Starbucks

Beverage

Starbucks brings its olive oil-infused coffee to a skeptical U.S. market

The Seattle-based coffee giant is debuting its Oleato line in select Starbucks Reserve Roasteries on Thursday and then additional locations in Seattle and Los Angeles on Monday. Consumers remain skeptical.

Leadership

Laxman Narasimhan takes the helm at Starbucks

The coffee chain said that its CEO-in-waiting took over the permanent position on Monday for Howard Schultz, who takes a spot on the company’s board.

Facing a possible subpoena, the CEO accepted a pointed invitation to appear before the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is chaired by Bernie Sanders.

Working Lunch: Sanders may indeed be able to compel a Senate appearance by the outgoing chain CEO, but that's just one of the issues that Starbucks faced in the last week or so.

The pro-labor senator says he's tired of being ignored by the Starbucks interim CEO and wants an accounting of the chain's response to a unionization drive.

Working Lunch: The CEO is quick to shift responsibility to societal trends. So why is the brand making so many operational changes?

The Bottom Line: Starbucks’ new line of coffee is infused with olive oil, after Interim CEO Howard Schultz tried the combination in Italy. Now the company has to convince its customers that the combination works.

The company has high hopes for Oleato, which will debut in Italy before it comes to the U.S. this year. Starbucks believes it will be a "transformational innovation in coffee."

The famously liberal U.S. senator has asked the coffee chain CEO to appear before a Senate committee and answer questions about Starbucks’ handling of an organizing drive.

Restrictions and a COVID surge in December hammered sales in the Seattle-based coffee chain's second-biggest market. But Starbucks still has big plans for the country.

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