The weekend is finally here! That means it's time for another open thread

There's no such thing as going off-topic here; chat about anything you want that's Starbucks-related.

Comments

[barista lane]

Hey partners, whats the best way to have the orange syrup? I haven't had a chance to experiment yet, but I'd love to hear what you all have tried.

[Junior Casemiro]

Hey you guys!
I'm a brazilian Starbucks fan! I'd like to know what's the most expensive drink/food you have on the US stores?
Starbucks opened their first 3 stores in Brazil in November and I'm thinking that the prices are way too overpriced here... Still there are HUGE queues! Like 40 minutes waiting!
These brazilian Starbucks stores stood for 7 weeks at the top of the rank for the best Starbucks selling stores in the world! GO BRAZIL!

PS: I'd like to know if you need to speak fluently more than your 1 language to work at Starbucks... I think that here in Brazil you need to speak at least spanish and english fluently to work there, besides our native portuguese, of course.

[baaaarista]

junior casemiro- up near seattle, you only need to know english, but i know spanish as well, so it can help at times.

barista lane- orange mochas! tastes like a chocolate orange. oh and the new frap.

[Dima K]

BAAAARISTA
I am sorry to say it but I hate you.
It's a Frappuccino, not a frap!

oh please dima k, get over it, its not that bad...

[BellevueBarista]

PTL with orange in it kinda tastes like orange Gatorade...which I like, but some won't

the orange cream Frappucino is pretty darn tasty, I have to say that i'm not a fan of the orange mocha Frappucino AT ALL

regarding what is most expensive in the states, I think it has to be the sandwiches in the RTDE case...the prices for those things are ridiculous...none of the drinks really stand out to me in terms of pricing

[NewShift]

Make a venti creme-based Frappuccino with four pumps of Orange and two scoops of vanilla bean powder. Tastes like those little orange sherbert cups with the flat wooden spoon. Delicious!

[ny barista]

hey you guys...
i`ve had a problem yesterday... a gay couple was hugging and kissing on the couches and a group of old women was like "zomg that`s disrespectful" and they asked me to tell the guys to stop. I said to them that I couldn`t do that and they got offended and walked away the store and cancelled their order.
I felt bad for losing customers but I think that they weren`t doing anything bad at all.
My question is: what would you do?
The other baristas in my store said that they would do the same as I did.

I don't want to see straight or gay people going at it on my couches period, if I saw them I'd have asked them to act appropriately, they're in public, not at a hotel.I get these teenagers in my store every friday night and they sit there and try to make out in the store, no one wants to see it.Why do people feel like they have to act a certain way as to not offend people? They're the ones being offensive. GET A ROOM!!

[HurdyGurdyBarista]

NY BARISTA....

I wouldn't have done anything at all. I would've tried to move the line along ans fast as possible, and get drinks to customers A.S.A.P. Here's a good way to look at it: If those two guys were kissing and you handed them their drinks, the chances of them kissing would be greatly reduced. Then you wouldn't have to tell them that they couldn't do that, and those old ladies would might be happy.

IMHO...

I dont see anything wrong with two men kissing, or two women kissing, or a man and a woman kissing. Am I gay? No. Do I support gay rights and marriages and civil unions, etc? Yes. True love is hard to find these days, and if two guys (presumably a gay couple) want to hug and make out in a Starbucks-- THE THIRD PLACE mind you-- then go right ahead.

[Darleen]

Newshift,
If you like that, try the tangerine fruit juice with the cbb it's just as good if not better, it was awesome when we had the citrus and creme, I miss those! You guys remember the citrus and creme and the raspberry and creme frappuccino's we used to have? Damn they were good. Thats where this stinking 10 pounds came from :(

Its a food establishment no one needs to sitting around making out. Go get a room, or go to the park.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Well, I let hot couples go at breeder or gay? Otherwise I tell them that they can get a room but then on second thought I just hope they don't have more fugly children if they're breeders and hope the gays don't get any bright ideas like making petri babies.

[ny barista]

Oh, I forgot to tell... they weren`t ALMOST MAKING OUT... They were with hands on each other shoulders and they were giving small kisses. Not those gross tongue-swallowing kisses...
AND they were very nice and ordered 2 venti caramel frapuccinos EACH and like 3 espresso brownies. After that they even refilled.
Really, I didn`t see a problem at all. I would go and tell them to stop if they were being gross and acting sexually.

Anyone know where I can fing any good/funny/entertaining blogs by Starbucks Baristas?

[Prosumer partner]

Awesome series:
http://www.beachwoodreporter.com/life_at_work/

Must enjoy sarcasm, though.

What do you guys think about the new orange crea frappuccino? ... I tasted it for the first time today. Wasn't really impressed, but if you add *2* extra pumps to whatever size you get, it does taste better. The standard amount of syrups isn't enough, it tastes weak.

