Starbucks execs discuss breakfast sandwiches during earnings call (but no mention of how much they stink up the stores)

ANALYST: Your view on if breakfast sandwiches do actually add traffic to the store versus just the ticker?
STARBUCKS PRESIDENT JIM DONALD: Traffic, traffic to ticket, and we are seeing incremental beverage too, but we are seeing and one of the reasons that we continue to be very bullish on our warming sandwich is that, I think Michael (CFO Michael Casey) and I can give you an example. In New York just last year, we are seeing customers that before we put warming in were coming to our store with a warming sandwich from another venue, and so we are seeing us capturing that customer all in one fell swoop, so we are seeing that continue to generate transaction. (Transcript of Starbucks' 2Q Earnings Call)

Comments

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

And there goes the soul of Starbucks. We no longer create the Starbucks Experience of the third place but instead focus on "getting customers all in one fell swoop."

[Jake of 8bitjoystick.com]

Or they could just go back to selling coffee and stop wasting customers time on the sugar filled "Ice coffee" milkshakes with caramel and whip cream. I would gladly pay more to a non-frappachnino we just sell coffee Starbucks.

[Jim]

Anyone have any other ideas on how to make the line longer and ruining the "coffee" experience? I was thinking apparel, tatoo's, and maybe even homemade ice cream.

[Barista Boy]

That's funny...just this morning, I was sitting in a midtown Manhattan (35th St and 5th Ave). I saw several customers walk in with OTHER breakfast sandwiches...

[TRANSITGURU]

i found a new group on msn called coffeecups a place for the little guy to show and share the life of coffee.

[Tyler]

They DO make the stores reek. It's foul.

[Iced Soy Latte]

we have yet to get our lovely warming equipment.....but I know that none of us are looking forward to it. Seriously...3 minutes or less?? good luck!

[Lovodo]

In order for SBUX to continue its growth which in return provides jobs and insurance to people like you and I SBUX must increase same store sales. SBUX understands that every choice made to offer something new will have its opponents, however Wall Street is the driving force behind innovation. It does suck that SBUX is loosing its coffee house feel, but over 130,000 people (partners) depend on investors being happy so that they can put food on the table for their families.The wonderful thing about the world we live in is that we have choices to be employed by or be customers of different venues. If SBUX is no longer what it once was for you then you have other options, don't speak for other people who may enjoy the breakfast sandwhiches.

[Ed]

Shorter Lovodo: Stop complaining about the breakfast sandwiches or your health insurance gets it!

[Jeff]

It's interesting to me how all of you are so quick to condemn new things being introduced at *$.

If you work in the store your opinion means very little. The only opinions that count are the customer's.

If our customers like getting everything in "one fell swoop", I'm all for it.

Customers rule - not whiny Baristas.

[MikeInSeattle]

Funny thing. The cold sandwiches and salads, which are just as much "one fell swoop" but require little effort from the crew don't seem to get the complaints about diluting the "Starbucks Experience."

[CoffeeMonkey]

It's because they don't smell. I'm really not looking forward to cleaning ovens that smell like ham -- I'm vegetarian. Not judging people who eat pork, just saying that I don't care for the smell.

And Mike, it's not that we're lazy. We have to keep the ovens on until closing, and they take an HOUR to shut down in order to clean. We only get forty-five minutes to close up shop. If I can't get out of the store until just after midnight, there's a good chance I won't be able to get a bus home, since the poorly-funded public transportation system gets increasingly unreliable the later it is.

On a happier note, I really like those new veggie wraps. You know, the ones in the green tortillas.

[Ace]

@mikeinseattle

That's probably because they don't take up nearly as much space, or stink.

[chi-town's best/angriest barista]

it no longer smells like coffee at my store. it stinks like burnt cheese and toxic oven cleaner. mmmm, third place....

however, we still get customers comming in and demanding "why don't you guys have ice cream?!/more merchandise?!/other uselss non-coffee crap in your store?!" i dunno, maybe cuz it's freaking tiny and we have to shuffle through 2000 people per day, in 3minutes or less.
ugh.

[Adam in Racine WI]

Stopped in the Hwy 31 & Hwy 20 location in Racine this morning for a cup of Yukon blend...

...the smell *literally* turned my stomach, I thought I was going to be sick.

Bring back the coffee smell, boo to the hot sandwiches!

Ok we have had our oven for over a year. When did the standard change about turn off time for the oven. Our DM / SM said to turn the oven off one hour before closing.

[BitchyBarista]

The veggie wraps are good stuff. So are the baby carrots and celery with hummus. We sell out of them every day, so (of course) we're going to stop stocking them (not sure if that's all stores or just my store). Makes perfect sense, right?

The sandwiches are going to be the bane of my existence.

[Ace]

Veggie Wraps? Baby carrots and celery with hummus?

Figures I get the store that only sells fruit bowls filled with melons and strawberries. Hooray for anaphylaxis!

[Starbucks Poster Boy]

Know what would be sweet. If Starbucks actually sold good coffee.

Do you ever want to ask, "Do you want some coffee with your sugar?"

