Starbucks Gossip OPEN THREAD: Your chance to start the conversation

Have a beef? A question? A comment? Here's another opportunity to post it. Anything Starbucks-related is up for discussion on the OPEN THREAD. || Jump to the second page of comments.

Comments

[CD]

I've recently noticed that several stores do not have whole bean bags of Pike Place Roast in stock. Is that just a midwest fluke or is something else to it? Does PPR sell well in whole bean?

[Christinschu]

We sell about 12 lbs a week. That is decent amount. Some stores don't order the one pound because we always have it in bulk, which we can then break down into 1lb bags in the store. Theorteically 'fresher' closer to the roast date, and potentially less wasteful.

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

Perhaps their Pike Place Basket is in an odd place? Being kept in a basket means it could potentially not be kept by the rest of the whole bean.

[john deese]

I just saw that starbucks is changing the 'free beverage' with purchase of beans to any beverage... any recommendations for good beverages in tall size? I'm wondering what would a 'tall espresso macchiato' (my preferred drink) be? Only one shot?

[baroosta]

@john deese - For quite some time now, the free drink with purchase of beans has been any tall drink on the menu. If you're looking to try something similar to what you currently order, how about a tall cappuccino or an extra foamy latte with vanilla or caramel?

[Alazne]

Starbucks UK just sent me an email about the new summer drinks. Possibly to distract me rom the fact my favourite one has just gone up by 15p at a single jump which is pretty crappy.

But has anyone actually heard of a Lemon Frappuccino? It's not on the UK site, or even on Google. Strange.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Just in time for Wimbledon, why not celebrate the summertime with a Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino®?.

And if the heat gets too much, refresh yourself with a Lemon Frappuccino® blended juice drink.

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

John Deese,
Generally espresso macchiattos are ordered by the number of shots, not size, as any size will fit in a short cup.

[noseybean]

I hear that Howard will be in Seattle at a Kent Roasting Plant June 28th for a roasting of a special coffee. Anyone have info on this?

[s]

Please. How much should a raise be 6 months after becoming a shift? I got all 4's.

[just another partner]

your 6 month shift raise is dependent on your pay scale for your region. it is different all over the country. you used to be able to find it on the portal.

[Sean]

Anyone have any news regarding a restructuring of the marketing deparment at the SSC? Were there any lay offs? What about the regional field offices marketing peeps?

thanks.

[Frapped Out]

Can we please discuss how any former employee can be rehired on RHH? If I get fired.. all I have to do is apply again and sell myself to another store. It's ridiculous.

[curious]

Does anyone know how the Trienta or whatever (the 30 oz ice tea/coffee) test market turned out? I was half expecting it to launch in summer2, but obviously not. It doesnt seem like something to launch in fall or holiday, which are the next 2 phases after summer.

[I.Heart.Spirit.]

lawlz @ letting us know fall and the holidays come after summer.

[Black apron boy]

The trenta size blew theory out of the water. People love it. :) before anybody jumps on the diabetes/ over weight america crap, I want to point out the fact that a trenta black tea has less calories:sugar:processed ingredients than a tall skinny vanilla latte. in it. Haha.

[datedotit]

I had a customer ask for 17 pumps of classic in their venti passion tea lemonade yesterday. Wonder how many they would need in their trenta?

[datedotit]

Question - I was told that any shift whose store fails Ecosure while they are on duty will receive a final written and be let go. Anybody know anything about this?!

[gc]

@Posted by: datedotit | June 19, 2010 at 05:12 AM

I know I don't want to consume anything from that store. Sounds disgusting.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I can only guess what coffee they are roasting at Kent. Hopefully not another Pike Place Roast.

[Daniel]

I think any store that fails twice gets a writeup for all management including shifts, since it's up to them to ensure all deep cleans and qasa things are done daily.

[Melody]

Last I heard the Trenta test in Phoenix was originally scheduled to end of March, but has been extended, and is still on-going. If anyone knows otherwise, I'd be curious to hear. Also, if you order a Trenta Black Tea, my understanding is that the standard is to give it to the customer unsweetened unless the customer has specifically requested it sweetened.

@BostonStarbucksRebel - I'm going to assume that the Kent Roasting Plant has got some rare "small batch" coffees in the works. ?

