Weekend OPEN THREAD: Discuss *anything* about Starbucks

Have something you want to get off your chest? A complaint about a customer or a barista? Or have a question about a Starbucks drink? Anything is open for discussion in the weekend OPEN THREAD. Let's get the chatter going! || Jump to the third page of comments.

Comments

[Alex]

I love the fact that Starbucks now offers a manual drip cone brewing method. It's what I use at home, and I think it makes for a fresher, more evenly extracted cup. However, the coffee/water ratio seems a bit off, to me. Bagged Starbucks coffee dictates that 2 tbs coffee should be used for 6 oz water. That is, for a tall, two scoops of coffee. However, the drip cone instructions say that three scoops -- six tbs coffee -- should be used for a tall. Why the difference in ratio?

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I hate making iced green tea lattes. Get the frappuccino!

[ADD or Bust!]

How about having fewer threads on this site so people can actually respond and share before the next topic is posted?

Simply dredging for anything "Starbucks" on Google News does not make it gossip worthy. I can hardly get a feeling for a topic before it's... "NEXT!!"

I think a few a week is plenty.

[North Star Barista]

I want Vienna Blend back...any others we miss greatly?

[I.Heart.Spirit]

I miss Kopelani. It was sooooooo good.

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

I had a soft spot for Rift Valley Blend...

Among MANY others :)

[SBUX4LIFE]

I second missing Kopelani Blend! It was the best coffee I've ever had iced! I was delicious! I even suggested on My Starbucks Idea to switch from Terraza to Kopelani for our everyday iced coffee but no luck. I'm sure it'd be to expensive anyway. If it comes back as a seasonal offering, I'm stock-piling that stuff though!

[Rich]

Hi Team,

Question from a customer who's trying to learn more about good espresso. When I go to indie coffee shops (which I greatly prefer to Starbucks,) they grind the beans for each drink, tamp it, then pull the shot. I see the big thing of beans on the top of the machine at Starbucks, so I assume it's being ground when they hit the button. So why is the taste infinitely better, more complex, at the indie shops? What factors am I missing besides that it's being done by hand?

Thanks!

R

[Ryan]

Starbucks Espresso Roast is charred to hell in the roasting process. You're drinking burnt espresso at Starbucks. That's why other stores espresso drinks taste better.

My favorite espresso comes from Cafe Strada in Berkeley. It has a light, sweet flavor to it and makes a great cappuccino.

[Doppio Conkarma]

Even though it only recently left us, Sulawesi Kalosi was super super tasty.
and Rich, part of it is the method, super automatic vs. manual, and part of it is the subject beans. Not hugely wild about *$'s espresso roast, but try requesting a ristretto shot when at a starbucks, they're markedly better.

[harmaa]

Some of us still have the older machines, which can't pull true ristrettos, btw. If you're going to request that, make sure you're at a store with a Mastrena.

[Melody]

I realize that I kind of miss Juan Valdez's column. I really wonder what he is up to now. :( Anyone else miss the Juan columns? Maybe they were just too frequent at the weekly pace of them.

And since this thread has at least slightly drifted to the topic of 'what's your favorite whole beans?' ... I still love Sanani. Great great coffee.

[Lilith]

I miss Rwanda blue bourbon. So flippin delicious. And the aroma of blueberries was intoxicating. Best coffee ever!

[Longo]

Is it typical for a barista to do the same task, such as B1, R2, DTR, for an entire 8-hour shift? I was under the impression that we are supposed to switch tasks to avoid repetitive motion injuries and the like PLUS it really gets boring!

Does anyone work at a store where you're doing the same task week after week? How do you cope with the tediousness? Sometimes I think that I'd be better off working on an assembly line - at least the pay would be better!

[Ryan]

Doppio,

The Sulawesi was truly delicious. Continuing the topic of great beans, try Pike Place Roast in an espresso machine. Shots of Pike are surprisingly good. I know we're all stressed to hell with no labor, but Starbucks does still have great coffee. I just wish we had the time to enjoy it.

[Doppio Conkarma]

Longo,
typically we'll rotate people between bar and register fairly regularly. Plus with all your side tasks, lobby slides and the like it's not like you're doing nothing but register for 8 hours.

[StateEmployee]

I am glad they have bold in the afternoon now. Pikes Place is not good.

[yukonluvr]

i absolutely loved burundi we had a few summers ago. i collected that stuff like it was going to be worth something one day. :)

[crema_the_crop]

WORST coffee ever = F. W. Tres Rios. Was is *supposed* to taste like something special, or just be something different?? Anybody even remember that one?

Or what about the disastrous "Espresso Regalo"? Ironically, the only way that crap tasted halfway decent was through the brewers, which is where it all ended up going anyway.

[baristamclane]

Longo,

I believe we are supposed to rotate every thirty minutes. I however have spent about 85% of the past four years on the DT window. The only way I weaseled out of being stuck in DT, was to transfer to a cafe store.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I just had the last of my Sulawesi. It was good. Finishing off my Anniversary Blend now.

[Coffee Solider]

I loved Bella Vista Tres Rios! I still have a bag hanging on the backwall of our backroom because I liked the look of the packaging!

