Weekend OPEN THREAD: Let the fun begin (again)!

Don't worry about going off-topic and having your comment deleted; everything Starbucks-related is allowed on the weekend open thread. Discuss drinks, store drama...or whatever. || Jump to the fifth page of comments

Comments

[Baby, Bye, Bybe]

Most stores in my area are told they have to separate at least 5-8 partners from the stores.

[We stand for something!]

"We are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
We are alone under this sun
We work to fix the work that you've undone

When cries for help go unanswered
And signal fires just burn and burn
We wonder if we're waiting here for nothing
Cuz our lips are sewn our ears are filled
With the constant drone of the unfulfilled
But we'll never fall if we stand for something
We stand for something"

Long Forgotten Sons, Rise Against

[just wondering]

Does anyone have any idea how many of the original 600 store closures have already been closed? They are supposedly all due to close by the end of next month but I think there's a lot left without notice. Just wondering?

[just curious]

Two questions for partners?
1> How many of you feel the need to take a shower after your shift.
2> How many of you wear the same clothes(multiple days) to work before you wash them.

To non-partners the 2nd question may seem gross but in reality after only 30 min. you cant tell clean clothes from previous days clothes.

Just curious

[just smells like coffee]

i where the same clothes esp. pants

[FiredInMarch]

Is optimal scheduling still being enforced in March?

If so, when will my last day be? (i can only work weekends, and only available 6hrs each day for a total of 12hrs.)

:(

[Hayley]

Open thread question - Do any Starbucks keep some of the older gift card designs in the store? I assume not every gift card design sells out, so what happens to them...do they have to be sent back? I ask because I was going to load my normal monthly amount on a gift card today but I there were a couple of old designs that I wish I had. Should I bother asking the barista if they have any older designs on hand that are not displayed?

[Georgia Latte]

Last I heard about store closures there were 300 something done (Jan of this year). I had also heard that some of the landlords are making it very hard for SBX to close at certain locations. Not exactly sure where that has led to this point as far as actual ones.

As for optimal scheduling, managers should have already had discussions with partners and seperated those that don't meet the qualifications of it. I do know however that RMs get reports showing partners that aren't meeting the hours requirements, so if you haven't been spoken to yet about it; perhaps you will be ok? I dunno.

The clothing comment is funny. I wear the same pants a few times (unless I spill something on them). Shirts, generally only once or twice.

[Boston Boy]

Anybody hear of any stores in Maine that will be severing partners or possibly closing?

[Grasshopper]

To FiredinMarch

You could be let go at any moment. DM's in SouthEast have already ordered SMs to terminate any and all partners working less than 12 hours per week. Deadline for compliance was Feb 1.

[Mike]

Lots of love going out to all of my partners at store 7719 in Iselin, NJ for helping us to an 88% Ecosure audit score earlier today. It wouldn't have been possible without your hard work and effort!!

[FiredInMarch]

Grasshopper

thx. Feb 1 was the deadline for southEach region?! whatever happened to March?

I'm in the DC metro area.

[vicky verona]

isn't the company standard for the qasa assessment (no longer called ecosure) to pass with a 90%?

[Mike]

90 is target...80 is passing (to avoid re-audit)...I'm in a store that runs 90% of the time with two partners...so yeah, we'll take the 88 thank you very much...

[lattegal]

wow...what a way to rain on someone's parade..."isn't it standard to pass with a 90%". Perhaps but an 88% is fantastic on a qasa audit. Way to go Mike and team! You should be very proud of your score.

[H frank]

My Dm is sadistic. She has so many complaints filed against her but our PR manager here in AZ is worried about her turnover so she lets all of us SUFFER. Starbucks is no longer the ethical place to work it once was.

Business compliance-HA HA HA

[snagger]

Drove through central and northern British Columbia a few months ago--what's with Tim Hortons,they're literally packed; the drive thru's were out to the street. The coffee was sort of institutional, employees add cream and sweetener; as a third place everyone of all ages was there.Is something being given away that I didn't get?

[J-Time]

I got jipped on my guaranteed bonus today, and I am pretty pissed off about it, and still waiting for answers!!!!

[Darleen]

I agree lattegal, CONGRATULATIONS MIKE!!! With only two partners on the floor all the time you should be very proud of your team, make sure you do something special to keep the morale up so that on your next one you will get a 90 for sure!

[Chicago Loop Barista]

ha i'm at a five day store and i wear my pants all week unless i spill something on them. and i wear one or two shirts a week. but we keep our store FREEZING so i don't sweat very much

To Chicago stores:

What do you guys think of the VIA displays that got shipped today? Ugly, and huge! A giant cardboard X with cutouts of people standing behind it? I work in a high volume store that is smaller than my 1 bedroom apartment, and we seriously do NOT have the room for this mess. I have to say I am really disappointed in this decision to have InstaBrew... chantico, frappucino juice blends, blueberries and creme frappucino, vivano, oatmeal and instabrew... maybe there should be a thread of starbucks' failed promotions, and discontinued beverages (mocha valencia)

[Will]

A thread of failed promotions? Does Jim have enough bandwidth?

