UPDATE: NO BLONDE JOKES, PLEASE! (This was posted in the comments, and backed up by others)
We were told at a Regional Rally there are absolutely no Blonde jokes to be told around the coffee what so ever. It will be a written offense if so. This came right from the RD's [Regional Director] mouth to about 100 SM's [Store Manager] so communicate back to our stores at our own meetings.
It's like the time they told us we could not refer to Via as instant it must be called micro ground but then wrote instant on the packaging...great idea!
JUMP TO THE SECOND PAGE OF COMMENTS
* Starbucks' lighter Blonde roast debuts in U.S.
* They were taste-testing it at Chicago's flagship store
"Blonde" to me = weak coffee, non-bold, watered down Pike. The name has no appeal. I'll ask the baristas for a sample; the taste will be the tell.
I watched the "blonde" add on starbucks.com and it seemed more about getting laid in a warm bed than coffee. No coffee appeal.
As for rancid old coffee from dirty equipment: I appreciate seeing that because my local is mostly that way now. I've voted with my feet. There were times it was so bad it was nauseating. I left because I got tired of mentioning it and hearing BS from the baristas, who I consider friends. I doubt they can come out and say what we all know is the truth. Instead they'd make a "fresh pot" which was not much better in a filthy machine. Wah!
The whole "blonde" campaign seems sexist, cliche and silly to me...but I figure SBUX tested the market to come up with it. Good luck.
Posted by: Coffee Drinker | January 13, 2012 at 12:06 PM
I'm always kinda floored when I read about stores with equipment so filthy that it begins to affect taste of beverage. I may not be super gung-ho about all the company does, but it stuns me that some have such a lack of pride regarding things for which they are directly responsible.
Posted by: otterinthewater | January 13, 2012 at 01:46 PM
Sometimes, priorities change for a few minutes. Taking 5 minutes to clean your urns is one of them.
Posted by: spence | January 13, 2012 at 03:56 PM
"We were told at a Regional Rally there are absolutely no Blonde jokes to be told around the coffee what so ever. It will be a written offense if so. This came right from the RD's [Regional Director] mouth to about 100 SM's [Store Manager] so communicate back to our stores at our own meetings."
Well good job NOT using a thesaurus and coming up with a better adjective than BLONDE. Jerks.
Posted by: Yerba | January 13, 2012 at 05:13 PM
BTW I think the Veranda is delicious, and it is citrusy and floral. It is kind of Kenya Lite.
Posted by: Yerba | January 13, 2012 at 05:15 PM
If the big brains in Seattle didn't want baristas to be making blonde jokes, then why in the hell did they name the coffee such? It's actually a stupid name for a really nasty tasting coffee. Those clowns in corporate just can't seem to do ANYTHING right!
Posted by: ncsm | January 13, 2012 at 05:44 PM
I work at a high-volume store, and we're always cutting labor, yet somehow we find time to Urnex every single urn every single day. And detail clean. And develop partners, connect with customers, sell whole bean, etc.
It all comes down to management. I have worked in both kinds of stores within the same district... a good SM makes or breaks your store. Period. End of story. You can have the most dynamic partners in the world, but if you have a SM who is unenthusiastic about their job, it is going to create a lot of dissonance in your store. Be prepared.
Honestly, what is the point of even going to work if you are knowingly selling coffee that tastes like sh*t? If you don't want to do your job, then quit. There are plenty of people that would love to have it...
Personally, I love Veranda, and our customers, even the bold drinkers, have been responding enthusiastically to it. Blonde roast has been long overdue.
I have really enjoyed having the non-coverage hours to really connect with customers over this coffee, that is, engage them on a different level than I can when deployed. I was surprised as to how knowledgeable some of our customers are about coffee.
Posted by: MissStretto | January 13, 2012 at 07:57 PM
Last week I was working a morning shift at a relatively busy Starbucks in Utah, and this older man comes in and he says, "I don't like the French, so I'm not gonna use any of these 'French' words. I want a big-chocolate-blended-coffee." I giggled about it the rest of the day. :)
Posted by: Cory | January 13, 2012 at 08:38 PM
It's sour. I couldn't drink it. It smells awful too.
