Starbucks all closing today: Where will customers go?

Posted Feb 25th 2008 5:30AM by Sarah Gilbert
Filed under: Bad News, Starbucks (SBUX), Employees

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?

Gallery: Starbucks: Howard Schulz ch-ch-ch-changes

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?

Tags: closing, february 26, February26, sbux, starbucks, starbucks_closing

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Reader Comments (Page 5 of 16)

2-25-2008 @ 8:41AM

jim said...

IT IS NOT TRUE THAT STARBUCKS DOES NOT SUPPORT OUR TROOPS-- GO TO TRUTH AND FICTION.COM-- HIT UP STARBUCKS- THE TRUTH AWAITS YOU- LET'S NOT CONTINUE FALSE RUMORS

2-25-2008 @ 6:10PM

Phil from Franklin, VA said...

Nothing personel against Starbucks, with exception of the prices, I recommend you visit your local Walgreen's and purchase an expresso coffee pot for $19.95, buy your own syrup, use your own milk, follow directions on concocting the mix, and save yourselves hundreds of dollars in no time flat!!!!

2-26-2008 @ 6:11AM

lillian said...

Coffee is coffee. I recenty had a cup of Starbuck coffee, it didn't taste any different than what i make here at home. People just like to look cool drinking Starbuck coffee, meantime your money is going down the drain and they're laughing all the way to the bank.

2-25-2008 @ 8:43AM

doddie said...

with gas prices the way they are who can afford that high price coffee you can make yourself at home....goodbye starbucks....hello lower gas prices......

2-25-2008 @ 8:45AM

joelow said...

up in the great white north were told a story of the emporer's new clothes .....so we told fall for the hype!! starbucks??? try TIM HORTONS half price....twice as good.......... but i guess it's not trendy enough!!! wake up U.S.

2-25-2008 @ 8:46AM

Harold said...

Good.....death to Starbucks !!
I hate corporate amd I hate companies that don't support the troops even more.

GOOD RIDDANCE !!

2-25-2008 @ 8:47AM

Ninenorthnick said...

I travel nationwide on business every week, Starbucks has consistently run downhill over the past 2 years...the cappuccino's are ALWAYS Latte's..you have to order an "espresso Macchiatto" just to get what should be a cappuccino....and when was the last time you got a GOOD cup of coffee at a Starbucks ?? They need to retrain their ROASTERS and their baristas!!

2-25-2008 @ 8:49AM

Alicia said...

Sounds OK to me. I don't get to go to Starbucks very often anyhow. I can't afford it. I know people go there for the Starbucks experience, but honestly, I can buy a can of coffee for home and have coffee for a very long time. If Starbucks would lower their prices, maybe my husband would let me buy some more often.

2-25-2008 @ 8:49AM

Harriet DeFranco said...

My comment is in regard to one store, in Lake Placid, N.Y. It is not set up correctly to get customers in and served.The order bar is right as you walk in the door and that means there is always a back log of people. Customers have to wait outside in order to get in the store. The traffic pattern needs a complete change. Coffe is great, though when you get it!!

2-25-2008 @ 8:51AM

Debbie said...

Our neighborhood Starbuck is great! The baristas have little turn over and I always get a good coffee there. Not true with everystore, but kudos to ours! Looking forward to an even better cup of coffee.
Oh, and we have a big bin in our store where you can donate to send beans overseas. My friend was there and he said they have more Starbucks than toilet paper!

2-25-2008 @ 9:10AM

smf said...

Yes, Starbucks allows the public to donate at their stores, but as a corporation, they do not donate. Individual troops have been refused donations by Starbucks, citing the corporation's policy. There is one particular story that is an urban legend, but there are true stories of soldiers being refused donations.

2-25-2008 @ 8:51AM

MossyS said...

Tophat - Well said! Well said! So very true!

2-25-2008 @ 8:53AM

toni banks said...

I was going to Starbucks so much and spending sooooo much money, I made up my own drink! My friends say it taste better than the ones from the store. And I must say they are right! Any one wants to know how to make it, email me at WWW.RENEEDUREN@AOL.COM ! I know you will love it also. Oh, I don't charge!

2-26-2008 @ 3:41PM

sharondunavent said...

I think they're clean enough. I wish they would offer Fair Trade coffee. Or maybe they have. I haven't been there in awhile.

2-25-2008 @ 8:54AM

Sharon said...

I'm hyperventilating just thinking about Starbuck's being closed on Wednesday! But I understand the need to close all stores to implement the new training.

2-25-2008 @ 8:54AM

ANN said...

I WORK AT DD AND WE'VE BEEN DOING WHAT STARBUCKS IS RETRAINING FOR ALL ALONG. AS FOR DONATING COFFEE ETC TO THE TROOPS, I WOULD HOPE AND PRAY ANY FOOD SERVICE PLACE WOULD; EVERY 18 MINUTES WE ARE REQUIRED TO DUMP OUR COFFEE AND MAKE NEW POTS,; I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COUNT THE FOOD THAT'S NOT SOLD & GETS THROWN AWAY ON A DAILY BASIS. WE REPLACE OUR DONUTS APPROX 8 HRS ,MEANING WHATEVER ISN'T SOLD GETS TRASHED AND REPLACED WITH NEW. ITS A SIN! ITS A VERY SAD DAY WHEN BUSINESSES WOULD RATHER THROW AWAY PERFECTLY GOOD FOOD, COFFEE ETC RATHER THAN DONATING IT.
WELL, HAVE A NICE DAY TO ALL WHO READS THIS!

2-25-2008 @ 8:56AM

Wendy said...

I applaud the fact that they are putting the customer first. Too many retailers nowadays don't seem to care about customer satisfaction. If this helps to accomodate the customer better, I think it's great. I worked for a retailer that insisted the customer comes first no matter what and it made a huge impact on people. I never saw so many "regulars" in all my life. Obviously, the idea works. Bravo Starbucks!

2-25-2008 @ 9:01AM

kjnollie said...

I hate to break it to the people who believe everything they read in e-mails, but the story about Starbucks not supporting the troops was NOT TRUE! How can people just keep sending that trash around without checking it out? Talk about idiots! I don't even go to Starbucks, but PLEASE get your stories straight!