‘Back to Starbucks’ Plan is Working, Says Placer.ai

Starbucks has posted year-over-year traffic growth for the last 12 consecutive months, according to new research from Placer.ai.

The coffee QSR is now almost two years into its “Back to Starbucks” plan, and Placer.ai’s research suggests that it is working, the firm said. Overall visits increased year over year (YoY) in every month of the past 12 months, with Q2 2026 traffic up 2.6% despite macroeconomic uncertainty. Same-store traffic has also remained positive since October 2025 and has outpaced overall visit growth in recent months.

“Repeat visitation increased throughout H1 2026, suggesting Starbucks is not only attracting more customers but also encouraging them to visit more frequently,” the research firm concluded. “The visitation data, along with the increase in repeat customers, suggests Starbucks' operational improvements are beginning to translate into stronger customer retention.”

Meanwhile over at rival Dutch Bros, Placer.ai reported that overall visits continued growing throughout the past year, and that Dutch Bros delivered its strongest traffic gains during the morning daypart, indicating investments in food, mobile ordering, expansion efforts and beverage innovation “are beginning to expand breakfast occasions.”

Dutch Bros posted its strongest YoY traffic gains before noon during Q2, according to research.

“Dutch Bros could benefit from both continued unit expansion and an improvement in visit frequency among its existing customer base,” Placer.ai concluded.

In March, The Wall Street Journal reported that Dutch Bros serves 90% of its drinks cold. Iced is how young people like their beverages, Dutch Bros executives said.

Dutch Bros is now the third-largest coffee chain by U.S. sales and locations, behind Starbucks and Dunkin’, according to market-research firm Technomic.

QSR Consumer Insights