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☆ The restaurant stocks that are killing it in this market have one thing in common
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

When a company performs well and I interview its CEO on CNBC, I consider the stock's performance before fashioning my questions. Maybe the company had been poorly run and the guest is a new CEO who is turning it around. Once Wood picks a stock, that company can do no wrong, which is code for she can do no wrong. And take it from me, an old Mexican restaurant veteran, it travels better than any other restaurant chain. We should have just bought Dutch Bros. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.)

Persons: Albert Manifold, Rather, That's, Chris Gibson, Jensen Huang, Huang, Gibson, Cathie Wood, Wood, that's, Brinker, Chipotle, Chipotle execs, Taco Bell, isn't, Yum, McDonald's, Laxman Narasimhan, Howard Schultz, let's, Narasimhan, Joe, Locker, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Al Drago Organizations: CNBC, Pharmaceuticals, Nvidia, ARK, Gallup, Darden, Diageo, Brands, KFC, Taco, Taco Bell, Texas, Starbucks, Management, Bros, Dutch Bros, Jim Cramer's Charitable, Starbucks Corp, Health, Education, Labor, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: United States, U.S, Dublin, Ireland, Europe, Texas, Olive, East, Israel, Washington , DC

☆ Jim Cramer says Howard Schultz's open letter to Starbucks is unlike anything he's seen before
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The difficult road ahead for Club holding Starbucks took a dramatic, unexpected turn this weekend — one that Jim Cramer said he's not seen before in his four decades on Wall Street. "I think he's coming from the point of view just sadness about where the franchise is," Jim said. Narasimhan said Starbucks is working on a plan to speed up customer service and improve its supply chain. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testifies about the company's labor and union practices during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 29, 2023.

Persons: Jim Cramer, he's, Howard Schultz, Schultz, I've, Jim, Laxman Narasimhan, Kevin Johnson, SBUX, Narasimhan, Howard, Jim Cramer's, Saul Loeb Organizations: Club, Starbucks, CNBC, LinkedIn, Health, Education, Labor, Capitol, AFP, Getty Locations: U.S, North America, China, Washington , DC

☆ Howard Schultz tells Starbucks to fix its stores and mobile app to reverse 'fall from grace'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Longtime Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has some thoughts on Starbucks' poor sales. He said the chain needs to listen to baristas, fix its app, and focus on the customer experience. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementHoward Schultz says Starbucks needs to fix its stores and mobile app to reverse its "fall from grace." "The company's fix needs to begin at home: US operations are the primary reason for the company's fall from grace," Schultz wrote.

Persons: Howard Schultz, —, Schultz Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Business Locations: North America, China

☆ Starbucks says it's launching boba-inspired drinks this summer
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Starbucks is set to roll out its own version of boba in May, CEO Laxman Narasimhan said Tuesday. "We are launching our first texture innovation, Pearls," he said. Some Starbucks baristas have posted TikTok videos making drinks with "raspberry-popping pearls." AdvertisementStarbucks is set to roll out its own version of boba at its stores this summer, more than two years after it first confirmed that it was testing drinks with pearls. "For summer, we are launching our first texture innovation, Pearls," CEO Laxman Narasimhan told analysts at the company's earnings call Tuesday.

Persons: boba, Laxman Narasimhan, — Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Business

☆ Starbucks, Workers United made 'significant progress' in this week's contract talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Starbucks worker boards the Starbucks union bus after Starbucks workers stood on the picket line with striking SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America (WGA) members in solidarity outside Netflix studios on July 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Starbucks and Workers United, which represents roughly 500 of its cafes, said Friday in a joint release that they made "significant progress" in their contract talks this week. The two-day session marked the first time in nearly a year that Starbucks and Workers United came to the bargaining table. Workers United has broadly pushed for higher wages and more consistent scheduling, among a range of other priorities. After a year, workers who lose faith in the union can petition to decertify, putting a ticking clock on negotiations.

Persons: there's Organizations: SAG, Guild of America, Netflix, Starbucks, Workers United, Service Employees International Union, SEIU . Workers United Locations: Los Angeles , California, Atlanta

☆ Starbucks resumes bargaining with union after two sides thaw relationship
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Store agreements will be negotiated and ratified separately, but the union might make proposals that could affect all of the Starbucks workers it represents. Workers United has broadly pushed for higher wages and more consistent scheduling, among a range of other priorities. Citing unfair labor practices by Starbucks, the labor board has denied 18 other petitions to decertify. Starbucks argued that other agencies seeking injunctions have a higher threshold to receive one than the labor board does. Starbucks could share more about the union negotiations during its quarterly earnings call.

