Starbucks CEO sets four-minute service goal as he tries to reinvigorate sagging sales

Starbucks’ new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol wants customers to get their orders hand-delivered by a barista in four minutes or less, a goal that will be central as he tries to reinvigorate the company’s sagging sales. In his first conference call with investors Wednesday, Niccol said about half of the company’s transactions are now completed in four minutes or less. He wants to focus on the bottlenecks that delay the other half, from inadequate staffing to slow ovens to Starbucks’ overly complex menu. First on the chopping block: Starbucks’ Oleato olive-oil infused beverages, which will be discontinued from most locations beginning in early November.