Here's what you learn about Howard Schultz from this long magazine profile

* He doesn't fear that Starbucks' moment might have passed. "That does not enter my mind whatsoever."
* He hates the food offerings. "I have been embarrassed by the food. The food is going to be completely reinvented by fall. With a stake in the ground. Done."
* Schultz looks at the StarbucksGossip.com about once a week and doesn't have a problem with the site as long as no one gives away anything proprietary.
* Schultz and his wife live in a gated community above Lake Washington. They also own a beachfront house in East Hampton, New York. For a time, Schultz tried to keep the Hamptons Starbucks-free because "it's a place I live in the summer, and I just didn't want to be reminded of Starbucks."  (Read the Portfolio magazine article)

Comments

[seventysix [76]]

Howard reads starbucksgossip?

...

...HI HOWARD!

-Miles

[StLouieDrip]

Very interesting article. And the quotes from here made me realize that lots of people really do read this site, wow.

Hey Howard, are you reading this?

Shame on you for that lousy PPR. C'mon, you didn't beg for a job, uproot, and move 3K miles because you drank a cup of PPR, geez.

So please just give me back the bold varieties, all day.

Besides, my darling baristas say they miss seeing me at the store. ;-)

[DowntownSeattleMelody]

Hi Howard!
I'm treking through all the downtown Seattle Starbucks (everything from store 301 to 1st & Walker) looking for bold drip coffee (not PPR), wonderful barista smiles, a Clover cup at 6th & Union, and a perfect single shot, or doppio con panna. You never fail to disappoint me! (almost never). LOL. I'm smiling as I write this!

LOL. I just don't believe Howard has time to read this!

Did anyone else notice that that article is FULL of starbucksgossip references? Darleen and double_tall_latte are mentioned.

And I was mortified to read that Howard thought about keeping the breakfast sandwiches - even though it sounds like it was a fleeting thought!

Well, my final thought: Go Howard!! :-) :-)

Melody

[Haha]

Darleen = Howard?

[pat nerr]

love the Starbucks cycling jersey... First time I've seen him in one since they came out 5 years ago...

[BRUNO]

I hope people don't start leaving messages for Howard on the site!

[Howard Behar]

hi Howard!!!

[Sheik]

" [...] and doesn't have a problem with the site as long as no one gives away anything proprietary."

Well if that were the case, and if he requested all proprietary info past and present be deleted from this website, a good 20-25% would be gone. Look at the open-thread this past weekend as an example.

[Darleen]

Well, we all knew he would read up on a gossip site that has his company's name. I gotta laugh at HAHA, no Darleen does not = Howard. I wish I was as smart as he is, he is truly my business role model though.That is a true story about my shift supervisor, and yes Howard did send mets tickets and I threw in 100.00 for her and her husband to go have some fun. No matter what anyone says, we are going to get through this, we will be back on top and the naysayers will become believers. Damn, where are my freaking pom-poms when I need them? LOL

[acustomer]

Howard, forget the 10000 person New Orleans conference and get the Clovers and Mastrenas in the stores.

What are you afraid of webmaster? darleen?

[SeattleMelody]

Oh Bruno, I think that his admission that he reads this site is an invitation to turning this thread into the "Send Howard your messages and positive thoughts" thread.

This is the "we love Starbucks coffee" thread and "you can do it"! We'll be behind Vivanno and Sorbetto too!!

Lord, I really do sound like I work for Starbucks, but honestly, I don't!

LOL

[truth]

Yeah, I'm sure the sbux staff love reading some of their store workers use here. Pretty sure it's a violation of your terms of employment. And don't waste your time responding with 'what I do on my time is my business'. It's not. If you are representing the company, you are representing the company. Foul language, trade secrets, all of it.

Also, I find it fairly odd that there's ZERO mention of the Sonics trial, which started today.

EVERY media report about the case I heard today mentioned Schultz by name.

[BAYAREABUX]

I left the comment about the shot glosses, and I'm actually a guy. Oh well. At least I got quoted!

[Harriet]

I've said it before, I'll say it again: For the LOVE OF GOD, I hope the trial run with La Brea Bakery in LA goes nation wide.

Everything LBB provides is about a thousand times better than the dried up crap everywhere else -- the brown butter tart, the prosciutto roulade, the caneles... omg, caneles! The most delicious, tricky-to-bake pastry there is, available from every corner Sbux? I might die of happiness.

