OPEN THREAD: Store closings, dismal stock performance, rewards cards....so much to discuss

So chat away. Anything Starbucks-related is up for discussion in the Open Thread.

Comments

[Can't Say]

Has anyone tried the Vivanno drinks yet? We did at our store, and the overwhelming majority opinion was that they aren't very good. The mango one was passable, but the mocha one was just awful. Very chalky. These are the drinks that are supposed to save our company? Ecchh. Anyone else try them?

[justsomebody]

Anybody heard yet today?

[SAAbbott]

HarborWalk Starbucks is closing!!!!! My heart is broken .. they are not just closing a store but closing the last place where neighbors can meet for a cup of coffee at 7am!

[LEGENDARY OR BUST]

I really really really like the Orange Mango Banana Vivanno. My personal recipe? I don't add milk but do the juice puree to the second line in the blender. I also add extra protein and I also blend everything together just once (including ice and banana). I simply push the number 2 button twice. Oh, and I add an energy packet too.

[Westside Barista]

Can't Say: I agree with you. Our DM was in today and she said the Orange Mango Banana tasted like cough syrup. I think its all the protein powder that goes in there...

And on a sadder note, store #10420 in Charlotte NC (Wilkinson Blvd, UCO) will be closing sometime before March 09.

=(

[WIbarista]

Neither of them are very good in my opinion. Very chalky. But then, I also don't like banana so I'm a tiny bit biased.

Also, any thoughts on discontinuing the decaf frappuccino base? I think its a bad move, I know at least a quarter of my regular customers drink the decaf, and would stop coming to starbucks if they couldn't get decaf. I suppose we could do the whole cream base + decaf shot, but really.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP WEBMASTER]

When you post store closings, please mention what city it's in. This is the *world* wide web, and we have no idea where the "Oak Street Starbucks" is or "HarborWalk Starbucks" is.

[Railguy]

Walked into my local Sbux this morning (just outside Montreal) and who is sitting there with a few other guys?....Howard.

[james]

I finally gave up on Starbucks months ago. Bought a Green Mountain K-cup machine which makes killer coffee. Last weekend I stopped by a Starbucks for grande Verona. It was the absolute WORST cup of coffee I have ever had. And I thought that Park Place Blend was bad. It's so fascinating...yet sad...to see this company in total free fall. You truly cannot get a good cup of coffee at this place anymore.

[StarbucksBarista]

The Vivanno drinks aren't that good, it tastes like something is missing...Sorbetto is way better.

[JT]

Sad to hear the protein drinks are not that good. They tested some version of protein drinks here on Mercer Island last summer (choc/banana and strawberry/banana). Real fruit, prtein powder, and base. Those were VERY good. It is a shame they did not run with those.

[West Seattle Blog]

We posted a closure report this morning - click our name for the direct link. We got a report from a very reliable source, and it also has turned up on the Seattle Times' map. This store has been open less than a year.

[vivannoorbust]

According to my DM, everything rides on vivanno. If your store is on the closing list and you want to keep your job, you better sell the hell out of vivanno...or else. If your store isn't on the closing list and you want to keep your job, rather than lose it to a manager who's store is closing, you better sell the hell out of vivanno. Performance manage is the name of the game, regardless of tenure or operational ability, no one should be thinking they are safe in their positions right now. Starbucks is cleaning house!

[sbuxlifer]

Vivanno-- it's the new Chantico! Anything that has its own special cup is not a good idea. The texture is weird, simulataneously frothy and viscous. I came up with three drinks that were better using the orange/mango concentrate, in only a few minutes. I know R&D is difficult, but I haven't been impressed by anything new in a long time. Whatever happened to "back to basics"? The only dubious benefits from this are lots of jokes about banana handling and "transparently nutritious".

[trashafterdark]

I know it is policy to NOT take out the trash after it gets dark. Just wondering how many other partners HAVE to take out the trash at night. With the cost of everything going higher I believe the chances of being robbed will go up now. It worries me every time we have to open that back door to take out the trash. Who knows who is waiting for us to open it. It was brought up to management in the past and they were more concerned about pests getting into the trash bags over night more than our safety... sad.

