffeehouses globally in fiscal 2026.^[2]

The results also beat Wall Street expectations, with reported non-GAAP EPS of $0.50 versus an estimated $0.44, and revenue of about $9.53 billion versus an estimated $9.23 billion, according to 24/7 Wall St.^[3]

There are still risks. North America operating margin declined year over year, partly because Starbucks is investing in labor to support the turnaround and facing higher coffee costs and tariff-related inflation.^[2] But the bigger picture is that traffic is improving, revenue is growing, and earnings are moving in the right direction.

The Retail Investor Verdict

For long-term investors, Starbucks now looks less like a sleepy mature restaurant chain and more like a global consumer brand trying to restart its growth engine.

The bull case is straightforward: Starbucks has a massive store base, a powerful brand, a huge loyalty ecosystem, and a management team focused on restoring the customer experience. If “Back to Starbucks” keeps driving traffic gains while the company adds stores, improves throughput, and rebuilds margins, shareholders could benefit from both earnings growth and renewed confidence in the stock.

As of the latest available market data, Starbucks shares traded around $102.93, with a market capitalization near $117.7 billion. That is not a bargain-bin valuation, especially with the company still in investment mode. But for investors who believe Niccol’s turnaround can last, Starbucks offers something compelling: a familiar brand with a credible plan to become a better, faster-growing version of itself.

Should You Buy Stock in Starbucks Right Now?

Starbucks may be one of the more interesting consumer turnaround stories on the market today. The company is not simply promising growth; it is showing early evidence that customers are coming back, transactions are improving, and management’s strategy is gaining traction.

But here is the bigger investing question: Is Starbucks one of the very best stocks to buy right now, or are there even stronger opportunities hiding in plain sight?

A Motley Fool–style analyst team might put it this way: their latest “10 best stocks to buy now” list has just been released, and while Starbucks is a world-class brand with a promising turnaround, history shows that the biggest winners often come from spotting exceptional companies before the crowd fully appreciates them. Early recommendations in companies like Netflix or Nvidia created life-changing returns for patient investors who understood the long-term story before it became obvious.

Starbucks could be a rewarding long-term holding if its 2028 plan succeeds. But the best investors do not stop at one good idea. They compare great businesses, study the numbers, and look for the rare companies with the strongest combination of growth, execution, and durability.