What's the fate of Starbucks employees in Phuket, Thailand?

Jack I. sent this e-mail to STARBUCKS GOSSIP: "Did you know that Starbucks has a number of stores in Thailand, including two in Phuket? I heard a survivor on CNN say that he'd just left one of the stores when the tsunami hit. There's no mention of it on Starbucks' main page and when you drill down to locations in Thailand, one in Phuket is described as 'temporarily closed.' Who were the workers in those stores? Did they survive? Is Starbucks doing anything to help them? Other baristas might want to know or set up a fund to help."
> FROM A STARBUCKS PRESS RELEASE: "[Starbucks] stores in Thailand proclaimed December 29 'Day of Giving,' during which 100 percent of the day's store profits were designated for relief. The store partners from the remaining Phuket, Thailand Starbucks store spent several thousand baht (local currency) of their own money in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami to buy food, water, and cloth to wrap bodies for victims in the community."

Comments

[chu]

according to my sources, all of the partners are fine but the store was hosed.

[CoffeeBoy]

According to the President of Starbucks International, all Starbucks partners are safe and alive. Several partners in Thailand have lost family members however. Starbucks Thailand has set aside money from its stores' budgets to assit those partners financially as well as providing support (counseling).

The store on Phuket island was heavily damaged and there are reports of minor damage to 2 or 3 other stores.

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

Anyone else wondering how the earthquake/tsunami will affect the Indonesian coffee industry? According to one report I read, coffee plantations were not impacted as coffee is grown at high elevations. Furthermore, coffee growers in Indonesia are reporting that next year’s crop, to be harvested in March, has not been damaged by the quake.

Referenced article: http://www.moneycontrol.com/backends/News/frontend/news_detail.php?autono=158448

[corianderstem]

I was wondering that as well. But what about the coffee farmers? Are the people who grow and harvest the coffee still there?

[rock-the-bucks]

At my store we are encouraging customers to donate money by dedicating our tips to the cause for the week. We will total eveything and then donate it to C.A.R.E. I also understand that for every pound of Sumatra we sell Starbucks is going to donate $2.00 towards C.A.R.E. on top of the $100,000 they have already donated. I personally thought that Starbucks would donate more since we purchase so much coffee from Indonesia. My hopes are that they will donate more soon, seeing that other companies are donating in the millions. You know what though? I want to see millionaires and billionaires in this country dipping in their pockets, seriously what can one person do with so much money? They can do the right thing and help others...

[javagaljr]

$100,000? Come on Starbucks, you can do better. I don't want to hear about $2 from every pound of Sumatra and other lame efforts. Check that, individual donations from stores of tips and daily wages are not lame. No doubt every barista will feel that. But $100,000 from a company who's stock price has doubled in the past year? From a company who trumpets being at the forefront of social responsibility? From a company that has done business in Sumatra for 25 years? $100,000?!?!?!?!Disgusting. Give me a freakin break. Come on Howard, step up. Why don't you print this on the side of a cup.

Yeah I hate people the freely give their money away. They should be badmouthed and ridiculed. Who do you work for? How much did they donate? How much did you donate?

Starbucks is damned no matter what they do. I'll bet if they announced a larger donation, javagaljr would be here shrieking that they were trying to capitalize on the tragedy. Bashers. So predictable.

[shell]

Do you people have any idea how much money is generated from selling Sumatra, decaf Sumatra and aged? It is one of the single most popular brands we sell and take that by every store in the world and then figure in the 2.00, That's millions!! Isn't something better then nothing? It's a start and i wouldn't be surprised if there is more help on the way by Starbucks!

[Anne]

I agree, 100,000 is a miserable donation and I really wonder why Starbucks even bothered to make it. Their
public relations/social responsibility department really
doesn't have a clue on this one, and what's up with the tacky gimmick of donating $2 per bag of certain coffee to the relief effort? That is the least selfless effort being made in this whole crisis. Starbucks has come out looking pretty bad on this one and should be ashamed of itself. Thank goodness the rest of corporate/private America were more generous and didn't put conditions on it's giving.

Shut up, Anne.

Anne How much did you donate to the relief effort????

[Anne]

Shut up yourself. I donated $50, and if Starbucks had given the same portion of their annual income as I did their donation would have been 1,160,000.00, uh... wait a minute - that would be over 11 times what they actually did donate. Face it - $100,000 wouldn't buy a slum house in Seattle.

Since we're on the Internet and can make any claim I want, I donated $100!

[Persimmon]

Howdy -- I read this post earlier today, and remembered it when I ran across this blog that includes info on the Starbucks in Phuket!

Here is a link to photos of Phuket, Thailand, just after the tsunami, including a photo of the wiped-out Starbucks.

Story that goes with these photos is at:
http://phukettsunami.blogspot.com/

See photos at: http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?showSlide=true&Uc=k499oy3.76s5nb4j&Uy=2538cr&Upost_signin=BrowsePhotos.jsp%3fshowSlide%3dtrue&Ux=0

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

According to my sources. Yes I do have sources within Starbucks International. I have heard that the Starbucks which were hit by the tsunami are now fully operational. They were back to normal operations approximately 3 weeks ago. I don't know any people right now who would want some coffee but at least we know there are Starbucks available.

[Kelsey]

I personally love LOVE starbucks, and Im doing a history project on their sweatshops, so basically I have to find BAD in starbucks. I was like ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! But Im gonna throw in some GOOD and that GOOD is their donations, I think most stores didnt even make a donation, yea Wal-Mart and other HUGE stores most likely did, but starbucks is a smaller buisness and so Im happy with their donation =]