(Link in name goes to my old blog post on the Trenta)

[javagirl666]

Melody: I think I read somewhere that in the not too distant future, the standard was going to become unsweetened and you would have to ask for the classic to be added.

And on QASA: I can assure you, if you are a shift and the store fails for things w/in your control on the shift, you should expect a write up.

[Darth Sidamo]

Its amazing what little things it will take to fail an ecosure. Scratches on tea pitchers, small nick on cinn dolce shaker. In entirety it is the SM that takes the final heat for ecosure. The Shift cannot order plexis. I am sure if the fail comes from something like old dirty towels, unclean area, etc some can be fault of the shift. As a leader though it all falls down onto the SM. It starts and ends with him/her/it.

you can get an 89 on an ecosure gc and the store can be in great condition. You should be worried about a store failing a health inspection. If you are worried about ecosure problems then I recommend not getting a drink in half of the stores in America. Having a slightly dusty vent in a restroom or having a just used mop sitting in a mop bucket has absolutely no outcome in the quality of your drink. As does having a chipped plexi have nothing to do with beverage quality.

Lean a little bit closer and see roses really smell like poo.

[datedotit]

Generally my store does a great job. But I'm concerned because we recently got a new store manager and they are a mess(schedules posted on Saturday for the upcoming week, et). Subsequently, all of our experienced baristas have quit, leaving me with all new hires to run shifts. It's almost impossible to be ecosure ready when I am running a shift on a 4k day with people who have been with the company for less than 3 weeks.
It's beyond maddening.

[frappy]

I think I read somewhere that in the not too distant future, the standard was going to become unsweetened and you would have to ask for the classic to be added.

See, this is one of the many things that drives me nuts about this company. How is the customer supposed to know that our standard has changed? Why do we need to have a rule about this?

Why not simply ask each customer if they want it sweetened or not?

[datedotit]

"....Why not simply ask each customer if they want it sweetened or not?..."

I train all of my barista's to do that already. It's just common sense really...

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

The classic syrup is included in the price of the drink so thats why its important to indicate unsweetened

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I think that its important to realize what is and isn't the responsibility of the shift and what is of the manager and what is for the district manager. For example, if its a facilities issue that needs to be corrected, well thats the SM and DM's job to get it fixed. If the sanitizer wasn't concentrated properly thats the shift's fault. However ultimately it is the STORE MANAGER'S responsibility. You can delegate authority but you CANNOT delegate responsibility.

[Unsweetened realiTEA]

Classic syrup costs money. Changing the standard to unsweetened tea has nothing to do with taste or customer health; it's a matter of cost reduction.

Any time a change is made at Starbucks and you're told it's for the environment/social justice/health concerns/etc, just ask yourself, "Is the new way cheaper (for the company)?" -- and you'll be on your way to finding the real reason for the change.

[CD]

@Unsweetened realiTEA -

The irony in that reality is that Starbucks used that same logic to charge more for iced teas and iced coffees because they came with classic syrup.

To remove it from the standard without reducing the price proves your point - Starbucks is being driven by financial "bean counting-type" decisions like never before. Pike Place Roast was *never* about being the best coffee, it was about serving coffee at a reduced cost.

[frappy]

Classic syrup costs money. Changing the standard to unsweetened tea has nothing to do with taste or customer health; it's a matter of cost reduction.

Whatever the reason, whatever the price - I never ever make an iced tea without asking 'do you want that sweetened or unsweetened?'

Same with iced coffee.

[amber]

i agree weith CD whenever someone orders a tea i always ask if they wanted sweetened. we should always ask, even if it changes

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

And if the standard was changed to unsweetened I am sure they would therefore find a reason to reduce labor even more.

[baristamclane]

Regarding QASA: It's a common assumption in my district that anyone who is on shift during an audit and receives a failing score will receive a corrective action.

However, when I lived in the PNW region I was told that how thorough the audit was conducted is typically dependent on the general appearance of the store when the Ecosure auditors walk in. For example if the place looks clean, and there aren't any noticable criticals, they will typically breeze through audit. However, if towels are out, counters are dirty, and so on, they will start digging a little deeper to see what other QASA violations are present.
Granted, that may be just that one region, because every SM in SoCal (that I have spoken to) insists that the auditors down here are very thorough.