[bichywon]

I think the vivanno drinks are pretty good... without the protien powder. And Starbucks is not riding on Vivanno, that's just plain silly. Wanna save your store? Sell the hell outta some whole beans (big profit margin), don't make 30 partner beverages on your shift just to leave them sitting around, don't give away free drinks... and do sample the hell outta Vivanno

[hearbutloud]

The Vivanno is another moment where Starbucks is choosing to give in to the demand of a niche market at the expense of its already established "expertise": coffee.

Our customers are already aggravated by the increased delays in service. First, we rinse shot glasses between every set of shots - the rinsing renders the machine useless during the rinse cycle as it will not steam milk or pull shots during the rinse cycle. Then, the re-tooling of the machines increases ideal shot time to 15-18 seconds.

We then switched to half-hour hold time, so now coffee is "still brewing" at least ten minutes out of every hour instead of five minutes. Frappuccino season always sees an increased delay in service because of the time Frappuccinos take to build, blend, and top. Now, we are adding an even more labor intensive drink to our lineup - one that has absolutely nothing to do with coffee.

I've tasted the Vivanno and will admit that I like it and look forward to having it as a partner beverage during breaks - a much healthier snack than my favorite pastries.

However, I feel that the Vivanno will ultimately pull Starbucks away from its core of coffee, and if it is really popular, we will lose a significant number of our core coffee drinkers who will have lost patience with the gimmicks and just want coffee within a reasonable amount of time.

And before my head explodes....

[dmanagerla(former)]

trashafterdark,
that is exactly why Starbucks has a code of conduct hotline. call today. have someone in your family call if you are worried about being identified. it can be anonymous.

totally out of line, your manager.

[neevan]

Hearbutloud: We don't have to rinse shot glasses in between each shot. As long as we do it once every 10 minutes and we sanitize the shot glasses every two hours, we're golden, according to an update last month.

[strbuckscustomer]

I am a customer.

Please describe the Vivano to me. Isn't it just a same smoothie type drink that Starbucks have every summer? What is the difference between Vivano and the smoothie that Starbucks sells every summer?

Also, I was thinking about going to try a Vivano on July 15. But should I wait a few days after July 15 for the barristas to get a few days of practice in before I try one?

[Redd]

I don't think Vivanno is supposed to save the company...just our waistlines! haha... :o) And it's not going to deter our regular coffee drinkers! They will still want their coffee no matter what! And last time I checked, rinsing shot glasses doesn't take as long as pulling shots...and when we're busy we just wait until the end of the rush to rinse. I was told that it's understandable to pull shots for several drinks in a row before rinsing...plus, you can hit that rinse button before you start pouring milk...

I don't think they're that bad...they just aren't as sweet as what we are all used to. Luckily, I don't have a very big sweet tooth lately! They won't be bigger sellers than the frappuccinos, but they have their place.

As for taking out the trash after dark...isn't it ok as long as two partners go together? We leave it in the back until close and either lock the store, take it out, then come back and finish closing or just wait until we're completely done and take it out on the way to our cars. How many Starbucks have been robbed after dark? That's a serious question b/c many policies are made for a reason...I think we have a bigger risk of pests getting into the trash and the stores than we do of getting robbed...maybe it's my optimistic view of the world and my constant store cleanliness concern coming in conflict!

[learnedthehardway]

just some advice if calling the conduct line and choose to be anonymous, they ask for your contact phone # and then forward the conversation to your district manager then sm, so being "anonymous" isn't really so, managers know exactly who it was when they see your phone #

[anon]

Can you guys recommend me a Starbucks message board/forum?
I have few questions but it would innapropriate to ask it here since it is not a forum.

[Anony]

I have a question about the Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice... The name suggests that there are two shots of espresso in each drink. Is this true regardless of size? Compared to a Tall, does a Venti merely add more milk and classic syrup?

[outsidehiremanagerssuck]

trashafterdark:
I had a shockingly similar problem with my manager. (I'll bet yours is new to the company too). Anyways, on the portal, there is a relatively new document that outlines some of our safety and security policies. I printed it out and left it on his desk after repeated warnings that this was forbidden were ignored. The requests have disappeared.

[dharmacup]

Howdy!

If anybody is familiar with smoothie making, a WHOLE banana in a 16oz drink is going to make it very frothy, like adding espresso shots to a Frap. I would recommend try blending a Vivanno with half the amount of banana and see if that helps.

