Starbucks Gossip

Weekend OPEN THREAD: Ask your questions, or just speak your mind

Let's the get discussion going -- in a civil manner, of course. Anything Starbucks/coffee-related is up for discussion in the open thread. || Jump to the third page of comments.

Starbucks target of new-media campaign by union

An ambitious "Stop Starbucks" offensive includes a website (StopStarbucks.com) featuring a four-minute video assailing Starbucks' treatment of workers, and a petition demanding that CEO Howard Schultz “quit following Wal-Mart’s anti-union example." By week's end, almost 12,000 had signed the petition, and nearly 40,000 had viewed the video, organizers said. || Read "Starbucks target of new-media campaign by union"

Starbucks bomb was made from a plastic bottle and fireworks

The bomb that was set off outside a New York City Starbucks was homemade and crude - but still dangerous. "Had someone been walking by, this could have caused serious injury, if not death," says a cop. Read "Starbucks bomb homemade from plastic bottle and fireworks || Store was quickly reopened

"From the Comfy Chair": Juan is served coffee without a lid. What's with that? A Canada thing?

BY JUAN VALDEZ

We regret to inform you we are going to push back our visit to the Starbucks at 538 S. Virginia St in Reno, Nevada for another week or so. Over the weekend, someone mentioned in the comments section of Starbucks Gossip that Howard Schultz was going to be in Vancouver, BC this week. Almost immediately a light bulb flickered over my head and grew stronger as I considered the possibilities. I didn't really expect to be able to see him this week before the column was due but I did think I could go up there and scope out what he might see. So I did. As a result, I give you the Canadian version of "From The Comfy Chair."

The gal-pal and I hit four SBUX during our quick visit to the Vancouver area. In the interests of conserving space, I won't do a full report on each visit but touch on the highlights...or lowlights as it were. I do have some general comments which pretty much cover all four stores. 

First, we hit these stores in the late afternoon/evening.

Second, every store we visited was serving PPR.  As the mild coffee. Yes, you saw that correctly.  Every store was brewing Komodo Dragon or Verona as the bold coffee. In. The. Evening. This was Melody heaven if I ever saw one.

Finally, we ordered drip coffee at every stop. In every case, our coffee came without a lid. These were all to-go cups and we weren't asked if we wanted our drinks "for here"; we were just handed our drinks without lids. Is that a Canada thing? It seemed very strange. And dangerous. /CONTINUED IN THE FIRST COMMENT

A small bomb goes off outside a Starbucks store in New York City

The small improvised explosive device detonated outside the Starbucks at Third Ave. and E. 92nd St. in New York at 3:30 a.m. Monday, shattering the coffee shop's windows and raising fears of terrorism. || Read "Small bomb goes off outside Upper East Side Starbucks"
> The New York Post reports: A man who saw two teens running away right after the explosion says: "I believe it's just kids pissed off at Starbucks for selling coffee for $2."

Winter is sad that Starbucks is closing stores he has yet to visit

Winter, whose goal is to visit every Starbucks in the world (he's been to 9,000 so far), tells the Wall Street Journal that "if the store closed before I visited, I would lose another piece of my soul." He adds: "Even if you think that what I'm doing is meaningless, it is a purpose, at least." Lately, "I feel not just satisfaction, but genuine relief when I visit a store before it closes." || Read "A Fan Hits a Roadblock on Drive to See Every Starbucks"

Memorial Day weekend OPEN THREAD: Let the chatter begin!

The summer season has started! Talk about that, or anything else Starbucks/coffee-related in the OPEN THREAD.

My requests for Starbucks: Bring Clover to Chicago, and get off my iTunes if you're not going to implement the "What's Playing" feature

It's been more than a year since Starbucks bought Clover, and the so-called "small-batch coffee" is available in just four cities? It's starting to look more and more like Starbucks bought the outfit just to keep Clover machines out of independent coffee shops. AND.... Starbucks said that by the end of 2008, stores in most major cities would be "iTunes'd up." Hasn't happened (at least here in Chicago), and it looks like it never will. Thus, please remove your logo, etc. from my iTunes storefront. WHAT ARE YOUR REQUESTS FOR STARBUCKS?

"From the Comfy Chair": Juan pits Starbucks against McDonald's -- and declares a winner

BY "JUAN VALDEZ"

McDonald's
316 S Everett Mall Way
Everett, Wa.

Starbucks
515 S Everett Mall Way
Everett, Wa.

This week we take time out from the Juan Valdez "Beat Up On The Cowtown Starbucks World Tour” for a bit of fun. Given all the recent hoopla surrounding McDonald's renewed emphasis on their McCafe offerings (and a bit of urging from Jimbo, Starbucks Gossip founder and webmaster), I thought it might be instructive to do a comparison of competing coffee products from McDonald's and Starbucks. So I sunk my spurs into the burro's side, kicked him into overdrive and hightailed it back to the Seattle area because I knew just where to find the perfect candidates for this little brouhaha.

Here is a picture of me and the burro, on our way back to Seattle, moving as fast as the speed of light.  More or less.

Please welcome our contestants. In this corner, direct to you from Everett Mall Way in Everett, Wa., we have the challenger - MCDONALD'S!! And in the opposite corner, one block east and across the street, is the reigning champion – STARBUCKS!!!

Here's how this will work. I chose to rate each store on a scale of one to ten in the following areas:  overall cleanliness, service, drink quality, bathroom cleanliness (you knew that was coming, didnt you?) and speed of service. One is crummy, ten is awesome. Before we get to the ratings, I want to quickly describe my experience in each store and then we'll do the ratings thingy and declare a winner!

Let's start with McDonald's, shall we?

This particular McDonald's has gone through a complete remodel including all new furnishings, a television area for the kids and a full McCafe backdrop along the front counter between the front registers and the drive through. The McCafe package includes a warm, comforting brown color scheme and a separate menu.  The heart of the espresso (don't call it expresso or we'll kick your butt - I learned that on my first day of training) experience is a rather small espresso machine with futuristic bean hoppers sticking out of the top.

The restaurant was steady with five employees on the floor when I walked in during the morning. It was also as clean as a button; even on the outside. Not a cigarette butt or wrapper to be seen. It was a great first impression. The register person was polite and outgoing. /CONTINUED IN THE FIRST COMMENT

Starbucks says there's no TOFU purge directive

The previous post asked: "Is it possible that Starbucks has issued a TOFU (Too Old For Us) purge directive?" Deb Trevino of Starbucks corporate communications sent this brief response: "Unequivocally false."