I'm kind of wondering how the Blueberries & Creme will taste when that comes out? Does anyone know if thats a Summer Phase 2 beverage?

[justabarista]

I just have to say, I don't mind people making out on our couches. And if it's two hot women, the line is going SLOW down, because as a floater, I'm checking the cafe.

Another thing. What is it with people that order Low Fat Blueberry muffins then ask for butter? After I inform them that we don't have butter, but we have regular fat Blueberry muffins, they look at me like I'm a retard.

[LSManager]

Lol, justabarista. Same deal as SF N XWC drinks, or frappucino light with WC. Or we could go back to the classic American 'Double cheeseburger, large fries, and a diet Coke.' Leaves you wondering about their thought process.

On the topic of new flavors... anybody tried the new Juicy Raspberry versus the original Raspberry? It hasn't arrived in my store as of yet, and I must question the thinking behind many of the flavor changes... I do miss Valencia for my PTL, but it doesn't sound as if Orange will replace it. Gotta try it for myself first, though.

[sean]

wow... these open threads are making this website lame

[B]

sorry for the lame topic, but it's what i have on my mind right now...
what do y'all think of cbb light? you think it will take off? anyone tasted it? (our sm isn't letting us yet) and where the hell is it going to fit in the fridge (esp if we start doing decaf light too?!)

[Scorpio370]

If it was me and there was someone making out in my store, if it was a little bit of kissing, I say good riddance to the old ladies. If it was full on major tongue, sloppy crap, yeah, I'd ask them to stop, gay or straight.

I'm hoping that there isn't a major change in the raspberry, I love using it in PTL with 3pR and 3pME... Tastes like fruit punch kool aide. With orange instead of raspberry, it's like Tang orange drink.

Darleen, I looked at my list of stores in my store, there are 2 Darleens listed, neither in my district. LOL

[JASON WABBIT]

No matter who it is, gay or straight, as long as it doesn't go beyond touching hands and a few pecks on the mouth, I am fine with it...beyond that of course I would tell them to stop.

Is the Orange Syrup safe to put into hot drinks at all? I would think with them releasing it so widely now that it had been tested to be fine. I have not heard read anything in The Scoop saying that it is unsafe to. I tried a Hot Orange Mocha with Orange Zest on top, towards the end it tasted like my milk had curdled (sp?) a bit...I am thinking it could have been the Orange Zest...anyone know for sure???

[(Former) CuteBarista!]

so...friends.

i got fired this past thursday after over three years with the company.

i was fired for breaking a rule that everyone, including my manager (who fired me), breaks with regularity and impunity. i let one of our regulars into the store after we closed to use the bathroom. i've watched my manager bring her boyfriend in after hours numerous times.

can anyone tell me if i have any recourse or am i really well and truly f*cked? do i go to my DM or RDO or will they write me off as a disgruntled ex-employee? what does everyone think?

[Zhairista]

Orange syrup:

In addition to the recipes we were given to try (PT and PTL with orange, orange mochas, and the orange frappuccino blends), I've found I really enjoy an orange chai tea latte and an iced orange green tea latte. The orange complements the spice in the chai fantastically, and as a replacement for the melon syrup in a GRTL it really can't be beat. I'd recommend trying both.

Cutebarista!: I'm sorry to hear that :( I think every district is different, but if you really care about your job (and it has always seemed you do), you owe it to yourself and to the company to talk to your DM.

[OPBoorista]

BTW... this is my first post and so I guess I should just say Hi. Oh... and I'm a shift at a store in Orange Park (Jacksonville suburb), FL.

Anyway, just so you know, a partner of mine and I really like Tang and so we tried Orange syrup in water... Tang it is not.

Also, the Orange Syrup is OK to use in hot drinks as well as the Orange Zest (since the hot drink in Summer Phase 1 is an Orange Mocha, I'd hope it was safe). Haven't used the Orange Zest though, yet, so I can't expunge on the curdling thing.

And... Cust. "I would like my Venti White Mocha w/ 8 pumps and extra cool whip (I get that one a lot here in the south). Oh, and could you make that with Nonfat milk?"

[C]

You let someone in the store after it was closed - NO you have no recourse. I would have fired you my self, it was incredibly irresponsible and dangerous for you to do so.

[Calling drinks]

Why is it # of shots then size of cup?

ie: quad venti latte

it sounds better if it's size, then # of shots.

ie: venti quad latte

that way u know which cup size to grab before anything else.

am i the only one?

[I KNOW, RIGHT?]

I don't like the Orange. Valencia it is NOT. An orange latte is decent, and it's passable in a PTL, but orange mochas taste like DayQuil, and the frappucinos are nasty.

