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Starbucks is making a significant change to its policy for mobile orders.
The beloved coffee chain is placing a new limit on how many items customers can order on its mobile app, a representative confirmed to The Independent. Now, U.S. customers can only order 12 items on the app, instead of 15.
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is hoping to reduce waiting times in-store caused by lengthy mobile pre-orders.
“We need to offer a great experience to our customers every single time, especially during the morning peak. We are reorienting all our work to ensure we deliver a high-quality hand-crafted beverage, prepared quickly and with care, and handed directly to the customer by our barista. This is the moment of truth. This commitment will drive every decision we make,” Niccol said in a video message posted by Starbucks in October.
“To succeed, we need to address staffing in our stores, remove bottle necks, and simplify things for our baristas. We need to refine mobile order and pay so it doesn’t overwhelm the café experience. We know how to make these improvements, and when we do, we know customers will visit more often.” he added.
On Tuesday, Niccol spoke to Rapid Response about mobile ordering, claiming it has “chipped away” from the connection between customers and baristas.
“We went to labels and we stopped writing on the cups,” he said. “We started looking at how you can remove seconds from the proposition, as opposed to how do you maintain the experience, the connection, and the integrity of what goes beyond even a great cup of coffee?”
He also noted that Starbucks is working on “getting the soul of the business back,” so the customers “can feel the brand again.”
Later in the interview, Niccol, who was previously the CEO of Chipotle, said he wanted to make changes to mobile ordering, where drinks have been made on a “first in, first out” basis.
“We have to bring order to mobile ordering so you can have a great cafe experience and a great drive-thru experience,” he said. “How we’re going to do that is we’re going to deliver a four-minute experience in the cafe, and we’re going to make sure that we don’t get past 12 to 15 minutes in mobile order…But how you actually pull that off, not as simple as what I just said.”
The limit of items made on mobile orders isn’t the only change Starbucks is making for customers. Last month, the coffee conglomerate updated a policy that prohibits people from hanging out or using the restroom at one of its locations without making a purchase.
The new code of conduct warns that violators will be asked to leave and says the store may call law enforcement if necessary. Starbucks said employees would receive training on enforcing the policy.
The rule also bans discrimination or harassment, consumption of outside alcohol, smoking, vaping, drug use, and panhandling.
“We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores,” Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said. “By setting clear expectations for behavior and use of our spaces, we can create a better environment for everyone.”
However, the chain will be offering a special deal for customers on Monday following the Super Bowl. As part of a new “Starbucks Monday” promotion, Starbucks will be offering free small coffee, hot or iced, to all reward members after the highly anticipated match between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