(For the record, I have no opinion of TopPot doughnuts or the New Jack cupcakes, preferring to save my calories for LBB. Although if you ask me (and no one did), I would look into a) The Doughnut Plant in NYC and b) Vanilla Bakery in Santa Monica.)

[Nerfebarista]

Truth,

I love that you always have something to say. Really, I need a good chuckle every five minutes or so and your retarded assumptions that anyone here gives a damn about what you think is the "truth" really make for some godaweful gutbusting giggling.
So thank you for being a MORON and keep up the good work.

Personal attacks aside. I think the article sounded a little too scatter brained and biased to have been really enjoyable, tho I read every word. It's a good synopsis of one man's life and ambition and the company he built, but it ran on a bit too long and told stories everyone already knows. There's really no story here, though I don't knock the half hour or so this guy took to type it up, nor do I mean to belittle the 15 minutes or so it would have taken him too look this stuff up(though he could have taken an extra 5 minutes to put it into some sort of format that didn't look like a 3rd grader composed it)
In short, it was a funny read and it brings back memories...old memories.. as in.. not news..

P.S. I do like that He reads this site. And I do like that he sold the sonics, I mean really.. the sonics??

Disclaimer: This post made specifically to point out that Truth is full of "you know what". All additional materials were added to mask the fact that the troll is getting trolled and are not necessarily the views of this Starbucks employee. Thanks much for reading and have a nice day.

[Barista of the Millennium]

I heard the La Brea Bakery trial has stopped due to "too many unanswered questions." We were supposed to have the trial in Denver, but not anymore.

[Melody]

Hi Nerfebarista! Long time no see!
-Sorry for the random "hi" in the thread - Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

[Bubka Penis]

Darleen-That is great enthusiasm. How do you pass that along to your employees?

[Bubka Penis]

Darleen-That is great enthusiasm. How do you pass that along to your employees?

[wholahay]

Really Truth??

WOW! Thats so interesting!!

[wholahay]

< /sarcasm>

[thisasm]

im kinda unhappy with what he said about our food offerings. i mean, i understand that what he is saying is that we could do better BUT- at the same time, these are products we are PUSHED to sell every single transaction. Im struggling to understand why we are selling products we do not stand behind fully such as these pastries and breakfast sandwiches. And we wonder why we arent getting buy-in from our partners these days like we used to?! What if a partner at POS said that he/she hates the food offerings and to come back in the fall when they're better- we'd ring his/her neck! Am I right?

[Vicki Verona]

Wow, its been so long since I've posted!!

Just checking in everyone. Great to read this article and see my girl Darleen's amazing partner story quoted!

Really kicking my hubby for getting me pregnant in a time when Starbucks is really thinking outside of the box and bringing innovation into the stores, especially in my home market of LA.

I'll have to check out this Sorbetto product when it comes here. Hasn't arrived at my store yet.

Totally trippy we are blending bananas soon.

Hope all is well!

[Jon SBUX FORUM]

Where can I get a cycling jersey like that?!

[Richard]

Hey JON SBUX FORUM,

http://www.starbuckscoffeegear.com/

[P.R.I.D.E.]

The cycling jersey can be purchased at www.sbuxcoffeegear.com (need a partner # to enter)

Welcome back, Vicki! Good to see you! Hope all is well with your pregnancy!

Darleen, I was so happy to see you referenced!

The article was a nice read. Long, but nice. I remember hearing the chatter when Howard decided to come back- some higher ups thought he was very challenging to work for, as he was emotional, impulsive, went left then went right. The article pretty much confirms this, and in a way, it helps me understand the craziness in our stores lately! It helps me appreciate our middle leaders (DMs and RDs) as their jobs are SO hard right now...

[Trent]

PRIDE,

why do you feel our RDOs and DMs have it hard right now?

[michael]

La Brea Pastry test concept- Over! They pulled the plug on the 10 SOCAL stores, Denver and Arizona.

Cycling jersey- www.starbuckscoffeegear.com, but you must be a Partner.

[ex-sbuxmanager]

Great article - well researched and written (my being quoted aside). I like that she brought many viewpoints, including happy partners, un-happy partners, execs, and Howard.

