- Starbucks wants store workers to add smiley faces and inspirational messages to cups.
- The requirement, spelled out in a memo, also suggests writing customer names by hand.
- It’s the latest change coming to Starbucks as the chain tries to improve results.
Your morning pick-me-up from Starbucks could soon come with another form of motivation such as a smiley face or inspirational message.
The coffee chain is telling Starbucks employees to write messages to customers on single-use coffee cups starting on February 24, according to a memo obtained by Business Insider.
The memo includes suggestions for employees, whom Starbucks calls “partners.” Among them: Use a sharpie to write “a simple affirmation” such as “you’re amazing” on the cup to give it a personal touch.
The memo also tells partners that they can write the customer’s name — a habit that has been the butt of jokes when Starbucks workers previously spelled patrons’ names wrong on cups — or use “hello again” for someone who stops by regularly.
“Handwritten notes on our cups have proven to be a simple, yet meaningful action that fosters moments of connection with our customers,” the memo reads.
Though the extra step isn’t required until next month, it encourages partners to start doing it on Monday, the day the company is starting to implement changes such as the rollback of its open-door policy.
A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed the memo and said that writing on cups is part of an effort to make Starbucks “a welcoming coffeehouse.”
One Starbucks partner at a store in the South told BI that the mandate is at odds with another goal that Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has set — that of getting customers their orders in four minutes or less.
Writing or drawing on cups “will have a moderate to significant impact on times given how it impacts our beverage sequencing,” the partner said. The partner declined to be identified by name, but BI has verified their identity.
Niccol first indicated that store partners would have to write messages for customers on to-go cups last fall.
It’s one of several changes at Starbucks so far under Niccol’s leadership, along with cutting back on promotions and requiring store visitors to make a purchase to get bathroom access or request a free cup of water.
Starbucks’ sales in the US and globally declined last quarter. Niccol has said that he wants to win customers back by making Starbucks stores pleasant places to linger.
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Read the memo to Starbucks store employees:
New Expectation for Writing on Cups
Please review this update regarding writing on cups.
January 24, 2025
Store Operations
By Retail Communications
For US company-operated shift supervisors and above
ALERT
NEW
Handwritten notes on our cups have proven to be a simple, yet meaningful action that fosters moments of connection with our customers. To build on that, we are updating our expectation for writing on cups. Starting 2/24, the expectation will shift to include a personalized note on all cups. We encourage partners to begin activating on this change as early as 1/27 to incorporate this routine with other Back to Starbucks coffeehouse initiatives launching that day.
Forecasted hours will be adjusted where appropriate to reflect this addition to routines starting with the forecast for the week of 2/24, which is visible 2/6.
Impacted beverage and order routines have been updated to reflect this new expectation, a full list of these updated routines and recommendations for storing Sharpies can be found in the Additional Information section at the end of this message.
Not sure what to write? Partners can opt for the following when writing on cups (also keep in mind the guidelines shared about craft of connection in the December Monthly Update):
- Add the customer’s name
- Draw a smiley face
- Write a simple affirmation (“You’re amazing”)
- Share well wishes (“Seize the Day”)
- Leave a simple “hello again” for regulars
