Starbucks UK rolls out Mobile Order to Table solution at select stores including London and Scotland locations

Starbucks is rolling out its Mobile Order to Table offering to a select number of UK stores.

Customers can open the retailer’s mobile app and place an order and pay for it without having to wait in a queue. Their coffee etc will then be delivered to their table.

In a LinkedIn post, Laurent Picalausa, Digital Product Lead at Starbucks, said: “Very exciting feature for our customers, and our store partners.”

“We have stores in Edinburgh, Oxford Street (London), Marble Arch (London), Canary Wharf (London) among many others currently using the feature via the Starbucks app. Go try it!”

New CEO

Starbucks needs a new CEO, according to Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I’ve received many questions regarding the topic of leadership as a result of a post I wrote about Starbucks, and my argument that Howard Schultz, hand picked the wrong person to be the CEO of the company - Laxman Narasimhan. I also expressed my disdain for Schultz's favourite leadership style in my post - Servant Leadership.”

“To understand what the best type of CEO a company requires, we must first identify which stage of the business lifecycle that a company is in - Startup, Growth, Maturity, Decline or Renewal. Starbucks is in the Maturity phase in the US and in the Growth phase in several international locations. I'm focused on the US in this post.”

During the maturity stage, a company must focus on continuing to drive growth, Ladd noted.

Stagnation and lack of growth are the biggest threats to a business during this phase. A company must explore new markets; focus on R&D to create new products or services; and leverage customer loyalty to increase profitability and secure cash flow.

He added: “Mature companies prefer to hire CEOs who are methodical in their thinking, who solve problems, and who put the focus on playing defence vs. offence.”

“Mature companies prefer to hire Servant Leaders: A servant leadership style puts employees’ needs, growth and professional development ahead of the needs of the manager, company or project. It prioritises team bonding and employee well-being.”

On paper, Laxman Narasimhan is the perfect CEO for a Mature company like Starbucks, Ladd observed.

So why does he think Starbucks made a mistake? Because it is a retailer, restaurant, and a bank, rolled into one company.

“Narasimhan has no experience in any of the areas I listed. In order for Starbucks to grow, they must THINK BIG. Narasimhan thinks methodically; it’s in his DNA. Starbucks needs a Charismatic, Transformational, and Democratic leader. Narasimhan is a Servant Leader,” Ladd said.

“Since I wrote my original post, I've had discussions with current and former Starbucks executives who reached out to me to share their opinions in off the record discussions. One executive stated to me, "I spoke with lots of people in the company, Brittain. Your post is overwhelmingly supported. What you wrote makes perfect sense."

Ladd believes the best CEO for Starbucks is Marc Lore, who most recently founded Wonder, a restaurant company with a twist.

Lore is also a former Walmart executive who is an expert in store operations, customer experience, and technology.

Ladd concluded: “What does Lore do best? THINK BIG and GET RESULTS. As for Narasimhan, he is in a difficult position. I have tremendous respect for Narasimhan, and I wish him success.”