| FastCo Works LOGIN SUBSCRIBE advertisement BYÂ Grace Snelling Listen to this ArticleMore info 0:00 / 0:00 There was a time, back in the mid-2010s, when Starbucks was in its prime. It was an era characterized by handwritten notes on cups, signature purple chairs, and coffee houses teeming with people sitting down to enjoy a morning pick-me-up. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol wants to revive that era—starting by adding hundreds of thousands of chairs back into its stores. "When it's truly a third place, I think ...

US group J. Skinner Baking has appointed food-industry veteran David Kowal as its CEO. Kowal's most recent executive role was chief executive at US pet-food supplier BrightPet Nutrition Group, where he led the business for three years up to 2024. His career includes more than a decade at another US bakery business, Dawn Food Products, as well as four years at Pillsbury. J. Skinner, headquartered in Nebraska, is owned by private-equity firm Stellex Capital Management. Kowal said: “My focus will be on ac ...