Also, bananas are usually only good for a smoothie type drink if they are at a certain age. Too green and you get a very nasty drink. Too ripe and it tastes spoiled and flat. They have a narrow preparation window.

The protein powder should also be reduced to avoid that chalky aftertaste. Special attention should be taken when adding the powder. Again, too much and you have a bad tasting drink.

Who did the R&D on this drink?! They certainly dropped the ball on this offering. I had a bad feeling it's not going to do well but only time will tell.

Best of luck to you all!

[Randy]

store numbers mean nothing.

what, do we all have some handy little chart that coincides with every friggen store number???

[screwhoward]

oops...sorry! Its a dt in ocala, fl

[Committed Coffee Master]

I dunno... all this talk about slower speeds.... If you have proper deployment and baristas who are focused its all gravy. Guys we work a VERY SIMPLE job!

And you shouldn't hate on something that is meant to offer customers what they want. I have so many people say I don't like coffee and leave or order nothing! Now we can bring in a few hundred more dollars a day instead of sending them next door to Jamba Juice!

Its all the haters of new things or change that are making my stock 15 dollars. Come on guys...

We're bottom of the barrel and HIGHLY replaceable. So lets just embrace and celebrate everything... like your paycheck depends on it.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP WEBMASTER]

I just deleted the post that informed us that Store #1E34ZF475ZZ (or whatever) is closing.

If you're going to report a store closing, GIVE US THE CITY, THE STATE AND THE STREET (OR ADDRESS). Don't tell us that "the Maple St. Starbucks is closing" in some undisclosed city.

[screwhoward]

oops! sorry. Its a DT in Ocala, Fl

[LAStorePartner]

Vivannno will fail. It will disappear after the summer. Just in time for Oatmeal!

[AG]

@strbuckscustomer

I'm a former partner, so I can't speak to how the new drink tastes, but I don't think you need to wait for the partners to train on it. In fact, the first few days a drink is out is often when all partners know the recipe and procedure the best. Over time, some try to find shortcuts and whatnot.

I think you're safe to try it. Or grab a sample and see what you think first.

[Yo]

Doubleshot question:

There are 2,3,5 shots in the "doubleshot. (Tall, Grande, Venti) So the venti is a good deal.

[catherine]

redd: If everyone is on the ball and works in advance, there is no reason wait times have to slow because quality standards have been upped. It's laughable for you to harp on 15-18 second espresso shots when nearly every other cafe I've been to, whether they had manual or automatic espresso machines, had shot times upwards of 20 seconds. Espresso shot times are not slowing you down. You not being prepared or organized slows you down.

[AliCat]

Can't say -

I didn't like Vivannos at all either. Bleck. Then again, I don't like Bananas, but it was the chalkiness that got me - not the banana flavor. I was hoping I'd at least be able to appreciate them, but not so much.

[brrristagurl]

@starbuckscustomer:

There are two different Viviano beverages. The first is an Orange Mango smoothie made with a whole banana, protein/fiber powder, and milk. The second one is a banana chocolate smoothie with the same additions as the first one. I think that the Vivianos will be a new alternative to our "Indulgent" offerings, however, should not be confused or compared to a Frappuccino. They are two completely different things.

[blindsided]

I hate the Vivano, the mango is gross, and the chocolate is even worse.

However, I do like the protein and fiber powder. It's basic whey, so I just toss a scoop into a blender, add some whole milk, a little bit of ice, and some vanilla syrup. Protein shake!

[whoschrish]

My store is closing. Just heard yesterday. I don't quite understand the complete reasoning either...the store wasn't operating at a loss....there even closing 3 other stores in Mississippi that make hand-over-fist in profit. The only ones left open are in areas that are dying. Not many Starbucks left in Mississippi. Just the licensed stores scattered here and there

[Westcoast Barista]

Just remember kids, when you're describing the "whatchamacallit" Vivano drink, you are forbidden to liken it to either a Frappuccino or a smoothie...because it's made from a rare, multi tenticle, high fiber, hybrid fruit that no longer exists ;)

But seriously, have any of you watched the training/marketing video that was produced by corporate. Under the "Banana Handling" section, you'd think that someone other than those directly involved in the production of the video would've edited certain parts prior to releasing it chain wide. All in all, I feel stupider for just watching the video as a whole.