Organizations: Starbucks, Workers United, National Labor Relations Board, Service Employees International Union, NLRB, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Locations: U.S, Pittsburgh, Memphis

☆ Starbucks is giving its plastic cups a makeover
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The chain announced Thursday that the plastic cups for all sizes of its cold drinks have undergone an environmentally friendly redesign that uses up to 20% less plastic compared to the current version. The new cups were developed internally at Starbucks as part of its ongoing sustainability efforts to reduce its waste and carbon output in half by 2030. In addition to using less plastic for the cups themselves — Starbucks projects the new cups will save more than 13.5 million pounds of plastic going to landfills annually — it is “projected to reduce emissions and conserve water in the production process,” the chain said. Starbucks said it conducted tests with baristas and customers to ensure the changeover doesn’t reduce the cups’ sturdiness or ability to keep drinks cold. Priestland suggests that Starbucks develop reusable and returnable on-the-go cups to help them fully achieve their sustainability goals.

Persons: there’s, Connor Surdi, Emma Priestland, Priestland Organizations: New, New York CNN, Starbucks, CNN Locations: New York, Canada, Seattle, Japan, Singapore, United Kingdom

☆ Witnesses to Sydney Mall Stabbing Describe Harrowing Scenes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( John Yoon | Isabella Kwai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Witnesses to the stabbings at a mall in a Sydney, Australia, on Saturday described a scene of terror as shoppers fled from the knife-wielding man or huddled in stores as panic spread through the shopping center. Others ran out, screaming as they passed by bodies on the floor. When Gavin Lockhart, 37, saw people running as he sat inside a coffee shop at the mall, there was a moment of confusion. Then, Mr. Dunkley recounted, he saw a police officer attempt to stop the assailant. When the officer told the man to put his knife down, he lunged toward her with his weapon, the cafe owner said.

Persons: blared, Gavin Lockhart, ”, “ He’s, Michael Dunkley, Dunkley, “, Mr Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Californians could pay $200 more a year for their Starbucks habit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

At Starbucks, where each store is corporately owned, increased prices took effect as soon as the new law did, BI found. AdvertisementA roughly 15% price increaseBI found prices on Starbucks menu items increased from $0.50 to as much as $1.00 by comparing previous receipts to current prices. Others lamented that their typical order increased by a dollar or more. Baristas bear the brunt"As if we don't get harassed enough," a Starbucks barista posted on Reddit along with pictures of new signage reflecting the higher menu costs. Representatives for Starbucks United, which represents unionized Starbucks employees, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Gavin Newsom, they're, hasn't, They're Organizations: Service, Gov, Food, Business, Starbucks, Starbucks United, California Starbucks Locations: California, North America

☆ 8 things you need to know about EV startup founder William Li — known as China's version of Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Shanghai-based premium EV company was co-founded in 2014 by its CEO, William Li. William Li, also known as Bin Li, has been dubbed the "Elon Musk of China" for his push to develop self-driving EVs and his loyal fan base. He co-founded his first major company in his mid-twentiesBitauto, a car comparison website, was co-founded by Li in 2000. AdvertisementAnyone who purchases a Nio car can access "Nio Houses" equipped with meeting rooms, lounges, baristas, and supervised kids' play areas. To Li's dismay, Nio cars are not yet available for sale in the USLi has expressed dissatisfaction with the US tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.

Persons: William Li, Li, —, Bin Li, Elon, EVs, he's, Tesla, Zoey Zhang Li, Nio, Li livestreamed, HECTOR RETAMAL, ET7, ALY, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, REUTERS, Peking University, New York Stock Exchange, NYSE, CNBC, Reuters Locations: China, Shanghai, Anhui, Nio, Europe, Xiamen, Mexico

☆ Why Are Pants So Big (Again)?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Jonah Weiner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

My pants had been slim for some 15 years, since so-called skinny jeans first hit the market in earnest, around 2005. Narrow silhouettes quickly spread, until they felt less like a trend and more like a structural fact of existence: A decade after their ascendance, slim-fit pants remained common currency across generations, demographics and body types. BTS, at the time the biggest pop group in the world, wore them. And then, in a rupture whose center I place within the broader pandemic-era upheavals of 2020, the “right” pants began to lurch away from the leg at scale. Jeans, a kind of Patient Zero for pants trends, showed symptoms of acute-onset elephantiasis.

