
Charlotte, North Carolina, Starbucks Coffee, barista handing drink and straw to customer.
Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
Starbucks reported better than expected quarterly results Tuesday evening — initially sending shares higher in choppy after-hours trading. Even though the company’s same-store sales declined for the fourth straight quarter, early signs of progress on CEO Brian Niccol’s Back to Starbucks strategy had us feeling encouraged that much better times are ahead.