Posted by: S | January 14, 2012 at 02:50 PM
@ Melpomene I wish there was a position like that available up there in the evil corp HQ, but it only exists in your conspiracy theory mind... (Where do apply for a job to sit and chat on forms all day?)
I’m just a SM that gets it, likes the organization that I work for, and really enjoy what I do. So I am a little defensive when I read the outrages BS people shpeel on here
Posted by: That Guy | January 14, 2012 at 07:41 PM
I tried the blonde via...it's a nice blend that will appeal mostly to "donut shop" coffee fans. I typically prefer the darker blends but this would be a nice alternative for days when I feel like "coffee light".
Posted by: DMcG | January 15, 2012 at 01:18 PM
why doeS the brewed coffee always taste So much better when it's from the sbux on the nys thruway (esp. ardsley) and to a lesser extent the target Sbux's??! it really does. Kinda ticks me off, then to get the watery crap from the "real" city stores.
Posted by: jwj | January 15, 2012 at 06:43 PM
I tried the blonde today and she was awful. I think their breakfast blend is a much better choice for a mild. They had to dream this marketing gimmick up because the coffee is terrible.
Posted by: D | January 15, 2012 at 08:49 PM
~weak
~lacking in any flavor whatsoever
~tastes like any lack luster weak coffee
I love Starbucks coffee, but this is not good. It's not selling yet either (for us at least).
Posted by: nothappyanymore | January 16, 2012 at 01:25 PM
im one of the light coffee drinkers. i didnt start drinking coffee coffee until i started working in office jobs that had it for free after being a frappacino drinker hardcore extra whip. I have had really bad coffee and not really telling since i social drink coffee lol I really like the blond after having it for the first time saturday. it was described to me as a light tea-like coffee and that helped usher me into liking it so that it could be my thing. what i DIDNT like was being UPSOLD to buy the $10 blond via bullcrap instantly that i said i like. my local barista who i get on with very well instantly tried to get me to buy the big via of the blond while saying"i cant find the small ones of via" which i have never ever gotten cuz i think via is a rackett (yea two "ts) and i dont drink coffee like that. i come into a starbucks for the other than coffee experience. chill on trying to get me more product. i will in my own time. so far i have had a cup everyday and that's cool for me. i had it so i could get used to it as i have been on a search for a coffee other than pikes.
and i will integrate it into my work week maybe twice a week and it will do for me.
Posted by: sannyd | January 16, 2012 at 07:49 PM
Our SM actually told us NOT to describe it as light... we are all supposed to call it "a smooth & mellow coffee with no bitter after-taste"
Funniest joke i've heard so far... one of our favorite regulars said, "It's not like any blonde i've ever tasted. " LOL. still cracks me up.
Posted by: Jess | January 16, 2012 at 08:07 PM
Terrible idea, Starbucks!!! I am a 4 year gold carder and a stock holder--if this keeps going I am burning the gold card and selling my stock. Get with it, please. The blonde stuff is, well, worse than "church" coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Nancy Marks | January 17, 2012 at 05:37 AM
Brewed coffee strength and roast level are independent variables when it comes to coffee.
Just because everyone who's had this epiphany about well-brewed coffee now associates it with roast-related overtones, any coffee that tastes unlike CHARbucks is "weak" is really missing the potential experience of coffee.
Just because you can't taste the roast level doesn't make it "weak". I purposefully walked away from starbucks for 4 years specifically BECAUSE of their consistent choice of over-roasting their coffee and obliterating the potential of some of their coffees.
It was a huge discovery to *$s roasters (according to their release with the Tribute Blend) that they couldn't blend everything PRE-roasting, and had to roast their Ethiopia compliment lighter than the other portions of the Tribute Blend.