I've actually come to embrace the warming ovens. I think they're really neat for things other than making sandwiches. Like, if you put a bunch of sugar in there and have the oven cook 4 florentine sandwiches, the sugar turns into a sweet lava rock looking thing. Burning chocolate in there is cool too. We use them to cook pizzas and stuff for our breaks. That's neat as well.

I wonder if the ovens would be good to use to make customer drinks extra hot?? I just can't seem to get the milk over 250. Hmm...I guess I have an experiment to perform.

[Epsilon.Sigma]

1. Do you really use the oven to cook pizzas and other food for your breaks?
This is not allowed. The guidelines say that we are only permited to put Starbucks foods in the ovens.
Clean your act and behave as you are supposed to, mate.

2. I also don't like the smell of burnt cheese in the store. This is not right, you money-obsessed managers!

3. I don't like the idiotic pastries they have decided we sell here in Greece. It's all overpriced poor quality cheese pies and other similar staff. 2.15 euros for a pathetic deep-frozen cheese pie, while one can get a freshly-made delicious one for 0.90 at several stores across the road.
I've had it! I go and buy baguettes for my break from the store opposite to us. There's a hot girl that makes them fresh and really neat, tasty and clean. I'm in love with her. I'm looking at her while pretending to clean the LaMarzocco. Hah!

[Sheik]

If you turn off the oven an hour before closing, then that means the sandwiches AREN'T available all day. All the signs say "Available all day." They'd only be available til one hour before closing.

So all closers are there till possibly 12:15-12:30AM cleaning an oven.

[Sprezzatura]

The sandwiches are gross and the smell is decidedly unpleasant.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

We actually turn off Warming Oven 1, clean it and turn it back on and then turn off the Warming Oven 2, clean it and leave it off. Therefore, we don't have to wait to clean the ovens.

[Tall Drip]

The local stores I frequent are still oven-free. Not looking forward to the day they get them. Somehow I see them flopping big time. In the markets that have them, have they been selling well??

[carol]

If you work in the store your opinion means very little. The only opinions that count are the customer's. Customers rule - not whiny Baristas

What about whiney customers such as yourself? You don't rule at my store buddy!

In my store we sell about 80 breakfast sandwiches a day about 70 before 11am. We also have about a dozen cold case sandwiches that can be heated up, we always sell out of the cold case sandwiches. Then there are all the pastries AM and PM to heat up. I would love to see the whole oven thing go in the garbage but we sell to much for that to happen. Since we got the oven we have doubled the sale of our chocolate chip cookies...warmed up of course.

[Darleen]

Did you forget to take your meds again boston starbucks rebel?

Today my store manager asked me about my HIV status because other partners voiced concerns. The other partners supposedley said they did not want me preparing drinks or prepping food for them. I would not be allowed to use the warming oven. Can a store manager legally do that?

[~ J]

RE: Today my store manager asked me about my HIV status because other partners voiced concerns.

1) I really hope that that's just a not-funny joke someone decided to post, but just in case this really happened -

It is a total violation of your rights of an employee and HUMAN BEING to be questioned about something like that in this job. If you're at a high risk of spilling bodily fluids or something, MAYBE but definitely not at Starbucks. I am horrified to think that we have partners who would feel that way, and even more horrified that a manager would allow for something like that to continue in their store.

I'd say to call partner resources about it. That's definitely not ok for them to question you about and CERTAINLY shouldn't effect your ability to do your job of making beverages and food items.

I'm really sorry you even had to deal with that at all. .

~ J

No, my store manager noticed that I had cut my hand and she said, "Well, I think we all know about your lifestyle that you lead outside of Starbucks. And frankly, some of the partners and customers have expressed concerns and asked that you not touch their beverages or food, thats why you only ring and clean the store these days. I need to ask you about your HIV status."

[Jake of 8bitjoystick.com]

you should talk to a lawyer because that is a MAJOR violation about federal medial privacy laws and your legally protected civil rights.

See if you can get that manager's request in writing.

[Carrie]

The sandwiches smell terrible! I've been chased to a drive-though because the smell makes me sick.

[Samplezzz]

I feel bad for the SM who asked about the HIV status...I'd be freaked out too if someone with HIV was waltzing around my store with open wounds. The SM should have consulted parter resources to protect him or herself and had them deal with it. Either way the HIV partner shouldn't be working if there is a possibility of transmitting the disease just like a partner who has diareha! The partner should have taken more of a precaution...I understand partners possibly finding out this information people become close working in such close quarters but why in the world would customers be asking? Who would give out that info???

[Sheik]

This thread started out about warming sandwiches and now it's about HIV.

*eye roll*

[Trevor V.]

We don't have the breakfast sandwiches in Canada and I hope it stays that way.

And I'm not a Barista, I'm a customer.

The customers and partners talk to each other. And of course "gossip" ironically gets around that I get around, alot. Unforunately my sexuality and sexual activites become the source of tawdry discourse among others and then of course rumors spread about me, mostly due to ignorance. And before you know it there's an Inquisition at Starbucks about health policies who can handle the sandwiches and lattes. Its a slippery slope to the point where we have signs that might say "Negative Only" seating areas.

