evidence: Mobile app and drive-thru orders make up more than 70% of Starbucks’ sales at its approximately 9,500 company-operated stores in the United States. In some stores, customers complained online that Starbucks pulled out comfortable chairs and replaced them with hard wooden stools. Starbucks has also built pickup-only stores without seating. Machines that print customers’ names have replaced baristas’ handwriting on cups. [...] In 2014, Starbucks debuted its mobile ordering system, which allowed customers to place pickup orders from their smartphones without having to interact with an employee. Mobile ordering also gave the company more data on consumers and helped push them to Starbucks’ loyalty program, benefiting Starbucks because loyalty members are its most profitable customers. Mobile ordering surged during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when Starbucks was required to temporarily close seating areas inside to customers to prevent the virus’ spread. Mobile orders jumped from 17% of sales in early 2020 to 26% the following year.