Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan, who replaced Howard Schultz as the company’s leader on Monday, wants to know the business’ ins and outs.
That includes donning the company’s iconic green apron himself. After signing on with Starbucks in October, Narasimhan spent months learning the business, which included 40 hours of barista training, CNBC reported.
Related: Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Exits Early Amid Union Turmoil
“To keep us close to the culture and our customers, as well as to our challenges and opportunities, I intend to continue working in stores for a half day each month, and I expect each member of the leadership team to also ensure our support centers stay connected and engaged in the realities of our stores for discussion and improvement,” he wrote in a letter to employees Thursday morning.
Narasimhan is stepping into a somewhat tumultuous period in the company’s history. Despite Schultz’s public opposition to unionization within the company, 287 stores and more than 7,000 employees have voted to unionize, per Union Election Data, which reports information about elections governed by the National Labor Relations Board.
Investors will discuss Starbucks‘ response to union organization during the company’s annual shareholder meeting today, and next week, Schultz will testify before a Senate committee on the company’s response.
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Starbucks Corporation is up just over 15% year over year.