Persons: we’d, Paul O’Neill, Levi’s, ” He’d Locations: Chicago, Hollywood, Greenwich

☆ I worked as a Starbucks barista for over a year. Here are 9 signs you're about to get a bad drink.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dylan Clair | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As someone who worked as a Starbucks barista for over a year, here are some of the biggest red flags to look out for. It's not always wise to mobile-order a drink with cold foam or shaken espressoCold foam won't last that long on top of a drink. Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderCold-foam cold brews have boomed in popularity over the past few years — pumpkin cold foam, Irish-cream cold foam, almond milk-honey cold foam, the list goes on. A little mixing can taste nice, but you lose the texture of the cold foam, which is a delight in itself. The same principle applies to any shaken espresso drink.

Persons: Baristas, —, aren't, Mary Meisenzahl, barista, I'm, It's, Ramin Talaie, Getty, it's, that's, Sarah Jackson, I've Organizations: Starbucks, Service

☆ Starbucks to hike wages for union workers as it thaws relationship with Workers United
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Starbucks logo is seen as members and supporters of Starbucks Workers United protest outside of a Starbucks store in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16, 2023. The wage increases are a sign of good faith from Starbucks toward Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union that has organized more than 300 company-owned Starbucks locations. Starbucks and Workers United said they have agreed to start discussions "on a foundational framework" on how to reach collective bargaining agreements for stores. The announcement marks the most noticeable thawing in the two parties' relationship since the first Starbucks location unionized in December 2021. Starbucks also said Tuesday that it would provide unionized cafes with credit card tipping, a benefit that has been available in nonunion stores for more than a year.

Persons: Howard Schultz, Laxman Narasimhan Organizations: Starbucks Workers, D.C, Workers United, Service Employees International Union, Workers, Starbucks, CNBC PRO Locations: Dupont Circle, Washington

☆ Labor coalition accuses Starbucks of 'flawed' union strategy, risking shareholder value
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The coalition is pushing to replace three current Starbucks board members with its own nominees. The SOC proxy presentation claims the company's board has backed what it calls an "unnecessarily confrontational" strategy with the union. Starbucks said it has not only a new CEO, but with these additions, it has added five new board members in the past year. The proxy presentation targets three current Starbucks board members: Ritch Allison, Andy Campion and Jørgen Vig Knudstorp. Allison, Campion and Knudstorp, specifically, provide "continuity and highly-valuable unique perspectives," the Starbucks presentation said.

Persons: Baristas, Nielsen, Maria Echaveste, Joshua Gotbaum, Wilma Liebman, Daniel Servitje, Neal Mohan, Mike Sievert, Ritch Allison, Andy Campion, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Allison, Campion, Knudstorp, Wendy's, Narasimhan Organizations: Starbucks, CNBC, Organizing Center, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, Starbucks Corporation, Siren Retail, Service Employees International Union, Starbucks Workers United, Communications Workers of America, United Farm Workers of America, Chipotle, Darden, Restaurant Brands, Yum Brands, White House, Hawaiian Airlines, White, Grupo Bimbo, YouTube, Mobile, SEC Locations: Buffalo, Arlington , Virginia, China, U.S

☆ Target fired me after I let a worker buy a Stanley cup. The emotional and financial toll have been severe.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Target fired me after I allowed one of my baristas to buy a Stanley x Starbucks cupI never even bought a Stanley cup for myself — I hate the cups if we're being honest. Getting fired emotionally destroyed me because I'd spent the past eight months putting all of my time and energy basically rebuilding the store’s entire Starbucks team. I would go on Indeed.com and apply for every single job that I qualify for — and jobs I was overqualified for. Now I'm going to look at every single job as a means to an end. I'm going to make sure I read every single page of that employee handbook, and if there's something I don't understand, I'm going to get clarification on it.

