Overview

• Work has begun in New York City and Southern California, with designs tailored to each community and store layout.
• Each “uplift” costs about $150,000 and proceeds without closing cafes, allowing customers to continue visiting during renovations.
• Updates include softer, less glaring lighting, movable tables at wheelchair height, restored electrical outlets, rugs to reduce noise, and more seating.
• A Union Square East cafe in Manhattan gained 16 seats and a reworked pickup area, illustrating changes intended to encourage longer visits and smoother order flow.
• Starbucks targets roughly 1,000 U.S. store refreshes by the end of 2026, part of reversing earlier seat reductions and broader efforts to improve performance after recent sales and share-price pressure.