Balancing Tech Expectations and Human Touch

By shuttering its pick-up only concept, Starbucks is placing its bets on connection over convenience in a strategic brand reset. 

This renewed focus on its third-place roots and customer experience (CX) comes after declining traffic and sales, consumer dissatisfaction, and competitive headwinds, according to Craig Miller, former Chief Information and Technology Officer at Sonic Drive-In and co-author of Bricks and Clicks: How We Drove Sonic Into the Digital Age.

The move signaled a larger truth many brands are now confronting about their own digital journeys:: while technology might create efficiency by streamlining operations, it doesn’t build long-term loyalty and connection with customers.

Miller has spent decades helping legacy brands modernize without eroding their core identity. In this conversation with Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine, he discusses  how digital minimalism is reshaping guest expectations, why outdated systems are a ticking time bomb, and how the…