Starbucks boss in hot water over private jet flights

Starbucks’ new boss’s 1,000-mile private jet trip has come under fire.

Brian Niccol (pictured) doesn’t have to move to the coffee chain’s Seattle headquarters.

Instead, you can use the Starbucks jet for a two-hour, 45-minute flight from your home in California.

Otherwise it would take 18 hours to travel that distance. Niccol, announced as the new boss last week, will receive a payout of £88m in one of the biggest hires on record in the US.

He will visit the coffee chain’s office three days a week, but online critics have said this makes a mockery of the brand’s environmental efforts.

‘The new chief executive will travel 1,000 miles a day on a private jet and then claim to save the environment with paper straws,’ said one social media user.

Another wrote on X: “How can anyone justify a 1,000-mile trip on a private jet? Makes Starbucks’ sustainability policy look like greenwashing.”

A third reviewer said: “In an age where it has been proven that the richest are the main cause of environmental damage, I imagine they have lost some customers over this situation – me, for sure.”

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Private jets are five to 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial travel, according to a 2021 report by the European Federation for Transport and Environment.

Starbucks has committed to reducing its carbon, water and waste footprint by half by 2030.

Policies include adding more plant-based products, using less single-use packaging and investing in forest conservation.

Niccol’s package includes a £7.8m ‘golden hello’, £58m in additional share options, a £1.25m salary plus the chance to earn up to £18m in share-based bonuses a year.

He could also receive a cash bonus worth almost £2.8m. Last year he received £17.5m at Chipotle.

Starbucks’ restructuring sent its stock higher, while burrito chain Chipotle fell last week. Starbucks has struggled, with declining sales and a dispute over alleged ties to Israel.

Starbucks said: “We are confident in its ability to deliver long-term, lasting value.”

‘Brian will primarily work in his office and spend most of his time in Seattle or visiting partners and customers in stores, roasteries, roasting facilities and offices.

“Brian’s schedule will meet or exceed the hybrid work guidelines and work expectations we have in place. He will also have a residency in Seattle.”