Why did Starbucks lose customers? Customers are not flocking to Starbucks as they once were. Starbucks was originally designed to be the third place after the first and second place, which is home and work. It gave people some place to go. You could meet friends for coffee, stop for a cool drink while shopping, or hang out and read a book like it was your den.

They had emphasis on cool music, (at least in the Pearl Jam era) and good food that was better than fast food, but you didn’t have to wait. The stores were cozy and attractive, and customers were treated like friends and family. As the culture became more left leaning, so did Starbucks. The culture of Starbucks was always liberal and left leaning, but they were usually welcoming and nice to all.

So, what happened? When did things change? It started with COVID. The stores shut down. Even in the worst shutdown, the drive throughs were open. One Starbucks on the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was open until 3:30pm. The line was so long that the employees stayed until everybody in line was served. They closed about 4:15 that day. That helped everybody, people that had to get out of the house and that were losing their mind from being locked up. The employees took that into account and made sure everyone was taken care of that day.

That was the Starbucks of old.  God bless those employees for hanging out there and making sure everybody got served. That was the Starbucks of old or the small-town Starbucks where people actually cared.

So, what changed?  The management of Starbucks and the Biden regime. Yes, even in a well-run state like Florida, some of the regional managers overreacted. Florida was great because once they realized that COVID was not as big of an issue as originally predicted, nowhere close to what the quote, unquote “expert studies” had predicted, Florida stayed open.

Starbucks did not allow you to sit inside, but you could order and sit outside on the patio, which is possible to do in Florida in the winter months. Not so easy in the Midwest, in the colder states, but Florida was a nice change of pace from Michigan that shut down the food and beverage industry for the third time in December 2020. 

What was strange about Starbucks was the shift after COVID. COVID was not a big deal after the Omnicom version came out.  The Omnicom version mutated and took the sting out of COVID. Thank God for the Omnicom version. COVID is no longer the killer that it once was. But what was strange was how Starbucks reacted after Covid was no longer an issue. 

One Starbucks location took the tables out of the stores in 2022. Not in 2020, not in 2021 but in 2022 the regional manager came in and removed two big, long tables that could hold a lot of students. Okay, no one even sat next to each other at the big tables, even before COVID. Everybody wanted their space. So maybe you’d have four to six people sitting at this big table, or three or four groups. This one was located in Melbourne, on the 192 near dairy Road, which is an incredibly busy location.

A lot of students and businesspeople go there to get their work done. They got rid of all the big tables and left two small ones. I’m talking two rinky, dink round tables with two chairs. They were more like an end table not a real table.  That’s it. So, the seating capacity was cut by more than half. A lot of stores did this. Some remodeled and took away most of their seating capacity.  That was a big slap in the face to the customers. “It’s okay for you to spend money here but leave because we don’t want you here”. That was the signal they gave. It was a big “screw you” to their customers.

Then Starbucks stopped recycling. I travel all the time, and every state I’ve been in Starbucks is not recycling, or if they are, it’s on a very limited basis. To make matters worse, they won’t give you more ice in your cup. So, you have to get another cup for ice, then a refill comes in yet another cup. So, I might go there, order one cup of tea and end up with three glasses. How is that good for the planet? Anyway, they stopped allowing the reusable cups, or bring your own cups, but they have since allowed this again in 2024 and 2025.

Starbucks seems to have lost their values. They forgot what they stood for. 

In 2024, I moved to a new town. I was shocked to go into a busy Starbucks. It was the most soulless experience ever. No one would greet you; no one would take my order. Drive through and mobile orders come first. People in the store come last. A fellow customer informed me that I had to order ahead using the mobile app, otherwise I would wait forever. She was right. I waited forever.

Now I use the mobile app, but I still think that’s a little weird. I understand modern technology. Most companies are having an issue with not having enough employees.   A lot of people don’t want to work for a living, so you don’t have the high school and college students that used to work entry level jobs.

Most industries have been hurt by not having enough employees or employees with the correct skill set.  Yes, technology is changing things, and more and more processes are becoming automated but still, you go to a restaurant to experience other human beings. That’s part of the point of going. Humans still want a human experience.

So, the problem with Starbucks is they stopped being a destination. They became a fast-food chain, which is not what their customers wanted. I asked my client in Los Angeles if he went to Starbucks lately, we had been discussing the homeless situation. His comment: “Starbucks is such a cesspool.” That was funny and scary at the same time.

What struck me most on this last visit was the lack of human interaction, but also the fact that Starbucks no longer wanted their customers to visit. They want your money, but they don’t want you. They stopped being the third place.  

So, why did customers leave Starbucks? Customers left Starbucks because Starbucks left their customers.

The good news is things are looking up. The new CEO just introduced ceramic mugs and glasses. You can come sit inside.  You can get your coffee and tea in a ceramic cup and glasses if you drink inside the store. Now the managers need to add some tables so people can actually sit down. Some locations have come back and added more chairs & tables.  Other locations, I won’t be going back to ever.

The other night I walked into the soulless Starbucks and I was greeted by 3 employees.  Someone said hello at Starbucks.  Not one person but 3.  It was a shock.  Okay, it was close to closing time and they were cleaning up, but I almost had a heart attack.  Starbucks appears to be trying to go back to being Starbucks. 

More recently, Starbucks employees started writing messages on my drinks.  This began about 6-8 weeks ago.  I love it.  You think this is a little thing?  No, this is a huge thing.  Your customers notice.  They want to feel valued.  Customers want to feel like you appreciate their business.  This little thing completely changed my attitude towards Starbucks.  They are trying.  They are really, really trying. Now, if they could do something about that music.

The moral of the story: Never forget who you are and why your customers like you.

Yes, you can improve and modernize, but don’t leave your customers behind.  If you lose your customers, you lose your business.