[sirmarkisadick]

I just need to say that sirmark needs his butt banned from MSI. What a freaking pain in the neck. He's ruining the site hard. Off his nut.

[shift.misto]

CURRENTLY:
average joe + beans = free tall coffee
cardholder + beans = free tall anything

Re: Ecosure
i find the opposite effect. the cleaner the store, the harder they dig. once you're in the 80s, there's really no point to rub it in. but if you're doing well, they will search until they find something, even if it means hovering over the bar waiting for you to let go of the pitcher or drop a lid on the counter because you reached for just one, and a second lid was stuck on bottom, or inspect the bissel catch-pan for left behind dust, and then BAM! 97% have a nice day.

[(former) FLA SM]

@darthsidamo:

My favorite thing to lose points over was being cited for my dustpan being dirty.

@BSR:

"For example, if its a facilities issue that needs to be corrected, well thats the SM and DM's job to get it fixed."

I disagree somewhat. Once the problem has been reported to facilities, it's out of the SM's hands. However, even if you have documentation that the problem has been reported, you still lose points from Ecosure. (That being said, the inspection has two different sections, and the facilities part supposedly doesn't affect your score.)

[formermanager]

The whole reporting to facilities thing is no guarantee on the SM's part. The wall behind the sanitizer in my store was collapsing, the seal around my spoon jacuzzi was moldy and gunky, and I called it in repeatedly. They sent some shemp to caulk around the jacuzzi, and it lasted about a week before it failed because he never mounted the spoon jacuzzi, and it slipped around. Those milk carafes are expensive, and you get nailed if they are not like new. Ecosure is a joke, the health inspection is the one to worry about. But you get threatened with Ecosure.

[Yiancar]

Hey guys, question time:)
Have you ever seen bodyguard style people employed by a store in order for people not to put there feet on the chairs or tables?

[What??]

Bodyguard employed by Starbucks? We barely get enough staff to cover on the floor never mind security.

[Aaron]

@S, it does depend some on the pay scale in your region, but I could tell you mine was about 50 cents or more. I don't think it was more than 75 cents. This was under the 1-3 system and I probably averaged a 2. The first 6 month raise after becoming a shift is quite large by Starbucks terms, and then they go down to the standard amount.

[Javerich]

Has the espresso changed recently? On Tuesday in NYC (Lincoln Center) I got an iced doppio and it tasted different. Bad different. It even looked different - there was more liquid than usual and it looked thin and watery. It tasted the same way - even a little sour or overextracted. I figured it was a one-time issue, a bad shot, and went on with my day. But this afternoon I had the same exact experience at a Starbucks in Cincinnati (CVG airport.) What gives??

[NYC for life]

Our favorite DM in NY Metro has been promoted to RDO in Boston! NY loses a great DM and Boston gains a great new RDO. ME- Thank you for all you have done during your time with us. We will miss you. Good luck in Boston!

[Siberia bux]

@NYC for life- That brings up an excellent point that two of the highest grossing districts in the country(Times Sq & Rock Center North) are without DM's. Not. To mention the temporary RDO managing Manhattan North. Where is the stability?

[NYC for life]

@Siberia bux- your comment is spot on. No one was surprised by ME's promotion but we would liked to have kept him in NYC. We are very curious/nervous about who will backfill him. The Rock Ctr north district is not only busy but we have senior exec's through a few times a month. I don't think any of the other DM's in NYC can handle the pressure. As far as the temp RDO, there is a new RDO in the market who we think will take over. She seems ok. NYC has come so far over the last 2 years. I hope to god it doesn't go backwards!

[badshot]

@javarich, that was just a badly pulled shot

[Crema]

RE: "iced doppio": the "bad" ones were probably pulled directly into the cup with ice, which is the incorrect way to make an iced beverage. Shot glasses absorb some of the heat and adding the shots after they've pulled melts the ice (or heats up the milk) less.

[give me my whole shot]

...and you lose the majority of the crema in the shot glass.

[Darth Sidamo]

If iced doppio was an actual drink and not a poor mans no water iced americano that would help as well. You cannot expect a consistant drink when you order something not on the menu.

[Javerich]

Thanks badshot. Darth, it's always always consistent. For years. Except these two times in one week.