Starbucks vendor hit by ransomware attack, affecting pay and schedules

A ransomware attack on one of Starbucks‘ software vendors has disrupted how the coffee chain’s baristas view and manage their schedules, the company said on Monday.

Starbucks said it’s working closely with the vendor to resolve the issue. The company did not disclose the name of the third party.

The outage affects Starbucks’ employee platform that shows baristas their schedules and allows the company to track how many hours employees have worked. Store leaders and baristas are currently working around the outage manually, and the company said it’s ensuring that employees will receive pay for all hours worked, despite the disruption.

The interruption has not affected customers directly, and Starbucks said it’s continuing to serve people in its cafes.

The Wall Street Journal first reported news of the outage’s impact on Starbucks.

As ransomware attacks have surged, 2024 is on track to be one of the worst years on record. By mid-2024, more than 2,300 incidents had already been reported, according to a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

— CNBC’s Kate Rogers contributed reporting for this story.