Starbucks steps out of Schultz's shadow

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In between coffee breaks, Starbucks let go of CEO Laxman Narasimhan and replaced him with former Chipotle savior Brian Niccol.

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Sales at the Seattle-born coffee chain have dropped the last three quarters as high prices chased away customers, and baristas around the country are pushing for unionization.

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Niccol is tasked with bringing Starbucks back to its name-misspelled-on-cups glory days, and three-time CEO Howard Schultz will almost surely be breathing down his neck.

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For this edition of the Weekend Brief, we’ll look at how Starbucks lost its identity — and what can be done to bring it back.

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