And because of the pretentiousness associated with the new Gold Cards, I was thinking about introducing a limited edition Platinum card that would entitle customers selected at my discretion only to receive special surprise benefits. After all, why should every customer be treated equal? That's just crazy talk!

[lamejane]

today we learned that our store is closing. we are the newest store in the area--we opened in february of this year. we were absolutely devastated. our manager and the ones of us that were there cried together. i don't think that i would have done that at any other previous job. the people i work with have been the same since we opened [with two people leaving because of personal concerns, not getting fired or quitting, and only one hire]. we are as close as a family. we all hang out outside of work and are more friends than coworkers. i am just more disappointed than upset right now because, from what i hear from our district manager, they reviewed our area and based everything solely on numbers, not taking into regard leasing time, turnover rate, etc. there is another store in our area that has been open two years longer than us and only profits five hundred more dollars a week. we have steadily been getting busier and we have a fantastic location right off of the interstate. i just don't understand why they're getting rid of such a new, new store with high hopes for good business. did this happen to anyone else?

[Christin]

DHARMACUP I hope you don't plan on making customer's drinks with half the banana and less protein just because that's how you like it. We have standards to follow and nutritional value information to live up to.

I, on the other hand, LOVE the Vivannos. I have drank one every morning for the last 4 days before starting my shift!

[strbuckscstmr]

brrristagurl,

I don't mean frappucino.
I am talking about somekind of blended fruit drink Starbucks had last summer. I forgot what it was.

Is Vivano just another bleded fruit drink like last summer or is it completely differnt type of product?

Also, can you order it without the protein? Will that be an option availabel to customers?

I am on a Starbucks craving this week.

Thanks.

[COMMITEDCOFFEEMASTER]

STRBUCKSCSTMR,

Its a pure fruit juice product. With Banana. You could get it without the powder. It is unlike the Blueberries and Creme and its forefather the Bananas and Creme since it is all fruit

At only 250 calories its only sold in 16oz

[StLouieDrip]

The much loved Lockwood & Rock Hill in Webster Groves (St. Louis, MO), is closing, date TBA.
:-(

[beefy]

easy come easy go c-ya starbucks

[Richard]

I made the Vivanno for the first time today and I absolutely LOVED it. It wasn't chalky at all and had a lovely texture and flavor. The aftertaste was a little bit like the banana antibiotic I got as a child for ear aches... but I loved that stuff, so it's cool.

To everyone that thought the after taste was chalky; Did you use Stage 7 bananas? Stage 5 and 6 bananas have to much starch in them and might make the drink too chalky or starchy...

I also learned about banana stages today. Awesome.

[dharmacup]

CRISTIN-

Well, I figured that they were trying to reach a certain nutritional content by including a whole banana and an good amount of protein powder. I will make it to specification, like I do all my beverages but I can make recommendations to customers on how to tweak the product for a better taste.

We do this all the time. For example, an exchange between myself and a regular might sound something like this:

"Hey I had my Blended Lemonade with our Juicy Raspberry syrup and I really liked it, would you like to try it made that way?"

If they say yes, drink sold. No big deal.We modify just about every drink there is on the menu. This is going to be NO different.

And please, don't give me any lectures about sticking to the company drink recipes just to meet nutritional content. We serve up some pretty nasty high fructose corn syrup laden drinks and pastries that really aren't very good for you but I had them out as ordered and to the customer's specifications.

Drink a little less company Kool-Aid and take the Green Apron off once and awhile. :)

[Westcoast Barista]

"Drink a little less company Kool-Aid and take the Green Apron off once and awhile. :)"

I think that applies to a solid 90% the corporate structure. Not to mention that referring to bannana ripness in "stages" really frightens me as well. Because we all know that we all have soooo much time to measure each and every bannana to it exact stage of ripeness...not to mention the vast amounts of free space we have in our back rooms/pastry shelves to store the things...

[Pat Nerr]

You know what's really good... Drip coffee... Is there any chance that Starbucks will bring that back this Fall?

...and by "Fall" I mean the season, not the state of Starbucks business...