Starbucks is committing roughly $1 billion to refresh its North American store base, targeting as many as 9,000 company-operated cafes with design changes intended to encourage customers to stay longer and order more. The work is central to Chief Executive Brian Niccol’s Back to Starbucks turnaround, which seeks to restore the chain’s coffeehouse atmosphere after declining traffic and intensifying competition from lower-priced rivals. More than 1,000 renovations were completed over the past nine months, and about 1,500 locations are expected to finish upgrades by the end of September. The company reported 7.9% same-store sales growth in its fiscal third quarter, largely on U.S. strength, while also pursuing $2 billion in cost savings over the next two years. Starbucks shares have risen about 30% since Niccol was announced as the next CEO in 2024, trailing the S&P 500’s roughly 42% gain over the same period.