Even though it wasn't overwhelmingly positive about the future, I felt it was mostly objective. By that I mean that it presented multiple sides before drawing conclusions. Well done.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

Our DMs and RDOs have it hard right now because they are the main field filter for all of this immediate transformation and change. Some DMs and RDs are much better at this than others, but for the most part, their heads are spinning from being asked to execute so much change, so quickly. Sure, its one thing for us SMs who have to implement the change in one store, but they are responsible for pretty much flawless execution across their districts and regions, in some cases with managers that aren't as compliant and receptive to this change...Howard is relentless (which I love) but we, as a company, are used to having changes "fully baked" (as they say) and now, as the article mentioned, if Howard wants to make it happen, it happens. Quickly.

[bearista]

I don't see how it's giving away "trade secrets" to talk about upcoming promotions. It doesn't say anywhere on the portal to keep those things a secret. I have discussed many of the upcoming promotions with customers in the DT as a way of conversation and getting them excited about new drinks they might enjoy. I fail to see the difference when some barista mentions the new promo on this site. If they wanted to keep those things secret until right before launch, they wouldn't be available on the portal (or at least the promotional materials wouldn't be available on the portal with the barista login.

[dmanagerla]

vicki verona... check out the burbank area... perhaps near the airport or one of the drive thrus you could visit for Sorbetto....

[Jenn]

Despite his attempts to stop serving the breakfast sandwich we now have 144 people in support of keeping it.

http://www.savethebreakfastsandwich.com/

[Trent]

I have a question for you guys, when you walk into a Starbucks that doesnt have breakfast sandwiches/warming, is there a really evident smell of coffee in the stores?

I do think that grinding coffee for COD has helped somewhat, but I really don't "smell the aroma" of coffee when I walk into a store that doesnt have warming.

It makes me wonder whether getting rid of breakfast sandwiches is worth it. I know that partners all around the country, especially in drive-thru stores like mine, rejoiced when we found out that they would be gone. Mainly because its such a hassle.

But as Howard has said, something better and still warm is coming our way. So we will still need to make those trips back and forth to the ovens even after breakfast is gone.

And quite honestly, I can't think of anything that isn't going to produce some sort of non-coffee aroma in the stores when warmed.

[truth]

Also, in relation to this article (and to the Sonics trial that involves Howard) I should point out that he stopped doing local media interviews in May 2006, right after he sold the team.

I have been told this by two local media people, one a tv station producer. Howard and the city had a falling out over the Sonics and he took his ball and ran home. No mo interviews.

And a puff piece in a CEO-focused publication is hardly objective.

[il dorkale]

Stake in the ground for a change in food? The "new" SVP Denny Marie Post quit in a huff and went to T-Mobile.

[PDX Barista]

What is everyone's thoughts on the change BACK to rinsing shot glasses every 10 minutes and sanitizing them every 2 hours?

[Darleen]

Vicky
Hey Girl!!! How are you? How's the baby? We miss you around here, glad to see you are still coming by to check in, let us know how everything is.

Bubka Penis,
You asked how I share my enthusiasm with my employees, I don't know if it is one specific way. I think they just trust me and know that I will work hard to get us where we want to be. Plus, I'm always doing little things to show them how much I appreciate them. We take care of each other, plain and simple.

[SeattleMelody]

@Trent-
The aroma of coffee in Starbucks (or more accurately the lack of the aroma) has more to do with flavorlock packaging than warming ovens.

The Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place has no food in it because of their agreement with the PDA. I wonder if they'll get the Vivanno at all because I don't think they can have bananas in the store. There's no warming oven in that store. Yet, the original store (well it's close to being the original) has no smell of coffee in it when you walk into it.

@Truth:
You're right that it is a "puff" piece on Howard Schultz. I liked it though. Go Howard! It was a softball piece of journalism as far as I could see.

[Pat Nerr]

Puff piece or not... It's a good move towards communicating the human side of Uncle Howie to the partners... The same sort of thing happened when he did ads for The Gap...

If I see him on his bike, I'd be happy to let him draft me. I won't even ride him through the Seattle potholes.

...I'd like to see them do an article on his bike. He's for sure a Campagnolo guy

[Jon SBUX FORUM]

That's lame that you have to have a partner ID to buy stuff on the Starbucks Coffeegear site. What about the customers like me who just like Starbucks? A customer can buy a mug and other merchandise in the store with the logo, but not apparel? I don't get it.

