Starbucks memo says the next Seattle "stealth" store will be called Roy Street Coffee & Tea

A memo from Starbucks global development chief Arthur Rubinfeld says that "the global attention and buzz surrounding the opening of 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea [Starbucks' first "stealth" store] is truly a reflection of Starbucks iconic cultural significance. It's also a reminder that we need to be very clear with out intentions." OK, let's start out by explaining the need for these stores. And why is the bar higher -- nicer decor, etc. -- for these outlets than it is for regular stores? || Read "Internal memo details Starbucks' Broadway plans"

Comments

[Bearded Barista]

Well, it's easy to explain why these stores are nicer then regular stores, they are concept stores. Like concept cars, which cost insane amount of money, they are about finding out what works, and what people like and then taking those concepts and putting them in your new product lines. It would be awesome though if they spent that much attention on regular stores, if cost prohibitive.

[Confused]

What a funny company. How about we spend some money on existing store repairs instead of being told for the past 6 months that no repairs will be approved! Gotta save money to make us look profitable and apparently, open "real" coffee houses!

What a joke!

One question, who the hell is in charge around here?!?!?!?

[jason]

Has anyone heard of the FREE avett brothers concert at the corporate offices on friday the 28th ..anyone going? I Will see you there ........

[jabanga]

i find it kind of strange that a company opens stores that are "inspired" by itself. kind of like if say the black-eyed peas put out an album under another name and put on the cd cover and marketing material "inspired by the black-eyed peas". huh?

[Confused]

Starbucks has officially 'Jumped the shark'!

[SMoftheWest]

confused...nice :)

i am curious what the dress code is for these "cool" stores that are soo inspired by starbucks. i'm wondering if they are going to allow visible tattoos and piercings...since these things are totally outside the realm of possibility for ssc to allow. it's funny to me...laughable. here we are, trying our best to make the homogenized stores we work in somewhat unique (despite uniformity trumping diversity every time) and starbucks has the gaul to tell us that these "hip and cool" stores are somehow inspired by themselves? the new store is beautiful...i love the design...but i doubt they care that they make their normal "product" look lame in the process.

[Confused]

SMoftheWest-

Agree totally. Over here it's Siren's Eye...5 values walks a day(and you better make them mind-blowingly good)...focus on all policies....QASA QASA QASA..."gold standard certifications"...

But out in Seattle, they get to play Cafe! I want in!!!!

[Stealth Starbucks]

I'm trying to understand why Starbucks is creating these stores from a business perspective. It seems like kind of a wasteful experiment. Why not just make the existing stores better?

The 15th Ave. store makes you wonder what management is thinking, because rest assured, they won’t make a dent in the indie coffee market.

[Melody]

@StealthStarbucks - I found your twitter profile and discovered that you're in northern California. Have you gotten a chance to visit 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea yet? I know people are making trip from afar to see the store - The last cupping I went to had a group of 4 or 5 baristas who all road-tripped together from Vancouver BC just to see the store.

I had hoped that the new concept stores would be a place for reinvigoration of coffee emphasis. Now, here we are 6 months after the opening of First & Pike, and I feel a sense of disappointment about where all this is going, though I don't know that I can really articulate this well.

It's like as if as the next store gets opened, the previous one becomes a little more neglected. The extra labor gets cut away. Sampling coffee becomes a rare thing. And some Starbucks stores that perhaps deserve some more TLC just don't get that from Starbucks.

The store at 1912 Pike Place hasn't had a whole bean sign since about February this year. If you're really about coffee, and not just selling tourist trinkets with an old brown band style logo, there has to be some more sensory clues in the store that it's a coffeehouse - be it visual, or tastings, or whatever. When was the last time HS and team strolled into 1912 Pike Place to experience their 'coffee heritage'?

On twitter, a couple of days ago, I was following a series of tweets from Barista_Alex (http://twitter.com/Barista_Alex) who had been involved in some sort of local latte art competition. Wouldn't it be cool if baristas from Starbucks were a part of that? But despite a great history, and a cool manual machine, 1912 Pike Place is primarily set up to sell trinkets.

At First & Pike, when the store opened, Frappuccinos were not on the menu, and there was a cool whole bean menu sign. Summer came and the whole bean menu was erased in favor of a Frappuccino menu. I was never alarmed because I saw that the store placed up an additional new chalk menu board, and replaced the whole bean menu there. Today, that's been erased, and the chalk menu board has a drawing of a pumpkin spice latte.

I love the store design of these new concept stores, but my fear is that as the next one opens, the leadership forgets the one before it, and it becomes just another Starbucks with tight labor, an emphasis on everything but coffee, but with a very pretty store design. Perhaps these new 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea and the new Roy Street Coffee stores will be different ... I hope so.

[SSC Drone]

The 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea is performing well below expectations. At least we have "global attention and buzz"!

Empty, feel good phrases simply cover poor decision making.

[Jim C]

The Roy Street store is going into a forever vacant storefront that The Essential Baking Company had orignally leased (owned by Arthur Rubinfeld). Again, using space for temporary stores while running the clock out on a lease. Foul!

[@usorthem3]

I have to wonder since they don't seem follow any @Sbux standards for dress code including tattoos and piercings and don't give employees their discount or even accept Sbux cards what kind of benefits ie, insurance/vacation they receive as a not Sbux company? Would a current employee be able to apply for a job there or is that not allowed? Is it just me or do these "new" stores seem to be distancing themselves from the company like the corporate stores are bastard children? I am with @Confused because they seem to get to play coffee shop while the others have to go "Lean" as possible.
Last question, do you think that at the end of the fiscal that a new list of stores closures will follow? Just a thought.

[Melody]

@usorthem3 -
The baristas at 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea were baristas at normal Starbucks who applied for jobs there (most anyways - a think a couple came in as total newbies). They were ordinary Starbucks baristas who made the right contacts, and applied for the job. I am under the impression it's more selective than a normal Starbucks. You could apply but you're not in Washington. That's a long commute. ;)

@SSC Drone - I've been in there once or twice and had the thought, 'it doesn't seem quite busy enough in here' but that doesn't mean anything in the big scheme of things. It still seems to be getting its footing in the neighborhood. It's picking up.

@Jim C - This is the site were talking about for the Roy Street Coffee place - http://twitpic.com/g7cau - I really can't remember what was in there before. But is this place you're thinking of that was owned by A. Rubinfeld?

[@usorthem3]

@Melody I wasn't thinking of me for the job but think of the air miles I could rack up. LOL I do have a couple of people I know that have recently moved to the Seattle area and wondered since one worked down here. You are so funny for a barrister.

[Staxman]

If I ever open an indie coffee shop, I sure won't call it [name of street it's on] Coffee and Tea!