[Will]

I posted this earlier, but I'll pose it again? Why doesn't starbucks update the vanilla bean packaging to reflect the size of the container that they sent out over 2 years ago? How wasteful is it in your stores on average? Seems like a lot of Vanilla Bean powder ends up on the counter. How dumb is it that we can't even get packaging right?

[CLBarista]

I'm glad we wear aprons at work, because I always manage to get all kinds of stuff all over ME and all over my apron, but never on my clothes. So I wear my clothes several times before I wash them. Also, I tend to get whipped cream in my hair, chai and milk on my arms, so I definitely shower after work. I work early early in the morning, so I take showers at night so I'm reasonably clean for my shift. I think taking a shower right before my shift is a wasted shower.

One thing I'll share with you guys that we do to keep the morale up at my store is that we've started a "Partner Communication Log." In it, any partner can write notes to all the other partners. Usually we will write shout-outs to others, praise people for going above and beyond, or let people know of a new policy or procedure. Since we've started doing this, our unity among partners has gone way up, and people seem to be more aware of the things that are going on. Just a suggestion...you guys might find that this can be a good thing for your stores if you don't already have something like it.

[Insert Name Here]

To whomever asked: about 450 stores have been closed since July '08, another 50 or so scheduled to close in March; no word yet on the next group of ~300 stores on the list. So... yeah, still some coming...

[Bouncing Barista]

With the new store manager performance review though...88% isn't enough. The goal is 90% and last year I got an 89.9% and I still was in trouble...and that was before the new performance review...

I don't know about the rest of the company, but our area as to have a SM/DM/RD/RVP meeting if we don't meet QASA goal.... FOR REAL!

I think 88% is great...but Starbucks doesn't think it is good enough....

[Eric]

Loss Of A Great Assistant Manager.

So Wednesday was the last day of my assistant manager at Sbux. I am highly pissed and feel betrayed by Starbucks. I totally understand that these layoffs are because Starbucks is in the economic downturn, but the thing I feel betrayed about is that they fired my assistant manager then decided to transfer one to our store. The logic behind this is retarded since there was a store manager position availible that he was going to get in March. gahhh. Sorry, just ranting.

-Eric

[Clean Simple]

I just want to rave about the Starbucks at 7750 NE Bothell Way in Kenmore, WA. Partners are super-friendly. On a previous visit, I asked for a suggestion--didn't want my usual black coffee. The partner made a suggestion that was delicious. Love this store.

[Like IT Fresh]

Starbucks is moving away from fresh, locally made baked goods to freeze and thaw products all over the US. This will have a devastating effect on bakers around the country that have baked goods for Starbucks for as long as 20 years and will dramatically reduce the quality of the food in the stores. There is an idea recently posted on Starbucks My Idea site, that talks about the decision for Starbucks to switch to national frozen, instead of local fresh.

Please vote on this idea. We want LOCAL!!!

Thanks for voting!!

http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaView?id=087500000005HwgAAE

Please pass this on to everyone you know and ask them to vote, too!

[I love the ladies]

just wanted to let everybody know that our Howard will be in the loop on tuesday and at 202 north michigan ave store.

[axdsm]

OK I'm confused because I just lost my job for not meeting the 90% standard on EcoSure...

[K-Dog]

H frank said:
My Dm is sadistic. She has so many complaints filed against her but our PR manager here in AZ is worried about her turnover so she lets all of us SUFFER. Starbucks is no longer the ethical place to work it once was.

Are your dm's initials CR by any chance?

[Swooshman23]

Standards vary from region to region but I assure you the company standard is NOT 90%. Your DM, RD, or RVP may have set that standard but 80% is the standard. I find it hard to believe that anyone would be all of a sudden let go for a Eco-sure score under 90% unless that person had prior documentation or it was WAY below 90%.

[Melody]

@Like IT Fresh - Years ago, I remember seeing the Schwartz Brothers Bakery vans coming and going from Starbucks so I assumed that at least at that time, Schwartz Brothers provided the bakery items to Starbucks. They were a pretty esteemed Seattle baking/restaurant business. I haven't seen one of those Schwartz Bros. vans at a Starbucks in years. How long have they been out of the Starbucks game? (I'm just assuming that they are ...)

I don't really understand how they supply so many bakery items now? How is it possible that I can get the same thing at so many locations? It seems like a logistical nightmare. In any event, I will go vote on your MSI thread simply because the thought of frozen & thawed pastries sounds so unappealing and low quality, and I oppose pretty much everything that Starbucks does that makes them seem more fast-foodish.

On the topic of MSI, it's been quiet lately. No new idea threads for about a day and a half. @Like IT Fresh: Please vote to make Starbucks back into a coffee house!

http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaView?id=087500000005G0GAAU

Call me crazy, but I think brewed coffee sales (and perhaps bean sales too) would go up if people were still hit with the smell of coffee when they walk into a Starbucks. At my favorite Starbucks brewed coffee accounts for about 13% (roughly) of sales, so I hear ...?? Sounds like not very much. :(

[Blaze]

How many partners feel like they are being taken advantage of at work by the company? How many Full-time Baristas are getting their 40/hr week scheduales consistently? How many Baristas are making liveable wages in the city's they work in? If the issues are not being met then its time to join together as one and Unionise. Check out www.starbucksunion.org Together we can overcome, United we stand, Solidarity...

