Reason why Starbucks has quietly changed its name

Starbucks has been in headlines recently after introducing a number of changes – some of which may have gone down better than others.

As part of a report for its latest fiscal results, the multinational chain announced it is no longer charging extra for non-dairy milk, while also paring down its menu by eliminating 30 percent of the offerings to ‘clear the noise’ and leave room for ‘better innovation’.

The company also reversed its open-door policy that had previously allowed people to use Starbucks spaces without the pressure to actually buy anything.

But there’s one change that may have passed you by, having quietly brought it in with fairly little fanfare.

At the same time all this was going on, the famed coffee giant also changed its name, which new CEO Brian Niccol has since dropped in official earnings calls and interviews, according to Today.

While it is still legally known as Starbucks Corporation, the chain’s public-facing moniker seems to have pivoted to The Starbucks Coffee Company – a title that’s already been used in several ads, on its website and on the app.

Brian Niccol (Starbucks)

Niccol, who took over the company last September, recently explained it was all about going back to Starbucks’ ‘community coffeehouse’ roots.

“Starbucks has always been a place where people come together,” he said in a video statement. “We are revisiting our stores to make sure we’re offering the amenities you’d expect in a community coffeehouse.

“Even if customers don’t want to stay in the café each time they visit, we know they expect our stores to look and feel like the community coffeehouse they remember.”

(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Dropping the new name in question, he added: “Through product development, marketing, and in-store experience, we need to remind everyone that we are, and always have been, Starbucks Coffee Company.”

Niccol said the plan was to ‘reintroduce Starbucks to the world’, and that he would be ‘fundamentally changing’ the brand’s marketing approach.

The new name has already appeared in a number of ads (Starbucks)

(Starbucks)

“I’m convinced that if we get back to Starbucks - with a focus on coffee and customers combined with a welcoming coffee house experience created by our green apron partners - we will remind people of why they love Starbucks,” he added.

“They will visit more often, and we will return the company to strong growth.

Getting ‘Back to Starbucks’ is our plan, and we’ll share our progress as we go.”

• Couple who bought two Starbucks coffees forced to cancel holiday after discovering how much they were charged
• There’s only one Starbucks in the world where staff are not allowed to ask for your name
• Unexpected reason your antihistamines aren’t working
• What Starbucks actually means as chain quietly changes its name