(Reuters) -Brian Niccol took over as Starbucks' CEO in August 2024, as the coffee chain struggled with weak demand for its pricey lattes in the U.S. and contemplated selling a stake in its China division. 

His turnaround strategy is predicated on cutting costs and enticing customers with a more welcoming coffeehouse experience - a campaign Niccol calls "Back to Starbucks." 

Date Action

Oct 22, Starbucks suspends its annual forecast as

2024 Niccol calls for a fundamental change to

the company's strategy by overhauling its

cafes, simplifying its menu and reducing

customer wait times. 

Dec 2024 Talks with the union representing its

baristas fall apart. Unionized baristas

at some locations go on strike during

peak holiday period

2025: Jan Starbucks reverses its "open-door policy"

15 which gave non-paying customers free

access to its cafes and restrooms

Jan 28 Niccol names Mike Grams, former executive

at Taco Bell, as North America chief

stores officer, and puts Meredith

Sandland in charge of store development

and design. 

Feb 24 Starbucks says it will cut 1,100

corporate roles as Niccol pushes to

invest in improving in-store staffing at

key locations in the U.S. 

April 29 Niccol pauses rollout of "capital heavy"

Siren System store revamp program,

launched under former CEO Howard Schultz

June 9 Says it will lower some prices in China

to keep up with competition and cater to

consumers cautious about spending

June 11 Niccol accelerates roll-out of new

staffing model at U.S. stores to improve

the speed of drive-through orders and

better sequence the "bottleneck" of

mobile orders

Aug 18 Starbucks caps hikes for all North

America employees at a modest 2%

Sept 25 Niccol lays off around 900 corporate and

other non-retail employees and closes

hundreds of stores, including Starbucks'

iconic, unionized Seattle roastery.

Nov 3 The company sells control of its China

operations to private equity firm Boyu

Capital in a deal valued at $4 billion.

(Reporting by Juveria Tabassum in Bengaluru and Waylon Cunningham in New York; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Tasim Zahid)