Slog
News & ArtsSaturday, January 24, 2009
Economy Shrinking Starbucks
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 1:15 AM
Another big round of layoffs is expected at Starbucks, possibly 1,000 people — a third of its headquarters employees — and some district managers and field employees, according to an e-mail sent to a stock brokerage's customers Friday.
2
I know a HQ Starbucks employee who's taking a 2 week vacation now...maybe it's another way of giving people the Pink Slip. "Congrats! You're on an unemployment vacation! Send us a postcard. Bubye."
3
are you late-night-drunk slog-posting Mr. Frizzelle?
a more burning question, why am I reading slog right now?
a more burning question, why am I reading slog right now?
4
Here's the amazing thing about Starbucks baristas.
Go into a Starbucks and order an espresso.
9 times out of 10 the response will be a blank stare (what a NYC friend of mine, commenting on Puget Sounders called bovine indifference) followed by a "what?" followed by "how much foam?"
No. Espresso. It's the basic drink. The kind of thing you dash into a "bar" in Italy (meaning a place with coffee, pastries, Campari) and sip or guzzle down. You order it with a small slice of lemon rind. Now, ask a Starbucks person for lemon rind. Yep, bovine indifference.
And if your fed up with being ignored, try ordering a cappucino. 5 times out of 10 you'll get a latte...not a capuccino.
So, as far as the "quality" of Starbucks. Nope. Get lost Starbucks.
Go into a Starbucks and order an espresso.
9 times out of 10 the response will be a blank stare (what a NYC friend of mine, commenting on Puget Sounders called bovine indifference) followed by a "what?" followed by "how much foam?"
No. Espresso. It's the basic drink. The kind of thing you dash into a "bar" in Italy (meaning a place with coffee, pastries, Campari) and sip or guzzle down. You order it with a small slice of lemon rind. Now, ask a Starbucks person for lemon rind. Yep, bovine indifference.
And if your fed up with being ignored, try ordering a cappucino. 5 times out of 10 you'll get a latte...not a capuccino.
So, as far as the "quality" of Starbucks. Nope. Get lost Starbucks.
5
Oh please....if I were working in a Starbucks, and some pretentious twit started gassing on to me about their extensive world travels, and what they drank where, and how I should prepare it for them, I'd give them the old "Bovine Indifference" myself. I'd give them Bovine encephalitis if I could.
Newsflash: Starbucks is NOT some charming little place you saw in Italy. It is the McDonalds of Coffee. It offers glurgy, gunky, HFCS ridden "specialy drinks" for people who are on the sweet/salt diet, in a familiar environment that makes those people feel "classy". Apparently, it now also serves as an excuse for blowhards to reminisce about their European vacations, and bitch about the US.
I don't go to Starbucks when I'm here in Seattle. But when I'm stuck in Omaha, it's the only place where you can get what approaches what might be called an espresso drink. Every other place that tries it will give you a cup of General Mills International Coffee with Cool-whip and sprinkles on top.
Newsflash: Starbucks is NOT some charming little place you saw in Italy. It is the McDonalds of Coffee. It offers glurgy, gunky, HFCS ridden "specialy drinks" for people who are on the sweet/salt diet, in a familiar environment that makes those people feel "classy". Apparently, it now also serves as an excuse for blowhards to reminisce about their European vacations, and bitch about the US.
I don't go to Starbucks when I'm here in Seattle. But when I'm stuck in Omaha, it's the only place where you can get what approaches what might be called an espresso drink. Every other place that tries it will give you a cup of General Mills International Coffee with Cool-whip and sprinkles on top.
6
So, if someone forgets to close his italics tag in a comment, can someone else close it for him in a further comment?
Starbucks is milk, not coffee.
Starbucks is milk, not coffee.
9
At the risk of sounding like Will in Seattle... @4 for the win of most insufferable comment of the day. @5 for the actual win.
12
Starbucks was charming when there was one of them (the original Pike Place Market). Every Starbucks, Tully's, and Peet's, could close, and, at least in a big city, it will still be very easy to find espresso.
