Starbucks too slow? When will you see sped-up service

Starbucks is rolling out several changes that will impact how fast you get your order.

The coffee giant is now using an operating system called Siren Craft System meant to help store employees get customers in and out faster and more efficiently.

A lot of the changes are in use in national chains or, as with their new Peak Play caller, restaurant industry standard.

Here’s what Starbucks is doing and what it means for you.

Get Starbucks faster

One of the big changes will be very noticeable for customers.

During busy periods, Starbucks will have a Peak Play Caller step away from direct production and instead focus on tasks like restocking and solving problems.

This role will be familiar to anyone who’s worked in a restaurant — or watched “The Bear” on Hulu — as it’s similar to the expediter, managing things that would otherwise take baristas away from making your order.

Starbucks is also changing the way beverages are made. Previously, cold drinks were prioritized from start to finish, even if a hot beverage order came in first.

With the new system, beverages will be made in the order they are received, which means you won’t have to wait for a dozen cold brews to be made before you get your black venti.

But when things get really stacked up, the Peak Play Caller will use a computer program to help prioritize orders and tasks to eliminate delays.

Starbucks is also buying new equipment such as custom ice dispensers, milk-dispensing systems, and faster blenders. These upgrades are intended to make the drink preparation process quicker and easier, contributing to faster service and improved customer satisfaction.

For customers, these changes mean shorter wait times and a more consistent experience, whether you’re ordering in-store, through the drive-thru, or on the mobile app. The new system aims to ensure that everyone gets their order promptly, even during peak hours. 

The new system is in use in more than 1,200 locations already and Starbucks expects to have it rolled out across the country in the next several weeks.

There are several hundred Starbucks locations in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania among the chain’s roughly 17,000 locations in the country.