Today, starting at 5:30 p.m. (local time), your neighborhood Starbucks is closing. Yes, yours -- and yours, too. (If you live in the U.S., that is.) CEO Howard Schultz has ordered this emergency intensive remedial training, hopefully giving baristas valuable skills they should have learned in the ordinary 40-hour new "partner" training. One of the skills -- which, according to one New York Starbucks manager involved in the test training program, was a "revelation" to some of her workers -- is a milk steaming technique that will allow baristas to "free pour" (without holding foam back with a spoon) the milk no matter how the customer orders the drink. Partners will also be instructed to wipe the steamer wands and rinse the pitchers and shot glasses every time -- not a new idea, but according to anecdotal evidence, also not commonly done. A new procedure will be instituted for the espresso machines; baristas will always pull a double shot, instead of occasionally pulling only one when only one shot is needed. This, apparently, will assure a better-tasting espresso.
Baristas, customers, stockholders and analysts all seem to agree that, much though retraining may be necessary for some individuals, it's not bad foam that has prompted the dip in Starbucks' (NASDAQ: SBUX) stock price; no, it's the uneven and quixotic management initiatives. Now, we're a coffee shop... now we're the "third place" with comfortable chairs... now we're a movie studio... now we're an Apple store... now we're a book publisher/record company/toy store/candy store/cookbook... now we're a fast food joint. It's enough for stakeholders to all rise up with a single voice and ask plaintively:
What about the coffee?
Though Howard Schultz' initiatives since taking over as CEO have, indeed, shown a tendency to bring the coffee into sharper focus, much more needs to be done. Starting with taking care of the customers. And by all accounts the customers are not happy about having Starbucks outlets closed (although one California coffee chain is offering free coffee during the closure). What will you be doing while your local Starbucks is closed; and will you be coming back to try the retrained coffee on Wednesday?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 16)
2-25-2008 @ 6:02AM
LCSDE said...
THAT SUCKS- COFFEE AND EXPRESO ROCKS IN EVERYWAY AND FORM! DML OF PENSACOLA- ENJOY IT WHIILE U CAN!
2-25-2008 @ 11:32AM
missoncpt said...
i'll be back when they go back to real espresso machines and not a button
2-25-2008 @ 1:41PM
pls said...
It's about time.
2-25-2008 @ 11:14PM
David said...
I quite them a long time ago. Price is an insult, and a ripoff.
2-25-2008 @ 7:22AM
mike said...
IT'S ABOUT TIME STARBUCKS FAILED. THE USMC ASKED STARBUCKS FOR A DONATION OF COFFEE FOR THE TROOPS IN IRAQ TO WHICH STARBUCKS RESPONDED THAT THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE WAR OR THE PEOPLE ON IT! IF I GO FOR COUT FOR COFFEE I GO TO McDONALDS WHICH IS BETTER AND CHEAPER.
2-25-2008 @ 7:06AM
georgej780 said...
Haven't you figured out yet that the tale of Starbucks not donating coffee to US troops is a total lie? AN urban legend? Pure bullshit?
2-25-2008 @ 6:28AM
Ray Crowell said...
It's ok with me. The last cup of coffe I got there tasted burnt. No more for me.
2-25-2008 @ 10:27AM
sixth romeo said...
It is not about coffee, you can go anywhere for that. It is about espresso drinks and community. Find community at Dunkin or McDonald's.
2-25-2008 @ 12:31PM
arthur Kramer said...
Starbucks coffee always tastes burnt because it is burnt in the roasting process. It is over roasted.
www.coastcomp.com/artkramer
2-25-2008 @ 11:20PM
David said...
The community? You have got to be kidding me. The day I pay five bucks to be part of a bunch of coffee phonies is the day I am crowned King
2-25-2008 @ 7:09AM
Ian said...
The comment about Iraq is an urban legend http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/starbucks.asp
2-25-2008 @ 6:36AM
Jane said...
I'm not a Starbucks fan anyway. Although I've never drank burnt motor oil, I imagine it tastes like Starbucks coffee. As for their fancy lattés and such, you're taking a zero-calorie drink and turning into 600 or more calories. My son was drinking about 3 of them a day and then wondered why he was blowing up like a balloon.
2-25-2008 @ 10:12AM
Krystina said...
Starbucks is a treat. You treat it like ice cream or chocolate. Having once a week the Skinny Latte of 90 CALORIES is no big deal. Now if your ordering the Frappuccinos, the Blended Crème ones, and have them three times a day your bound to see the affects. Starbucks brings a different coffee rather than your home brewed which can be rather boring and spice it up a bit. Sure it costs 3 or 4 dollars for a Tall cup of nicely brewed coffee. Im sure a measly 3 or 4 dollars from your paychecks is not going to hurt you. STARBUCKS IS WONDERFUL.
2-25-2008 @ 11:28PM
David said...
I agree Jane, nicely brewed motor oil. I'll take Barnies
2-25-2008 @ 6:44AM
mamabe said...
I agree to pay $10 bucks for 2 cofee's is insane. I wouldn't buy coffee from them just because they wouldn't support our troops. The guys in Iraq are not there just because they had nothing better to do.
2-25-2008 @ 9:40AM
LisaRay said...
I think the break for training is great and will result in a better product. I am a retired military gal and the military frequently uses this practice of shutting down for a day to focus on training in a particular area. I was at my local Starbucks yesterday and they have a display to donate a bag of coffee to our troops. I don't know if it's something they reconsidered or what. They obviously made a huge marketing mistake when they initially spoke of not supporting our troops. I don't support the war but support our troops!
2-25-2008 @ 9:45AM
lbgray said...
Really? Do you ever read a newspaper or is your head so far up your A** that you really believe something you just hear?
Go see for yourself how much "they don't support OUR troops".....
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=684&rumor=true
If you don't buy their coffee that's one thing, but being so naive to repost about a "rumor" on this site is retarded..... Not unlike yourself.
2-25-2008 @ 10:20AM
Old Curmudgeon said...
Please do not believe this viscious lie concerning starbucks and supporting the troops, nothing could be further from the truth, the company and its employees ship plenty of coffee to Iraq and Afghanastan If you want the truth send an email to starbucks.com and ask for the proof.
2-25-2008 @ 10:41AM
Trena said...
mamabe said...
I agree to pay $10 bucks for 2 cofee's is insane. I wouldn't buy coffee from them just because they wouldn't support our troops. The guys in Iraq are not there just because they had nothing better to do.
They do support our troops this was a lie that was spread here is the link to prove otherwise http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/starbucks.asp Please check this out you will see that the accusation is false.
2-25-2008 @ 11:40AM
Shay said...
To say they are not supporting our troops is false. The other day I was there and they asked if I wanted to donate coffee to our troops. They then gave me my drink for free ($5) and I only paid $10 for the coffee to send to our troops. Not everything you read is true.