But in some rural communities Starbucks is all they have.
BTW, the layoffs, according to the news, does not include barristas.
But in some rural communities Starbucks is all they have.
BTW, the layoffs, according to the news, does not include barristas.
14
Why anyone would want to drink Starbuck's coffee without the milk, sugar, etc. is beyond me. Can you even imagine how that would taste?
15
People of Seattle.
You have many marvelous coffee places. Starbucks is not one of them. Patronize the others.
You have many marvelous coffee places. Starbucks is not one of them. Patronize the others.
16
@14 - I have had regular Starbucks a couple of times in meetings, on airplanes, etc. when it's the only option. Not good. And I am not a coffee aficionado by any means. Even I can tell that they over-roast (i.e., burn) their beans. I haven't tried the new Pikes Place blend, which is supposedly better...
17
Hey, Say what you want about Starbucks. Seems to me they first invented the high end coffee market in the United States, by that I mean introducing espresso based drinks to the market place and gives a consistent drink anywhere you go in the world.
As a Coffee drinker I say a heartfelt Thank You.
For quite a few years, I had them as a client. When my ex-wife (then wife) was out of work during the dotcom crash, I was able to pull strings and get her a job there.
For quite a few years I made a handsome living with them, they helped support my Seattle based family and I was (still am) proud to have had them as a client. Many of their employees are still very good friends.
While I thought some of the junior partners were a bit arrogant, every person I came in contact with at SBUX seemed to have there act together.
Does there roasting have a burn to it? Sure...
Do I have other, smaller coffee shops that I frequent in Seattle? Absolutely.
However, when I am traveling in areas other than Seattle and I am getting caffeine withdrawal and looking for some espresso... I'll gladly drive 20 miles to get to an SBUX because I am assured to get a quality cup of Coffee.
BTW Fnarf... The milk sales applies to any coffee shop if your buying anything other than straight espresso's, drip or an Americano.
As a Coffee drinker I say a heartfelt Thank You.
For quite a few years, I had them as a client. When my ex-wife (then wife) was out of work during the dotcom crash, I was able to pull strings and get her a job there.
For quite a few years I made a handsome living with them, they helped support my Seattle based family and I was (still am) proud to have had them as a client. Many of their employees are still very good friends.
While I thought some of the junior partners were a bit arrogant, every person I came in contact with at SBUX seemed to have there act together.
Does there roasting have a burn to it? Sure...
Do I have other, smaller coffee shops that I frequent in Seattle? Absolutely.
However, when I am traveling in areas other than Seattle and I am getting caffeine withdrawal and looking for some espresso... I'll gladly drive 20 miles to get to an SBUX because I am assured to get a quality cup of Coffee.
BTW Fnarf... The milk sales applies to any coffee shop if your buying anything other than straight espresso's, drip or an Americano.
19
keshmeshi...
As a straight espresso drinker, I prefer sbux over many local roasters.
Oh, and to the other posters who mentioned the lemon rind, yeah, that's a nice touch when you can find it. As of yet, I've not seen it in local coffee houses in the Pacific Northwest although it's very common in Italian Neighborhood shops in NY and Boston.
As a straight espresso drinker, I prefer sbux over many local roasters.
Oh, and to the other posters who mentioned the lemon rind, yeah, that's a nice touch when you can find it. As of yet, I've not seen it in local coffee houses in the Pacific Northwest although it's very common in Italian Neighborhood shops in NY and Boston.
23
Anyone who walks into a coffee shop and asks for lemon rind is an asshole. Some people think that if they serve dog shit with coffee in Italy, American Coffee House X is horrible for not having fresh dog shit available on demand.
I hate Starbucks as much as anyone else (they are the McDonalds of Coffee. Full stop), but I know what I'm getting when I walk in. Just don't buy the shit that comes down corporate way.
I hate Starbucks as much as anyone else (they are the McDonalds of Coffee. Full stop), but I know what I'm getting when I walk in. Just don't buy the shit that comes down corporate way.
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