Starbucks (SBUX) has poached another executive from Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) as it looks to revive the design of its corporate brand and coffee houses.
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Starbucks has hired Stephen Piacentini as its new coffee house design and development officer, according to an internal message that’s been made public. Piacentini was most recently Chipotle’s chief development officer, and previously held leadership roles at Arby’s and Taco Bell.
This is the latest executive to jump ship at Chipotle and move to Starbucks. The retail coffee chain hired its current CEO Brian Niccol away from Chipotle Mexican Grill in 2024. Since then, Niccol has hired several other Chipotle executives and brought them over to Starbucks.
Starbucks’ Growth Strategy
Niccol has tasked Piacentini with helping to revive Starbucks’ brand design as part of the company’s growth strategy. With the Piacentini hire, Meredith Sandland, another Niccol recruit, is moving into a new coffee house strategy role focused on future café operations and economic models.
Niccol has undertaken a turnaround strategy called “Back to Starbucks” that aims to boost sales and the company’s share price. In the final quarter of 2025, Starbucks opened 128 new retail locations. This year, the company plans to open 600 to 650 new company-owned and licensed outlets.
Is SBUX Stock a Buy?
Starbucks’ stock has a consensus Moderate Buy rating among 27 Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on 13 Buy, 11 Hold, and three Sell recommendations issued in the last three months. The average SBUX price target of $100.26 implies 4% upside from current levels.
