Been to Starbucks recently to check out the changes? This week, my local Starbucks wrapped up its remodel. Yet despite the new tile bar, the new Clover machines, the new Pike Place blend, the new logo, and the lack of hot food—not much seems different. The beans still taste burnt and it's still the quickest, if not most reliable, place to get a caffeine fix in town—the McDonald's of coffee. What it's not is cutting-edge.

Unfortunately, that's not what founder Howard Schultz wants to hear. Schultz regained control of the company as CEO this year after profits and stock prices continued to drop, and commissioned changes that included the recent remodel of stores. Today's Wall Street Journal profiles Schultz and his near-evangelical quest to revamp Starbucks. While it's obvious that Schultz is scrambling to recapture Starbucks' glory days, the article also implies that there's more than just a little desperation at Starbucks HQ:

"'We are going to bring this company back!' Mr. Schultz practically shouted at a meeting with managers in New York in April. The idea of skeptics that the battered stock won't recover is 'total bull-' he said, his voice rising."

The plan for the coming months is to introduce a new "Italian sorbet-like treat" and healthier food items. But the question remains whether any of these efforts actually can revive Starbucks and bring back the days when its stock was worth $40 a share. As it stands right now, the changes haven't hit the mark. Image via Businessweek