Good morning. This week brought convincing proof that Starbucks’ comeback under CEO Brian Niccol is for real. The coffee chain on Wednesday reported that quarterly U.S. comparable sales rose 7.1%, their second straight gain. What’s more, for the first time in two years, profit and sales both rose, and customer visits increased, showing the investments Niccol has made in more staffing, higher wages, and store glow-ups are starting to pay for themselves. The CEO’s overarching strategy has been to bring the human touch and pleasure of ordering back to Starbucks. Those experiences were damaged by the company’s efforts to contain…