[Jen]

To all you who are complaining and don't even have the ovens yet, you're just scared. Typical humans putting down things you know nothing about. The ovens don't smell like a particular substance. They aren't hard to clean. The customers love it. AND GUESS WHAT ELSE, my clothes and hair don't smell any nastier than they did PRE Warming! I've worked in a restaurant. They really DO smell.

If you're store is actually CLEAN. If you are really following the duty roster. If you are following the cleaning guidelines, then your place won't stink! The only complaint I've received (and it's few and VERY far between) is the cleaning chemical smell and that is ONLY because our baristas care about having a clean store.

Get over yourselves. Warming is an amazing thing and I am happy to say we have it.

[deeni]

the english muffin smell makes me sick and always has made me nauseous. I've walked out a couple of times when starbucks stunk from them.

Get over yourselves. Warming is an amazing thing and I am happy to say we have it.

Get over ourselves??? Hahahaha, you say warming is "amazing" and we should get over ourselves? Girl, you have the biggest attitude here!

[~ J]

RE: HIV/AIDS partners

That really is a violation. If there truly is a risk of you (or ANYONE, regardless of HIV/AIDS status) spreading a bodily fluid to customers/partners/others in general, then -yes - universal precautions must be taken... But keyword there is UNIVERSAL.. That means that either everyone or noone uses the oven if that's what's seen as having the potential to cut you. If you are singled out, then that's -again- a complete violation of your rights and you HAVE to address it to corporate. In the meantime I'd say it IS fair to be as careful as possible and encourage others to do the same. If you can easily get cut on it (I dont have ovens yet so I don't know) then by all means wear gloves and have others do the same, but there is no reason you should be singled out.

And for SHEIK: Yah, sometimes we get off topic. It happens. Atleast this divergence is for a good cause and because a partner is truly looking for answers he can't get anyone else. We're a community on here, believe it or not, and I'd rather go off topic and have a person get the support they need (and are clearly not getting in their store) then stay on topic and worry about sandwiches that smell.

~ J

[RaingrlBarista]

My hat's off to you, ~J! You show knowledge, consideration & involvement! Keep that spirit going! =)

[hugsandmugs]

i don't think the sandwiches stink up the store. at all. you walk into my store and get hit with the fabulous aroma of coffee.

[Melina]

I've purchased and consumed three (3) of the "warmed" breakfast sandwiches, and, I'm not that picky, but they just aren't *that* good, especially if you do not eat them right away and they sit in the bag whilst your driving or commuting to work.

I've also noticed the baristas asking everyone if they'd like their pastry or bagel "toasted" or "warmed" now, rather than just placing said item in a regular bag and handing it to the custie.

Sometimes the sandwiches are stinky, depends on how big the store is and the cross-ventilation.

I could personally live without having a "warmed" breakfast sandwich option available at Starbucks.

[Jeff]

Carol said: What about whiney customers such as yourself? You don't rule at my store buddy!

Sorry to disappoint but I work for Starbucks and I'm tired of the partners who get on here just to bitch and moan about how *$ is destroying itself. Leave! There are plenty of little independents to work for. Although in St. Louis they have a lot more hot and cold food than we do.

Ugh. As a vegan, I'm not looking forward to dealing with this, and I might seriously consider quitting unless my way of life is very seriously respected. I will not touch, deal with or promote meat. Period. I don't know how warming fits in with deployment, but I'd better be able to avoid the warming area at all times.

My store manager also said that she would not fill out an incident report and therefore would not allow me to file for workman's compensation. I therefore, informed her that I was not one hundred percent positive, pardon the pun, about my HIV status since I had not been tested in about three weeks. I had engaged multiple times in high-risk activities for the transmission of HIV. She then said, well then just stay at your register or clean the store. Since the store was so understaffed, I eventually had to go to bar and make drinks, therefore leaving bloody smudges on the cups.

[Jake of 8bitjoystick.com]

I asked my girlfriend that works with medical data about the legality of the manager asking about HIV status and it was a super super illegal no-no

Since your manager asked you about your HIV status they can and should be fired by Starbucks corporate HR. They opened the company up to a lawsuit when they violated your medical privacy rights.

I mean you have to follow all food handlers laws but that is no excuse for them to violate your civil rights and create a hostile work enviorment.

You can also sue the shit out of them for bringing your sexuality into this.

Ahhh did this person mention sexual orientation or did they just say they engage in risky behavior?

My store manager used the word "lifestyle" implying that she believes that all homosexuals like to have wild butt sex every night. For me its every other night in fact but thats besides the point. Again her exact words were, "Well, I think we all know about your lifestyle that you lead outside of Starbucks. And frankly, some of the partners and customers have expressed concerns and asked that you not touch their beverages or food, thats why you only ring and clean the store these days. I need to ask you about your HIV status."

[Darleen]

Dude, just call human resources, no one on here can give you the answers you seek. Just call and find out what your rights are. If things were not handled properly let human resources handle it. I'm not insensitive to you or the way you were treated, but this is a freakin' gossip website, not a law firm. If you want answers, go to where you can get them. Maybe that sounds harsh, I apologize, however I don't think this is the venue you need. I hope everything gets settled for you, good luck!