Starbucks Dangles $1,200 Bonuses for Fast, Friendly Baristas (1)

Starbucks Corp. wants to entice baristas to be friendlier and faster, and it’s offering new payouts to make it happen.

US hourly workers, which include baristas and shift supervisors, can now earn an additional $1,200 a year if their store meets targets for sales, operations and customer service, Starbucks said Thursday. The program kicks off in July, and the first quarterly payout will be paid in the fall.

A barista at a Starbucks location in New York.

Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

Starbucks is looking for a jolt after slow service and a focus on to-go orders resulted in stagnant sales. Brian Niccol, who joined as chief executive officer in 2024, ...