New tech to be piloted in 35 stores in North America
Starbucks is piloting a new generative AI assistant in 35 coffeehouses in North America this year to ease the work of their baristas.
The software, called Green Dot Assist, was unveiled at the company's Leadership Experience 2025 in Las Vegas, which was attended by over 14,000 coffeehouse leaders across North America.
Green Dot Assist is a virtual assistant offering real-time conversational responses to baristas' concerns, such as those related to ingredients for beverages and troubleshooting tips for equipment.
It can also help generate tickets for IT regarding equipment issues, and support shift supervisors in identifying baristas to substitute for those out of work.
"With this new solution, we're simplifying access to essential information in the flow of work for partners [employees], making their jobs a little easier while they build confidence and expertise," Starbucks said on its website.
"This marks a significant step forward in our commitment to streamlining operations, reducing friction, and giving partners more time to focus on crafting beverages and connecting with customers."
Green Dot Assist is powered by Microsoft Azure's OpenAI platform, CNBC reported.
It will launch as a pilot in 35 coffeehouses across the United States and Canada, beginning in the company's fiscal year 2026, which starts in the autumn.
"It's just another example of how innovation technology is coming into service of our partners and making sure that we're doing all we can to simplify the operations, make their jobs just a little bit easier, maybe a little bit more fun, so that they can do what they do best," Starbucks Chief Technology Officer Deb Hall Lefevre told the news outlet.
Starbucks' Leadership Experience 2025
The new tech was unveiled at the company's first and largest leadership gathering under chairman and CEO Brian Niccol.
The three-day gathering, which involved more than 14,000 coffeehouse leaders in North America, was hailed as an "important milestone for Starbucks."
"We are bringing together our coffeehouse leaders from across North America to celebrate, empower, and equip them to accelerate our transformation," Niccol said in a statement. "The coffeehouse experience defines the Starbucks brand, and these leaders and their teams bring that experience to life for millions of customers every day."
The event aims to accelerate the company's "Back to Starbucks" strategy, which seeks to revitalise the company's weaker earnings and sales declines.
Its consolidated net revenues went up two per cent to $8.8 billion, but its global comparable store sales went down one per cent, with its North American sales reporting the same decline, according to its latest financial results.
"While our financial results are far from Starbucks' potential, we are working to build back a better business," said Cathy Smith, chief financial officer, in a previous statement. "We are developing new muscles to test, iterate and scale quickly, in service of long-term, durable growth and strong returns on invested capital."