CBB Lite is awful. It tastes really chalky and fake. Even worse than regular CBB, and it has a funky aftertaste.

[sigh]

I don't care who you are, or what you think about tipping. If you take from the jar, you are wrong. I make $8.25/hour plus tips and work like hell for every penny. While I might not notice that bit of change, it's the principle of the thing. I am a broke-ass college student. You are an adult stealing from me because you don't want to use your own change. F**k off and die. It is not a take-a-penny, that is my damn money.

No, I don't talk to customers this way. I do bitch about customers with the folks in the fast food place a block away when I'm on my break, but that's just for fun.

[BaristaGirl]

CuteBarista!:

Did you know you could get automatically fired for it? If you knew and did it anyway, I don't think there's much you could do. However, if you didn't..and your SM and other partners do the same thing, one could see why you'd think it would be acceptable (or at least not a serious infraction of the rules). If that's the case, I'd go directly to HR or anyone else and fight for your job.

Also, I don't know what kind of relationship you have with your SM or how you were fired. But if I were singled out and booted without them at least trying to have my back; I'd make damn sure the DM or RM knew that they're doing the same thing.

[chi-town's best/angriest barista]

calling drinks-
i totally agree with you, i think it should be iced, size, decaf, shots, etc. because it does make more logical sense that way, but no one else at my store seems to agree. howeever, we are somewhat new to cup marking/drink calling sicne we used to have a (now defunct) sticker printer. and i miss it more and more every day as frappuyccino season dawns upon us.
any ideas on how we can convince (district) management to get it back? we go through 1200-2000 customers a day and as much as $50,000 a week in sales, so we definately have the volume to warrant it.
please help. i can't stand all the yelling any more.

[CDNBarista]

Blueberry drinks are gonna be the last phase of the summer ... Orange drinks are Summer phase 1 (or is it still Spring? Can't recall). Then Raspberry. Then Blueberry. Hopefully there will be a Blueberry drizzle worthy of replacing my beloved Blackberry drizzle. That stuff was DELICIOUS!

Oh, and is the orange syrup replacing classic in PTLs as a standard?

[Xai]

"Oh, and is the orange syrup replacing classic in PTLs as a standard?"

I don't think so. I was looking at a list of new drinks from the introduction of "Orange" syrup, and Orange Passion Tea Lemonade or whatever it's called now is listed. So I think it's an entirely different drink now.

Passion Tea with Orange isn't bad at all. Orange Mocha tastes terrible... the mocha tastes very papery for some reason. Even so, the taste is very bland and I don't find anything special about the drink. Then I tried Lemonade with Orange syrup, and I thought it tasted like plain orange juice. o__O;

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I think on some airline recently two gay guys returning from Paris were asked to stop "kissing." Listen, people just avert your eyes, if it disturbs you. And if disturbs you, maybe you should go back to the 50's or Iran. Besides, alot of my customers like to give me little kisses or big hugs when they see me. Sometimes, they save it and come up dancing next to me at the club and thats when the real "grinding" begins!

BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL
PRIMUS INTER PARES
STARBUCKS REBEL ALIANCE
AIM SN: BOSTONSTARREBEL

[Darleen]

Darleen, I looked at my list of stores in my store, there are 2 Darleens listed, neither in my district. LOL

Scorpio370, I'm the SM, I think the other Darleen is an ASM. I'm at the 8366 store. If you're ever out that way come by and ask for me, we can have a drink together! Did you go to open forum? I had to facilitate a class that day so didn't get to go. I'd love to meet you sometime. I feel like I know you guys now. :)

[Mr.Dazzle]

Shots come first because that is the first thing you do when you go to make a drink: pull the shots. Pull your quad, and then grab the cup, by the time its preped, your shots are ready.

Sticker machines will be the death of the third place. I understand the demands of high volume, but where is the love in a sticker??

soooo...what's everyone drinking? Me: I can't get enough iced coffee these days, with a little classic and a splash of breve...Mmmm

[The Captain]

I've had a Venti Coffee Frappucino with two decaf add shots (could be regular but I just do it to balance the drink, not for caffiene). It tastes delicious.

I hate my hypocritical shift lead who always comes in for a free drink when she's not working and asks the bar partner to make her a 10-pump white mocha with soy milk and no foam. However, if I come in, she gives me one free drink and the rest I have to pay for (mind you, you should always pay for drinks, but I go in maybe once a week for a drink with my parents while she gets a free drink almost everyday). Not to mention she marks out pastries during our shift to munch them during slow parts of the shift and yet neglects to allow me to take the sandwiches home and throws them away in my face. My SM lets me take them home. My family loves them and I hate throwing food away. The pastries hardly get thrown away (we have regular donor-receivers).

