Starbucks Gossip

A dozen Starbucks items you can snag for under 250 calories

This list is compiled by the FitSugar website. The first item mentioned is the Birthday Cake Mini Doughnut with 130 calories and six grams of fat; that's fine, but how many customers eat just one? (I usually see them order a few.) Are there items you'd add to the low-cal possibilities list? Read "Lower Calories Starbucks Drinks and Snacks"

Let's get the chatter going in another OPEN THREAD!

There are over 100 comments in the last OPEN THREAD, so it's time to start a new thread. As always, anything Starbucks-related is up for discussion. || Jump to the second page of comments.

Starbucks accuses Kraft of mismanaging grocery-store sales of packaged coffee

Starbucks charges, among other things, that Kraft mismanaged store displays and marketing and failed to take "commercially reasonable measures to address the erosion of Starbucks market share" of packaged coffee in grocery stores, according to an letter from Starbucks to Kraft. Read "Starbucks accuses Kraft of hurting grocer sales" || "Starbucks-Kraft dispute likely comes down to instant coffee"

This guy says stores should be closed on Thanksgiving, but I'm thankful Starbucks is open

The man behind Pat's Papers website says says that "stores should be closed on Thanksgiving to allow people to spend time with their families." Well, not everyone wants to be with their families, I suspect, and people (like me) need their coffee when they're traveling to be with their families. What are your thoughts on working on Thanksgiving? || Jump to the second page of comments.

OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: Which holiday drinks are you loving?

The questions is for customers and Starbucks employees. Are people taking advantage of the buy-one-get-one-free deal? (I didn't see many takers yesterday at the two Starbucks stores I visited in the afternoon.) Discuss this or anything else Starbucks-related in the OPEN THREAD. || Jump to the third page of comments.

Buy a Starbucks holiday drink and get one free

The deal is good from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday through Sunday (Nov. 18-21). Read "Buy-one-get-one-free holiday drinks at Starbucks"

Starbucks starts holiday season with free postcards

Starbucks customers in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles are getting a little something extra today (Tuesday, Nov. 16) -- a hand with holiday cards. Starbucks is sponsoring photo booths where customers can line up for a free personalized holiday postcard, with a buy-one-get-one-free offer for friends and family. || Read "Starbucks starts holiday sales push with free postcards || Read "Starbucks launches holiday flavor line"

The Christmas decorations are going up at my neighborhood Starbucks, and...

....that had me wondering why I wasn't hearing holiday music in the store. I asked the barista who was putting up the seasonal display (at left) about the music start-date. "It's supposed to be on now," she said, "but we couldn't get it to work. So ASAP." || One of my favorite posts (and comments about it) was from November 9, 2004, titled "For the love of God, Starbucks, knock off the Christmas music!" You can read it here. The 15th of November, I guess, is an acceptable Christmas music start date.

Let's get the weekend OPEN THREAD going!

Starbucks is on the expansion track once again. (100 more U.S. stores in the next year.) Discuss this, or anything else Starbucks-related in the OPEN THREAD.

Starbucks tip jar thieves hit Chicago suburbs

I suspect that tip jar thievery happens more often than most people think, but this string of thefts in Chicago's wealthier suburbs is getting a lot of press and TV coverage here. In the past, Starbucks Gossip readers have posted ways they prevent tip-jar thefts; perhaps it's time to re-post them.