Your favorite Starbucks might sound different next year: Here’s what that means

Michael Bartiromo
·2 min read
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(NEXSTAR) – Starbucks is looking to make its stores a bit more conducive to coffee talk.

Sara Trilling, the president of Starbucks North America, recently told Bloomberg that the chain is taking measures to reduce noise at newly built locations, as well as around 1,000 existing locations slated for redesigns.

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One of the goals of this initiative, Starbucks previously confirmed, is to create a more “inclusive” experience for guests, including those who may use devices (such as hearing aids) which can experience interference from “unwanted background noise and reverberation.” But Trilling, speaking with Bloomberg, said the company is also hoping it’ll help baristas better hear the customers — and vice-versa.

The redesign will “translate to order accuracy and just a better customer experience overall,” Trilling told the outlet.

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Starbucks is installing sound baffles and new and select locations to reduce noise and possible interference with hearing aids. (Starbucks)

One of the major ways Starbucks hopes to achieve a quieter store is with sound baffles — or foam-like materials designed to absorb sound — that will be placed on the ceiling of the shops, Starbucks announced in February.

Along with the sound baffles, Starbucks also announced a number of other initiatives for stores designed with the more inclusive “framework.” Major changes at some locations will include: status boards showing the name of the customer and the progress of their order; point-of-sale systems and coffee machines that are easier to use for employees; automatic doors where possible; a larger hand-off counter, with clearance for wheelchairs or service animals; improved lighting designed to reduce glare; and all-in-one bathroom fixtures that act as faucets/hand dryers/soap dispensers, among other designs.

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A Starbucks designed according to the company’s inclusive guidelines features an order-status board and a mural designed by a deaf NYC-based artist. (Starbucks)

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Starbucks will utilize its guidelines for inclusive design at new stores, of which the company plans to open around 650 by October 2024, Trilling told Bloomberg. The approximately 1,000 redesigned locations are scheduled to be completed around the same time, she said.

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