Mr Dazzle if you pull your shots before you pull the cup to start marking the whole drink you can be in trouble. What if the milk requested is not yet steamed. Are you telling me you let the shots sit until the milk is ready? 10 seconds is the longest you can wait thats it. After that the shots are bitter and the drink stinks.

[Chris Gordon]

Have you seen the project site called "The Bux Stops Here"? It's a site and email address that is compiling all of your Sbux (or any other company) stories. It's a great place to relay your experiences that nobody would ever beleive! "I'd like a grande latte in a tall cup, 3/8ths of a splenda, 1/3rd of a sweet-n-low, 1.67 pumps of mocha, ........"

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Mr. Dazzle,
Have you not heard of the Beverage Resource Manual. In it there's a thing called espresso work flow. It states that you first mark your cups, then you add syrups, then steam milk and finally pour the shots. Maybe you should read the Beverage Resource Manual to properly familiarize yourself with the proper workflow at the espresso station. Also, make sure to acquaint yourself with the Starbucks beverage standards, in particular shot quality. Espresso shots die after ten(10) seconds and therefore must be remade in order to be properly incorporated in the beverage. You should learn to live the Mission Statement everyday. Remember, to build Starbucks it takes one cup, one customer, one connection at a time.

BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL
PRIMUS INTER PARES
STARBUCKS REBEL ALLIANCE
AIM SN: BOSTONSTARRBEEL

[FLMomarista]

Cutebarista,

Sorry to hear about your termination. If I were you, here's what I would do. . .

When you are terminated, the SM has to fill out a corrective action form, correct? Did your SM sit you down and explain the reason why you were fired, and then have you sign the corrective action form? If not, I would request that you would like for your termination to be in writing. You might want to call the partner line to see for sure if you can request written confirmation of why you were fired in a corrective action format.

See, there is a nice big space at the bottom of the form that allows you to make commentary and agree or disagree and make notations. I fought a write-up this way---same scenario almost, where a manager was blatantly doing something and I *almost* got written up for the same thing. Reason it was *almost* was because when I made my *notations* along the lines of "gee, I was just following the direction set forth by my manager on such and such a date when he did a, b and c and I assumed that the manager was following policy" blah blah blah. At that point he didn't want the DM to see the corrective action because it would bust him just as much as it did me.

Oh, BTW don't let your SM tell you that you aren't allowed to take a copy of said paperwork with you as you exit the building. They are clearly marked as to who gets which copy.

You might just get a phone call saying he/she has reconsidered your termination.

[baaaaarista]

sorry dina k. for being so hateable.
here:
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[Emily]

Hey all,

I'm writing a paper on the organizational culture of starbucks and have been unsuccessful in getting an interview. It really blows. I mean, I've interviewed partners that I've worked with before and all that business, but no one really knows about any of the emerging issues. In a last-ditch effort before I turn in an incomplete paper on Tuesday, I figure it would be worth a try to post in here ... anyone willing to give me an interview? I'll come up with a survey, if you wouldn't mind emailing me at [email protected].

Thankssss.

Emily

I don't know if this is just regional or all around but...

Does anyone else hate the new-ish standard in the DT where if someone is getting two or more items (not just drinks... items) then they have to be handed out on a drink tray? I've been talking about it a little with co-workers and I think it's time for a mission review.

Whenever I've changed the DT garbage outside, there have been multiple drink trays thrown away. And if it's to save time, how about the time I lose when the customer makes me take them out of the tray. I had a lot of "lets save the trees" comments, and most people have some sort of drink holders in their car. Also, I had a handful of customers try and pull the drinks out of the tray while I was handing it to them... that, my friends, is a recipe for disaster.

[DT]

former...do what I did...call the standards of business conduct hotline

[pepperminthotchocolategirl]

Everyone keeps talking about these orange drinks..when are they coming out??

[chi-town's best/angriest barista]

i believe orange is officially available to customers on may 15th. right now it's just partner stealing, i mean sampling....

[CDNBarista]

If I remember correctly, the next promo launch is May 15th.

[Taylor]

When I am on bar, I have milk. ALWAYS. When I hear someone start to order a grande latte, I hit the double shot button so that by the time the register partner has written it and handed it to me, the shots are just finishing.

If it's during a rush and for some reason I run out of milk, then I simply stop my shot predicting until I catch back up.

My store has one espresso machine. One. I used to work at a store with the typical two. If I can keep up during a 60-customer half hour with one machine shoved in a corner and my only sink in the back room, then most people should be able to do double that with a bar that has ample space, two steaming wands, a sink behind them, and in many rush cases a second bar partner.

Everyone is so quick to jump on the "BRM" bandwagon here. Every store is different and everyone has their own methods. Just because someone pulls shots when they hear the drink ordered does not mean they are letting them sit there. If they were consistently doing that, they have bigger multi-tasking troubles to work on.