Who is Brian Niccol? Starbucks CEO faces backlash over ‘affordable’ $10 coffee remark

Brian Niccol, the chief executive of Starbucks, is facing sharp criticism online after describing a nearly $10 coffee as an “affordable premium experience.”

Niccol made the comments during a late-April interview while discussing consumer spending. Asked whether widening income gaps were affecting Starbucks sales, he said the company was not seeing that in its business.

“What we’re seeing is people, they want to have a special experience,” Niccol said, adding that for some customers, spending around $9 on a drink can feel like a splurge while still being “a really affordable premium experience.”

The remarks quickly spread online, where critics called the comments out of touch at a time when many consumers are dealing with rising living costs.

Niccol joined Starbucks in September 2024 after leaving Chipotle Mexican Grill, where he had been widely credited with helping turn around the company after its food safety crisis.

His move to Starbucks came with one of the biggest executive pay packages in recent US corporate history. Regulatory filings showed Niccol received total compensation of about $96 million in his first year, including more than $90 million in stock awards.

That figure drew even more attention because the median annual pay for a Starbucks worker was reported at $14,674, meaning Niccol earned roughly 6,666 times as much as the company’s median employee.

The backlash also comes just after Starbucks posted strong quarterly results. The company reported fiscal second-quarter 2026 revenue of $9.53 billion, with U.S. comparable store sales rising 7.1 percent and adjusted earnings beating analyst expectations.

Niccol described the results as a sign that Starbucks’ turnaround strategy is gaining traction.

But while the company’s financial performance has impressed investors, the timing of the remarks has sparked criticism among consumers as coffee prices continue to climb. U.S. coffee prices have risen sharply over the past year, and Starbucks has also introduced small price increases on select drinks.

For many online critics, the controversy has become less about coffee and more about the disconnect between corporate leadership and everyday customers.