This is not big news to specialty roasters - darkly roasting Ethiopia coffees kill the fruit notes that shine if properly roasted (not much more than where the Blonde roast is now).
Bottom line: not all coffees need to be smoky and dark. I hope that *$s doesn't give up on the "Blonde" but I do wish they would have used different nomenclature.
Now, there are some strange things going on with the in-store brewing of the Blonde roasts. LOTS of variation from store to store - more than brewed Pike Place or Italian. I've had good cups of it, then I've had under-extracted cups of it. I don't know if they are varying the brew ratio or what, but if it isn't brewed properly then it won't matter. Badly brewed coffee is badly brewed coffee.
And for those that say nobody complains about Starbucks coffee - I spent years discussing why all of their coffees were so darn dark (my wife calls the taste "ashtray"), and I sent many messages and feedback to HQ when I could, many of which were nicely answered by a semi-generic "this is our style."
Dark roasting covers plenty of sins, so if you can convince your customer base that this is "normal", you can really gain a tremendous amount of latitude in how you present your product. Dark roasting allows you to make bean substitutes easily (always a problem with coffee, when a storm comes through and destroys a crop of one of your components in the blend on which you rely).
Example, you can tell a Full City roast difference between a top quality Costa Rica and a Guatemala - but this difference disappears when you roast as dark as Pike Place. For a blend that uses a Central American coffee, you can use whatever is available.
Posted by: Coffee Hobbyist | January 17, 2012 at 07:36 AM
It wasn't big news to them either. They are appealing to true coffee lovers who like to have the taste brought out in their coffee. Until now. Yes, you are very pretentious. No, not very knowledgeable.
Posted by: uhno | January 17, 2012 at 09:50 AM
MMMM ashtray blend. I like to toss a couple cigarette butts in there. Sometimes I grab handfuls of earth and put it in my coffee brewer.
Posted by: B-RI | January 17, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Hey Nancy, nobody will even notice if you sell your stock and burn your gold card. Threatening to do things like that because a company expanded their market and still is offering what you normally drink is silly. Your personal opinion doesn't set the standard for the rest of the world. Don't like it? Don't drink it. Nobody is forcing you!
Posted by: shifty | January 17, 2012 at 05:48 PM
I think it's hilllaaarrrious when someone thinks they should get special treatment because they have a gold card.
Posted by: Silly Customers | January 17, 2012 at 09:31 PM
Yea, it's really easy to get.
Posted by: truestory | January 17, 2012 at 09:51 PM
I'm not a coffee drinker but I know quite a few who would not drink Starbucks coffee because it was too dark for them and they thought it had a "burned" after taste. At least three of those have tried the new lighter blends and have liked them. I think Starbucks was trying to bring in a new group of customers and it was a good call. Of course, I'm a hard core chai drinker so it's not a big deal for me :)
Posted by: Karen | January 18, 2012 at 10:15 AM
If I wanted dunkin' donuts coffee, I'd go to DD. I think it's awful.
Posted by: CTCoffeeGuy | January 19, 2012 at 08:54 PM
Does anyone else hate the new cadence or is it just me?!!
Posted by: bob | January 20, 2012 at 09:11 AM
I agree Waltie,it is nice to work with upbeat partners that don't constantly complain about everything and watch the clock.
I don't care for the Blonde but it has been a hit at our store. The only thing I don't like is that the new packaging makes it hard to find the coffee you want because they all look alike in the color schemes....I miss the old packaging with the pics.
Posted by: Coco | January 20, 2012 at 10:27 PM
i don't like the blonde, i think it tastes like coffee flavored water. i'm not really a fan of coffee to begin with anyway tho so my opinion may not matter much. i lie about it to customers, cause i'd probably get fired for telling them what i think it really tastes like lol as far as the blonde jokes thing, i think if it's in a harmless way i'd be ok with it but thats just me. though the other day this group of guys i hadn't seen at our store before came in and were really loud and stuff and as i was handing out their coffee (one had opted to try the blonde roast) the one who'd ordered the coffee said to his friend "oo does she come with the coffee?" alluding to my hair being blonde. i felt that was highly unnecessary, though i wasn't offended. it's just rude, keep those comments to yourself or openly share them to the person you're talking about.