[latte lover]

Stake in the ground for a change in food? The "new" SVP Denny Marie Post quit in a huff and went to T-Mobile.

Posted by: il dorkale | Jun 16, 2008 11:43:39 PM

Wasn't Denny the head of food and beverage? Anyone know what happened? Her departure was kept quiet...

[truth]

Thanks for posting lattelover and ildork.

Not enough people are talking about the large amount of senior staff leaving SSC.

[Name:]

At my DT store, which doesn't have an oven, there is a prominent coffee aroma. When you're outside and you open the door to walk in, there's a little burst of aroma that hits you and says, "COFFEE!".

On another note...only rinse shot glasses every 10 minutes?! Yuck. I have to admit, I don't rinse my shot glasses after every set of shots I pull, but when an opportunity comes along where someone is just getting a chai latte or a frappucino, that's when I take the moment to hit the rinse button. Hitting the rinse button also helps keep us from getting powder errors.

[100% Kona made in a Clover]

I thought the article was really good. I am one who drinks the Starbucks Kool Aid with a smile, and was stoked to see this message board mentioned in the piece. I am one of the many Starbucks partners with a HUGE crush on Uncle Howie, and literally eat up every syllable out of his mouth. I too feel that the food offerings in store are garbage, and cannot wait for the day when I no longer have to smell a Reduced Fat Turkey Bacon breakfast sandwich. I have lots of faith in Howie's turnaround agenda, and know that as partners in this company we all have to work hard to bring us back up again.
Are there lots of problems in the company?? Of course, I have seen some bad hires, poor management decisions, ridiculous drink ideas,(Sugar free mocha is too gross to describe, and the neon orange syrup was so Mickey D's.)and too much of a focus on speed of service and not enough of a focus on drink quality in store. Honey syrup and drizzle was a great idea, but was mis-utilized. It would have been better geared toward tea mistos and iced tea offerings.(Green Tea lemonades with honey syrup instead of classic was delicious!) I think that store management needs to be carefully scrutinized. Too many managers are hiring the wrong people, and making promotions based on friendship instead of who is passionate about learning and sticking around. An ASM who cannot deploy the floor after two years is incompetent and should either be demoted or let go. We need to find new avenues for finding potential partners; vocational rehabilitation centers, local organizations for mentally challenged adults, homeless shelters, and elder job service agencies. Lets find partners that WANT to be at work. People who could really use a great oppourtunity like Starbucks to better themselves. We offer such great benefits that it would truly be giving people a hand up instead of a hand out. The hiring of mostly college kids who don't show up, don't care about quality or standards or quit in the spring cheapens our brand and brings down our reputation.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

I didn't know Denny Post personally, but why we hired a former Burger King executive to launch our health and welness platform is kinda beyond me...

She was behind the creation of the "Stacker Quad" at Burger King, which hosted 4 burger patties in one single sandwich. It had as much saturated fat as 3 Big Macs. It had over 1.5 times the daily recommended amount of fat intake, IN ONE SANDWICH.

Here is an article who quoted some interesting thoughts fro Ms. Post:

Denny Marie Post, at Burger King, concedes that the fast-food industry vastly overestimated the appeal of healthier product lines. "Healthy eating is more a state of intention than it is of action," she says now..."There is a very small percentage who line up their behavior with their intentions. And then there's a large percentage, and I am one, who wake up every morning saying, 'I'm going to be better today,' and when it comes down to it and you're hungry and ready to eat ... then things are different."

Maybe her personal lack of buy-in around health and wellness led to her resigning?

[P.R.I.D.E.]

I just read on another site that Denny Post was also hired by ex-CEO Jim Donald, and that she and Howard did not get along...

[sample cup]

Mr. Schultz! Hola!

[xyz]

Denny Post loved feeding the people. Until they either have high cholesterol or a heart condition.

She knows how to make cash in the food service industry. Just load it up with sugar, salt or fat and you're set.

She'll have you loving the new Two-Pound Hamburger Patty Frappuccino in no time. It'll be like a fat girl loving her cake... so easy to attract the fatties in to the store that'll part with their cash.

[Melody]

Isn't Denny Marie Post also responsible for changing the standard milk to 2% ?

This is an interesting page:
http://investor.starbucks.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99518&p=irol-govManage

^ That's a lot of management and executive salaries. Though, probably that's all very normal for huge billion dollar corporation, to be fair.