Starbucks Gossip

OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: Someone's been told to never set foot in Starbucks again. How often does that happen?

A 42-year-old man in New Jersey accused of harassing women in a Starbucks store has been told that he's banned from the store and will be arrested if he returns. Have you banned customers before? Discuss this or anything else Starbucks-related in the Halloween weekend OPEN THREAD.

Starbucks is about to open a floating coffee shop

Anyone care to work on Royal Caribbean's new Allure of the Seas cruise ship? It's set to debut in Florida -- with a Starbucks on board -- on December 5th. || Read "Starbucks sets sail on the high seas"

Juan Valdez is back to review the beer/wine-serving Starbucks

Starbucks
1600 East Olive Way
Seattle, Wa. BY JUAN VALDEZ

Hey everybody, how ya all doing? This is your boy Juan saying howdy do from way up yonder Capitol Hill way. :::hiccup::::

I've been on something of a sabbatical from writing about Starbucks stuff cause I pretty much ran out of things to type what with all them visits kinda dissolving into a sort of giant, squishy, melting pot of crazed, apathetic non-sensical stew but HEY, everybody, how ya all doing?

So, anyways, I figgered I was pretty well DONE with the store visit thing but you know what that crafty Howard Schultz guy went and did? Why, he opened hisself a BAR, right up there on East Olive Way in Seattle where you can git yerself a bag of beers and a snootful of wine all night long like down there in good ole Pioneer Square just south of downtown. And when I heard bout this new enterprise from that nice lady over at Starbucks Melody's blog, I just had to go and check it out for myself. A BAR, for crying out loud, from Mr. Family Values himself! /CONTINUED IN THE FIRST COMMENT

Starbucks expands its mobile payment test to NYC and Long Island

How are these working out? -- both from the customer and barista standpoints. I'm still waiting for mobile payments to arrive in Chicago area Starbucks stores. (Yes, I know they're in Target, etc., which I don't frequent.) Read "Starbucks expands mobile payment test"

Weekend OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: What are your Halloween plans?

Does your store go all-out for Halloween, or is it just another day at the factory? (Will anyone be dressing up as a VIA package that constantly bothers customers? BUY ME!! BUY ME!!) Discuss this or anything else Starbucks-related in the weekend OPEN THREAD. || Jump to the second page of comments.

Starbucks Digital Network launches on Wednesday

Users of Starbucks' free Wi-Fi will get a different start screen beginning Wednesday. Starbucks says the page is "a digital version of the community cork board that’s in all of our stores." The question is: Will users spend any time on the Starbucks Digital Network -- or will they just quickly jump to the websites they always visit? || Read "First Look: Starbucks Digital Network Is Here"

Say something nice to your boss today, then post to the OPEN THREAD

In case you didn't hear, it's National Bosses Day! Discuss your boss (nothing libelous, please!) or chat about anything else Starbucks-related in the OPEN THREAD.

Take a look inside the overhauled East Olive Way Starbucks in Seattle

It opened Monday morning, but there was a preview on Sunday.The redesign is intended to evoke a coffee warehouse, reports Capitol Hill Seattle blog. "It is part of a global refocus for the coffee giant on adding more entertainment -- and late night -- offerings to their stores." Read "First look inside the overhauled East Olive Way Starbucks" || USA Today: "The Starbucks of the future arrived today"

What do NYers think of Starbucks' new coffee-making policy? Defends on which paper you read

The New York Post says they're steamed about the slow-down edict, while the New York Daily News reports customers don't mind waiting a little longer.

Wall Street Journal: Starbucks tells harried baristas to slow down

Some baristas worry the company's edict -- focus on no more than two drinks at a time -- will create longer lines. When asked whether changes have created longer lines in the test markets, a Starbucks spokeswoman said she didn't have "that level of detail." || Read "Starbucks baristas told to slow down" (click the top link) || Jump to the second page of comments.