Starbucks has always said that its goal is to be your “third place.” The idea is that it’s the other place you go between home and work. It’s where you go to hang out with your friends, get some work done, study for an exam, or just read a book. Of course, being a third place means being a place where people want to hang out.

The company is looking to CEO Brian Niccol to help orchestrate the turnaround, and he sees a reason to be optimistic despite the issues the chain is currently facing. "Unfortunately, I think there were some choices made before me that really set us back on our ability to create that great customer connection between our barista and customer and provide the type of customer service that the Starbucks brand,