Persons: Nikcole Smith, I'd, I’ve, Burger King, I’d, I've, I'm, they've Organizations: Starbucks, Target, Stanley, Business, Medicaid, Walgreens Locations: Baltimore , Maryland, Indeed.com, Burger

☆ Starbucks has a new accessible store design. Take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The coffee giant opened the first location with the new design on Friday in Washington, D.C.'s Union Market. "Designing for disabilities is just good design for everybody," said Sara Trilling, president of Starbucks North America. Source: StarbucksThe Union Market cafe has power-operated doors so customers can use less effort to enter the cafe. Source: StarbucksBehind the counter, Starbucks' new Clover Vertica system for brewing drip coffee has a more accessible design, with a large dial and protruding buttons. Source: Starbucks

Persons: Sara Trilling, Trilling Organizations: Starbucks Locations: Washington ,, Starbucks North America

☆ Target workers fired over Stanley cups say the crackdown leaves some of the stores' Starbucks cafés understaffed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewTarget's swift and severe crackdown on workers who bought one of the trendy Stanley x Starbucks cups last month could lead to another headache — keeping its Starbucks cafés staffed up. Of the 11 recently fired Target employees who have discussed their situations in detail with Business Insider, six worked in their stores' Starbucks cafés, which operate under a license agreement with the coffee company. STLs also told BI that stores are shuffling workers between stores, as they have in the past, to help with coverage. "You have so much paperwork, you have to do so much training, you have to do everything a normal Target Team Lead does, plus all your Starbucks stuff." Barista Jessie Gage told BI she and five coworkers were fired, cutting her store's Starbucks team by half.

Persons: —, STLs, Nickole Smith, weren't, Barista Jessie Gage, aren't, Christina Tavares, Dominick Reuter, Smith, It's Organizations: Service, Stanley, Starbucks, Business, BI, Target, Member Locations: Target's, Starbucks cafés

☆ An ex-finance trader launched a mobile coffee business and grew its sales by over 550% — she shares the 3 strategies that made her truck a household name in Phoenix
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Bella Sayegh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Devon McConville is a former day trader who owns First Place Coffee, a Phoenix-based coffee truck. Now, McConville runs a beloved fixture of the Phoenix drink scene: First Place Coffee, a coffee vendor on wheels. First Place Coffee serves specialty coffee and espresso drinks from a 1970 Chevy P10 truck that regulars know as "Matilda." "I really had this vision to really create a community around a mobile coffee business," McConville said. "It seems really small, to own and operate a mobile coffee business, but I think it really has a large effect that radiates out from it," McConville said.

Persons: Devon McConville, McConville, —, Matilda, Alexandra Cocca McConville, Terrence Murtagh, Murtagh, Elizabeth Chung, Chung, Instagram, Bella Sayegh, Austin Hogland, they've, Kaytee Hogland, We're, she's Organizations: Service, Coffee, BI Locations: Devon, Phoenix, Austin

☆ Starbucks is trialing late-night coffee deliveries for people who get midnight caffeine cravings
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Starbucks customers in Philadelphia can get the chain's coffee delivered in the middle of the night. Delivery makes up just 2% of Starbucks' orders, though customers generally spend more per transaction. Around three dozen employees were trained to prepare Starbucks orders at the two sites, it reported. Some of the Starbucks drinks available on Gopuff at around 4:30 a.m. Delivery, which Narasimhan said on Tuesday makes up just 2% of its orders, is an area of focus for Starbucks.

Persons: baristas, Gopuff, —, Laxman Narasimhan, Narasimhan, Rachel Ruggeri, DoorDash Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Gopuff, Philadelphia Inquirer, DoorDash Locations: Philadelphia, Gopuff

☆ CSU faculty end strike after reaching tentative agreement with management
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Melissa Alonzo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Faculty members at California State University (CSU), the largest public university system in America, have ended their one-day strike after reaching a tentative agreement with management. The union represents 29,000 members including professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches, across the 23 campuses of Cal State. Our members have won a Tentative Agreement … that includes raising the floor for our most vulnerable faculty, safer workplaces & expanded parental leave,” it said. “The agreement enables the CSU to fairly compensate its valued, world-class faculty while protecting the university system’s long-term financial sustainability,” she added. Thousands of Cal State faculty began striking on Monday, the first day of spring semester classes for much for the university system’s 450,000 student.