I think we should start the April Fools thread early for ideas for everyone!

[Corvex Corvidae]

@ BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL

Use a tea shaker. Matcha scoops, some milk, shake. Easiest thing in the world, and you don't get half the clumping as you normally would. Well, clumping IN the cup, at least.

[uncle buck]

North Star barista - FYI, Vienna Blend is an after roast blend. You could create the blend by mixing 80% Italian Roast with 20% House.

[Bootsonbarelegs]

Uncle Buck, I'm curious, what other coffees are post-roast blends?

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Caffe Verona
And I heard that Viennesse Blend is 50/50 French and House

[Melody]

@Bootsonbarelegs - Anniversary Blend, and Christmas Blend are both "post roast" blended because both of those coffees have some aged Indonesian beans, always blended post roast.

It seems like it has been a long time since there has been real coffee conversation at SG. (Link my name goes to my old blog post on Christmas Blend.)

[....]

@Corvex Corvidae - putting dairy in a tea shaker is against standard, as it is an allergen for our lactose-free tea drinkers. build your iced GRTL like an iced CM, with matcha on top, then put a dome lid and set it down and swirl your heart out. i've never had one come out not perfect.

[Darth Sidamo]

ive been told standard is to put matcha on top with a flat lid and shake vigorously.

[BLACK APRON BOY]

Anyone remember Joya del Dia and Ubora blend? At that time I didn't even like coffee and the Ubora blend with a pumpkin cream cheese muffin made me lose it. MMMMM! That plus the KENYA AB lot and the TIMOR LESTE blend restored my hope in our coffee lineup! Has Starbucks offered any peaberry coffee in the retail venue?

[Melody]

@Black Apron Boy - Wasn't there a peaberry (Tanzania) like three years ago? And I vaguely recall that a Tanzania peaberry may have been an international market seasonal only recently. Timor Leste was a great coffee. I was also a fan of Bali Batur Highlands. But I'm looking forward to the possibility of Sumatra Siborong-Borong as the next seasonal in the stores, coming soon.

[Ryan]

Hmmm, peaberry. While in Hawaii last summer I tried a delicious Kona peaberry brew. I forget where though.

[Bootsonbarelegs]

anyone else miss berry blossom white tea?

[Megumi]

Yes. Best tea ever. I miss Berry Blossom White. ^_^

[BLACK APRON BOY]

wasnt the sumatra siborong borong a black apron exclusive! Im just sad because i have inside word that there are gonna be other via outbrakes! yay for new and more exciting via flavors WOOT WOOT not

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Darth Sidamo
"I've been told standard is to put matcha on top with a flat lid and shake vigorously."

Thats what she said.

[Darth Sidamo]

Peaberry was like Spring 06? Ive recently been thinking about trying to roast coffee at home in an air popper type apparatus or and oven. Has anyone tried this with any luck? Ive gotten a lot of good info in the link in my name. Just wonder if anybody has tried this.

[(former) FLA SM]

I miss the Aged Sumatra. I hate PPR.

[bux]

Has anyone done the new Frap training, where you have to say major steps, key points, and reasons why OVER AND OVER? i wanted to shoot myself in the head the entire time. sometimes i wonder if corporate thinks we are idiots.....

[Doppio Conkarma]

wasn't the sumatra siborong borong the stuff that smelled/tasted like weed?

On a related note, are black apron exclusives dead/replaced by the limited availabilities? or are they just lying fallow?

[miguel]

Thanksgiving and anniversary blend are aged sumatra

[C Ewing]

I have a question I would like to get Starbucks employees' take on:

A few years ago when I started going to my regular store, I needed to go to the bathroom. The men's room was occupied, so I waited outside the door. A friendly barista who was walking by noticed I was waiting and told me, go ahead and use the women's room (it was unoccupied at the time). It doesn't matter.

For a while I happily used the bathroom with the "women's" sign on it if the men's room was in use and nobody was already in line. A few months later as I popped out of the women's room I got into an argument with a female customer who was waiting outside the door and apparently felt I'd defiled the natural order of things. It's all the same pipes, I countered.

I'm just wondering, do you adhere to a strict "men's room is for men, women's room is for women" rule in your store, or is it unisex even though there are signs on the door?

[CT*ASM]

I use the "men's" room all the time. It's usually cleaner.

[Julie]

Earlier, someone was talking about a two story Starbucks in San Diego. I live in San Diego and I don't know about a two-story one, any ideas?

[emjay]

Has anyone else been getting calls from some scam thing at their stores? it's someone with an accent asking for the store manager's personal information...and they say they're from craigslist.

?

[Whatev]

I use any bathroom that is available....I also use the men's room at concerts... (me, female)women's line is always too long. WHO CARES?? Women's room is usually cleaner , in my opinion.
I miss Arabian MOcha Sanani!

[Melody]

@Miguel - [quote=Miguel]"Thanksgiving and anniversary blend are aged Sumatra"[/quote]

That's incorrect information. Thanksgiving Blend is a blend of a Guat. Antigua and normal Sumatra. There is no Aged Sumatra in it.