[Like It Fresh]

@ Melody

Schwartz Bros. is still baking for Starbucks in the WA and OR area, but are part of this recent move. They have been a great partner for Starbucks for almost 20 years.

[TestMarketForLaptops]

So here is something to think about: When all stores get the rollout of laptop computers.... store managers can successfully run 2 stores from one place and spend about 20 hours in each store a week. This is why many of you are doing leadership assesments. Got to make your shifts stronger because you won't be there all of the time. What do you think about that?

[Bouncing Barista]

@Swooshman23

For serious. 90%. That is what my performance review goal says. AND for real, if my store achieves below that, I have to meet with my DM, RD and RVP.

I just want to point out that the new SM performance review sucks crap for SMs taking over shitty stores after other shitty SMs. Because you know turn around time and achieving goals is damn near impossible...but what do I know...it isn't like I turn around stores all the time (10th store...cough)

[JOBNOW]

Advice to all partners:

GET THE HECK OUT OF STARBUCKS ASAP AND FIND ANOTHER JOB!

[expired shot]

Can I get clarification on the frozen pastry thing. I am trying to picture cost associated with installing freezers, and making enough room for freezers in existing stores. How often are frozen pastries delivered? Some stores may have the space for this transition, but I picture this to be very difficult for many locations. I think it is sad that we are moving in this direction if it is true.

[Blaze]

How are you going to run two stores when you can't even run one...your a joke Cough

[Me]

Jobnow, that's easier said than done. But I keep looking.

[mn]

Jobnow,

Starbucks basically has most managers by the balls, since the job market is very crappy unless you are looking to make $10/hr.

[TestMarketForLaptops]

Blaze.....I am sure that there is a store manager who for a little extra dough would be more than happy to do the task of running 2 stores. Overall it would save Starbucks money...think about it (1 manager salary cut out and shifts taking the place= huge savings). Just think about the possibility....I have word that its coming down the line.....just sayin.

[expired shot]

MN-the job market stinks even if you are looking for 10/hr. You are right though. Mgrs are economically tied to taking what gets thrown at them, in the same way that baristas and shifts are tied down into taking what gets thrown at them. I feel that every time I open my mouth I commit job suicide. The thought of managing 2 stores scares me, but the thought of managing none scares me more.

[Court]

justcurious--

Oh, I, as I'm sure everyone else does, gets mocha, chai, syrups, bases, and milks splashes on arms and faces constantly during the day. The first thing when getting home after a shift is to take the hottest showers ever.

...yet, I will wear the same pants a few days in a row but rotate aprons like every other day.

[SS]

In my area all stores receive frozen pastries. We get a truck with our pastries and sandwiches thrice weekly. It's not as good as baking them ourselves in-store (which I did at a previous coffee shop -- the smell of baking muffins each morning was amazing), but I don't feel that there's anything wrong with the quality of most of our items.

[cactusmush]

Snagger: Agree about Tim Hortons. “Tims” leads the pack in cynical Fast food. They’ll put anything in their food or drink to hook the public. The cream they use in the coffee is the heaviest grade cream possible in coffee – to load up the fat content in the product. They have this drink called “iced capp” out of a machine because it’s not really a cappuccino just like McD’s has something called “cones” because it is not really ice cream.

Expired: Frozen pastries. I concur that this initiative will stiff the local or regional bakers. As a consumer I gave up on Sbux pastries years ago. In Canada the pastries are loaded with chems - some worse than others. I cannot comment on the U.S. Sbux's other than noting that the Cinnamon Buns served in the Sbux, Golden Nugget, Vegas...are the size of a hubcap. (What is fun about the Golden Nuggest Sbux is that it is right in the Casino and one could get a coffee then walk over to the bar and get a shot of Baileys in it...and voila a Sbux Irish Coffee...

Back to Toronto Sbux pastries. After some research I found that the low-fat chocolate cake/brownie is not so bad with chemicals so I have one about once a week as a treat.

Sbux Canada online nutritional info was once a loadable PDF table with all products listed on the same pages by Calories, Fat, and TransFats etc. They have changed it so that it is now a single product drill down wherein you have to click into each item to view its nutritional information then back up and click into another item ands so on – making comparison all but impossible without taking notes with pen and paper. Not saying this was deliberate by Sbux but it is a step backwards in consumer accessibility and comparison of nutritional info for the products.

[cactusmush]

I hasten to add that a "true" Irish Coffee is Coffee and Whiskey...

[Like It Fresh]

@ expired shot

Here is how I understand it. In stores that now receive baked goods fresh every day. The frozen food will stored in centralized distribution facilities, thawed and sent to store every day. No freezers in stores, just frozen thawed food instead of freshly baked.

[Ricardo McJiggis]

I wear my clothes for at least a week. After a while everyone looks about the same. Plus, with all the coffee smells you cant smell the B.O.