Case Study: Starbucks creates more inclusive store spaces with McKinsey & Company

Starbucks scales inclusive store design across 600 new U.S. stores with McKinsey

Starbucks, a major coffee company, partnered with McKinsey & Company to address the challenge of creating retail store environments that are truly inclusive for persons with disabilities. While their stores complied with ADA codes, the addition of furniture and merchandise often limited accessibility. Starbucks wanted to set an elevated standard to make all customers and employees feel welcome, aiming to make accessible design the rule across its vast network of 16,000 U.S. stores.

McKinsey worked with Starbucks to develop an Inclusive Spaces Framework, a set of design guidelines that minimize points of exclusion. The solution was developed with direct input from individuals with lived experiences and included changes like wider spaces, better signage, and varied sound and lighting zones. As a result, Starbucks opened its first store using the framework in 2024 and plans to incorporate these elements into all new and renovated company-operated U.S. stores. The impact is a significant commitment to growth with inclusivity at its core; the company also plans to share the open-source framework industry-wide to catalyze broader change in retail.

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