Starbucks employee says chain is now a ‘soulless fast food empire’

New Yorkers who remember Starbucks in the 1990s — along with anyone who saw the 1999 movie “You’ve Got Mail,” which features one of the Seattle-based coffee giant’s earlier, relatively upscale stores in Manhattan, know that the days of caffeine boosting as a rich retreat from the stress of city life are long over.

Now, the ubiquitous but utilitarian chain, which has faced declining sales in 2024 amid rising prices and investor dissatisfaction with decisions made by outgoing CEO Laxman Narasimhan, is welcoming a new head bartender.

But one worried colleague is asking out loud — is Brian Niccol really the guy in charge of Chipotle, another once-beloved brand that’s taken a big hit amid inflated prices and customer service concerns, with really the one who will turn things around?

“No matter what time of day I come in [to Chipotle]they always seem angry. And it seems like sometimes they don’t have enough people working,” the worried rider of the week, who has worked at Starbucks for nearly 20 years, told Business Insider.

Short-staffed stores are an issue that employees and customers have been complaining about for years.

The job critic, who started working for the company in the mid-2000s, told the outlet that their North Carolina store has faced sharp cutbacks, leaving everyone to multitask.

“It’s been a great place to work,” said the insider, whose employment with the company was reportedly verified by BI.

“People wouldn’t be leaving Starbucks unless they were college students and going into a higher career, or retiring with the company,” the source said.

But times have changed, it seems – and drastically.

“It started out as a trendy, weird coffee shop job, and it’s just turned into this soulless fast food empire,” they lamented.

The exasperated espresso drinker cited the departure of founder Howard Schulz as chairman in 2017 as a turning point.

A spokesman for the somewhat tarnished Siren assured BI that employees have “plenty of opportunities” to share their feelings with higher-ups if they choose to do so.

Niccol’s arrival at Starbucks — a job rumored to pay close to $113 million — has been heralded by Wall Street experts, who point to massive increases in Chipotle’s stock price under his tenure.

The one-time burrito king has been in the spotlight since the news broke, raising eyebrows over the alleged temporary private jet trip he’ll be making from his home in exclusive Newport Beach, California to headquarters in Seattle with rain

Meanwhile, turned-off customers say a visit to the coffee chain has become a “luxury”, thanks to the ever-higher prices being charged.

An article in the Wall Street Journal cited disgruntled drinkers complaining about rising costs, long wait times and the company’s involvement in politics.

Sales fell 6% in the quarter ending June 30, the media reported.