Posted by: Kosuzu | January 21, 2012 at 03:45 PM
The customers at my store in Aurora, IL love it! We've sold a decent amount of Veranda and Willow. People that come in for coffee, usually grab the Blonde Roast instead of Pikes, unless they're Bold coffee drinkers. We've been handing out samples, and pushing this roast to our customers. I wouldn't say that we sell 20 pounds a day, but we do sell a good amount compared to some other stores. Personally, I don't like it that much, since I'm a Bold coffee drinker. If I do end up having some, it'll be mostly cream and sugar, haha.
Posted by: shortsoylatte | January 25, 2012 at 08:14 AM
I tried the Willow by buying a whole bag of it to drink at home. I hate it SO much. I bought it at the grocery store and don't know if I can return it, but I hate being out $9 a bag for something I won't drink. I've never been this unhappy about a product before but I think this stuff is so gross that I'm actually thinking of complaining to corporate.
Posted by: disappointed sbux fan | January 26, 2012 at 12:25 PM
"...I never said nobody was told not to use the word instant, just that I wasn't nor was anybody else in my district that I know of. I was simply pointing out that it wasn't a corporate directive..."
BS - the verbage was in the training materials sent out to stores...I helped lead the training, I know. ;-P
Posted by: Datedotit | January 26, 2012 at 03:56 PM
I tried it at a Starbucks and thought it was fine. But when I tried to brew the Veranda blend at home, I found it insipid. Up front, I prefer a dark or medium roast. But I have friends who like milder-flavored coffee and might enjoy it.
Posted by: Drjuliebug | January 29, 2012 at 05:45 PM
i was told the same things at my location when they first arrived. via is instant- call it what you like. i take it with me hiking was my sales pitch.
blonde coffee, tall blonde-- those jokes weren't encouraged because they got old fast, kind of like that kid in your HS class that did the austin powers impressions for 2 years after the movies came out.
Posted by: q | January 16, 2013 at 01:19 PM
Still too bitter. Too bad I like your company but don't purchase your products. Hot chocolate, flappes too sweet. Everything over the top for my taste.
Posted by: Joan bruno | March 02, 2013 at 08:51 PM
Just purchased Veranda Blend Blonde roast coffee beans....could not wait to try lighter Starbucks blend. I have never liked Starbucks other coffees....way to strong and heavy, bitter for me.
I don't know who did taste testing on blonde roast....this is the worst coffee I've ever tasted! And I have been coffee drinker since age 10.
It is extremely mild and tastes like hot water with one strong note at top but no body whatsoever. I made several pots thinking I needed to use more beans to get flavor but nothing worked. I have decaf coffee that tastes better! Needless to say, I won't buy this ever again.
How do I get a refund??
Posted by: Nancy Wimer | March 15, 2013 at 02:59 PM
The sad truth is that Starbucks NEEDS to roast their coffee to a char. coffee is an extremely delicate agricultural product. Every roaster/sourcer will tell you that no single coffee is sustainable forever due to many climate/economical conditions. Because Starbucks cannot ensure consistancy of any single origin or blended coffee over many mannny years -they are forced to push the roast to a point where the indescrepincies between batches is blurred, and the actual roast itself becomes the dominating flavor.The roast is the only thing they have complete control over and they utilize it to ensure consistancy.
Posted by: Rfelb | May 04, 2013 at 09:42 PM
I just tried blond roast. I stayed away from SB for years because I don't like the burnt flavor. I drink my coffee black no sugar, so I can notice subtle flavors. Although blond tasted better than other coffees I've had at SB, it still tasted burnt. They must blend in some of their dark roast. I didn't finish it. It was a small coffee.
Posted by: steve marks | September 06, 2013 at 04:27 PM