Anniversary Blend uses some aged Indonesian beans blended in, but it is not the same thing as having 100% Aged Sumatra, which is repeating Clover offering and rare seasonal offering.

@CoffeeSoldier - I really liked Bella Vista too! You could taste how it sparkled.

@Whatev - Sanani is still produced and sold in the UK and Ireland by Starbucks. I have a friend over there, and he brings me a bag when he travels to Seattle on business now and then. I get one bag every few months or so which makes me so happy! You have good taste in coffee!

http://bit.ly/5cAFUO

^ Link has an image of the current UK Sanani

@C Ewing - I have no problem using either restroom regardless of the labels on the door, so long as the room is a private single person room. I've never seen anyone make a big deal of this, and I've seen many others do the same.

[FSN (Still Can't Handle This Job)]

Still on everyones mind, but Managements...
Why Does FSN still have this Contract..
They are milking the HELL out of the Starbucks,,Stores...
why do the Stores still look like crap..when Howard stated that there were big changes coming,,and Starbucks had Money to spend on the up grades finally.
Can't wait to see what FSN gives to Techs Seattle to keep them around, more than what all the other Techs received..

Regarding about comments concerning the transition of in-house service techs to 100% outsourced service vendors through First Service Network (FSN), I have to state that this is going to be one more blunder that will untimately exceed Mr. Schultz's $50 million dollar furnature branding ideal in the late 90's (which cost him his CEO position), implementation of Jim Donald as CEO, stipulation of Pike's place as main brewed coffee offering, mis-engineered flavor profile upgrade to the thermoplan 801 model, failure of the "instant coffee" USA launch and acceptance, introduction and installation of the extremely problematic 901 model espresso machine and the sales pitch approach to customer service (would you like a ...).
It is time for Howard Schultz to step aside and take all the older board members with him. He and the board have lost touch with the business model, and although Mr. Schultz talks a good game, the fact of the matter is that moral is at an all time low, although he puts out heartfelt press releases about how much it hurts to lay off "family" during this tough ecomonic time, most layoffs are unprofessionally executed and lack any form of dignity & respect - the foundation that Mr. Schultz built this empire on.
With regards to this latest blunder, transition of the service of grinding and brewing,the main focus of this project is to streamline the repair process of this equipment. The reality is that the project has turned into a house of cards. FSN has done a fantastic job responding to service calls and closing out the call tickets. The problem lies with who comes to service your equipment. In most cases the technician is very familiar with HVAC and not your 801/901, Bunn or Ditting equipment. Many of the vendors in this "network" are not certified and carry no inventory. Responding to a call almost immediately is admirable, but if it cannot be fixed in 30 minutes using an inventory that is on a work truck, then is a fast response worth it. Apparently on paper it is. The more larger issue is how the retail stores are not billed, not by the job but jobs. On your new 901, should you break that fancy plastic steam handle, the drawer handle, have it go out of calibration because staff feels like they can adjust grinder at their will instead of waiting for machine to request it, and have a drain tub error from the exhaust hose that tears due to the way it is routed inside the machine, you will have a very bad day. Normally an in-house tech would come and resolve all of these issues in a one hour period, so labor and parts would run you about $75. Now, thru the new efficient quick response system of FSN you now have four (4) work orders to pay for, so in effect 4 hours worth of work assuming the technician carries your parts. if not the time is doubled on any service call with parts. Assuming parts on hand, your $75 service call just turned into a $300 call, should parts need to be ordered, a $500 call. And if the arriving tech is not certified, now the warranty on the 901 is void, so when your NTC milk temp probe fails due to a manufacturing flaw, store now is charged because the warranty has been voided.
As for the former technicians who worked for Starbucks, those who decided to work for FSN have been sorely misled by both FSN and SBUX. Too bad because these were good people who worked hard for the stores to ensure they made a quality product.
Next time you stop by your personal SBUX store, and the line is out the door due to "one of our bars is down" you know it was due to an uncertified tech was called in to resolve a problem on a machine they have never seen, and have had to order a part which will take 3 days to arrive. And the money you and all the other people in line will pay out most likely will not cover the bill store will recieve for this great new service plan.
If I am a SM, DM, RD, or RVP who recieves a performance bonus based on budget and sales, i'm not too happy with the astronomical increase in repair expense for G & B equipment.
Apparently Mr. Schultz has lost site of what made SBUX successful, a coffee shop that serves great coffee and great customer service. Can't serve coffee when machines are not properly supported, and can't achieve excellent customer service when every conversation is a high pressure sales pitch.

[BCshift]

I loooooved Sun dried Ethiopia Sidamo!!

Best coffee ever!

Kopelani was good, I wonder what kind of special summer coffee we'll get this year! (Besides Gazebo..)

[sub mary]

I am in the Bella Vista line :)
I have a question about the charging drinks, I have read the manual. Yes I understand the tea, blah, blah, but I want to know ......Carmel Sauce ....on a white mocha do you charge, and in a frappuccino say CVF with chips or caramel do you charge.....as I read it no..one charge sub next my manager says charge both, changes my orders on DT when she sees the labels print with sub, she goes crazy