Persons: …, “, Mildred García Organizations: CNN —, California State University, CSU, California Faculty Association, CFA, Cal State, United Auto Workers, Hollywood, Starbucks, Cornell University, Industrial and Labor Relations Locations: America, California, Southern California

As the Opinion video above explores, these are heady times for organized labor. Unions have recently scored big victories in the auto industry and Hollywood; an increasing number of health care workers are starting to organize; and the threat of a strike resulted in big gains for hospitality workers in Las Vegas. Elsewhere, baristas, nail salon and fast food workers, graduate students, warehouse and retail workers, tech employees, domestic workers and ride-share drivers have been mobilizing as unions enjoy levels of public support not seen since the 1960s. But it’s not all good news: The percentage of workers who belong to a union plunged to its lowest level on record in 2022. In this video, Jeff Seal, a video journalist and comedian, argues for the wider use of an industry mechanism known as a minimum standards council to strengthen the labor movement and empower workers.

Persons: it’s, Jeff Seal Organizations: Unions Locations: Hollywood, Las Vegas

Robots of all kinds caused a stir on the show floor this week at the annual CES technology trade show in Las Vegas. The types of casino union jobs at risk could look drastically different five years from now, for example, when the Culinary Union's contract ends. We are filling the need in the market and we are bringing specialty coffee to more places.”But Werner said AI poses a real threat to casino union jobs that don’t require face-to-face interaction with customers — housekeeping, food preparation and cooks, for example. That's especially true for a people-pleasing tourist destination like the Las Vegas Strip, where customers expect top-notch service and experiences, including the latest trends in technology. That makes Las Vegas “a good place to test these things and see how customers react to it," he said.

Persons: Roman Alejo, ”, Ted Pappageorge, Pappageorge, “, Bill Werner, ” Pappageorge, Meng Wang, Wang, Werner, Alejo, ” Alejo, James Brooks Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Las, “, Culinary Workers, . Hospitality, Associated Press, University of Nevada, CES, Vegas, Culinary Union Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Starbucks workers say they're worried about the new reusable cup program
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Gloria Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But some baristas are worried about how the reusable cup program will actually work. And will handing over a personal cup at the front of a drive-thru line slow down all the orders behind? Business Insider spoke to three Starbucks baristas about the reusable cup program. The Starbucks spokesperson said baristas got training on the new personal cup program — including practice time. I just can't see this working for morning rushes when we get like 30+ mobile orders per half hour."

Persons: —, they're, it's, barista, there's, baristas, we're Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Business, BI, Mobile Locations: Atlanta, Israel, Colorado, Texas

☆ An afternoon at the popular Chinese coffee chain that should be making Starbucks very, very nervous
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A Chinese coffee chain called Luckin Coffee recently overtook Starbucks in China, beating the international coffee chain in sales in the second quarter of 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Founded in Beijing in 2017, Luckin Coffee has staged a dramatic turn-around. AdvertisementCurious to see whether Luckin could live up to its Starbucks-killer hype, I headed over to a Luckin Coffee in Singapore's central Chinatown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon. Luckin Coffee and Starbucks did not respond to my requests for comment for this story. Ordering my coffee was machine-like: technical, efficient and impersonalA typical ordering experience on the Luckin Coffee app means you'll never have to interact with a human.

Persons: —, Luckin, Kai Xiang Teo, he'd, weren't, Amanda, didn't dally, Esther, I've, Jeremy Organizations: Service, Starbucks, Wall Street, Google, Singapore Locations: China, Beijing, China . Singapore, Singapore's, Chinatown, Luckin, Singapore, Hong Kong

☆ Starbucks Workers Strike on ‘Red Cup Day’ in Bid to Kickstart Negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Union workers at Starbucks stores in New York City and other cities went on strike Thursday. Photo: Richard Drew/Associated PressThousands of unionized Starbucks workers went on strike Thursday on a busy sales day for the coffee chain in a bid to bring the company back to the negotiating table. Baristas walked out on the company’s annual ‘Red Cup Day’ promotion for the second straight year, according to the union representing them. During the promotion, Starbucks gives customers a free reusable cup when they order a holiday drink.

Persons: Richard Drew, Baristas Organizations: Associated Locations: New York City

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