The picture Starbucks painted of future baristas Tuesday resembled smiling, hip George Jetsons in green smocks whipping up complicated drinks with the push of a button that their customers order and pay for remotely, whisking their beverages away without even setting foot in a cafe. Investors were intrigued but not quite convinced.
As Interim Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz prepares to depart the coffee chain for the third time, he and his staff held a day-long presentation to show how they will use technology and Starbucks management magic to tackle high costs, harried workers and customers impatient for their increasingly complicated caffeine and sugar fixes. Much of it already has been happening with mobile ordering and paying now at a quarter of U.S. purchases—more than double the proportion in 2018—and drive-through making up nearly half of U.S. sales.