Big news in the world of premium coffee this week:
Dunkin’ will hire 25,000 employees following closings related to COVID-19.
The effort is part of a national restaurant employee recruitment advertising campaign needed to help fill positions in stores nationwide.
“Dunkin’ is committed to keeping America running and working,” said Stephanie Lilak, Dunkin’ Brands’ Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, in a statement. “We are proud to support our franchisees who offer much-needed job opportunities, in a welcoming environment where people can feel appreciated and rewarded for serving both customers and their communities during this critical time.”
Meanwhile Coffee giant Starbucks announced Wednesday they would be closing 400 stores in North America as they began transitioning to a pickup and drive through service model.
“Starbucks stores have always been known as the ’third place,’ a welcoming place outside of our home and work where we connect over a cup of coffee,” said Kevin Johnson, ceo, Starbucks said in a statement today. “As we navigate through the COVID-19 crisis, we are accelerating our store transformation plans to address the realities of the current situation, while still providing a safe, familiar and convenient experience for our customers.”
The shift to Starbucks Pickup will aid in the accelerate the expansion of alternative service formats, focusing on digital and physical aspects, including Drive-Thru, mobile only orders and curbside pickup to meet the changes demanded by a pandemic cautious culture. The company hopes it will further engage the nearly 20 million Starbucks Rewards members it currently has.
Starbucks Corp. expects the transition to be complete in the next 18 months.
