Starbucks Gossip

Michelle Gass quits Starbucks after 16 years to join Kohl's

On May 2nd, Starbucks announced that Michelle Gass (at left) will return to the U.S. this summer to work directly with Howard Schultz. (She's been in charge of Starbucks' Europe, Middle East and Africa unit and running SBUX's Seattle's Best Coffee division.)

Today it was announced that Gass is leaving Starbucks after 16 years to become Kohl's chief customer officer.

What are you hearing about her departure?

Kohl's hires Michelle Gass away from Starbucks

Report: Starbucks stores in Houston charge double for no-water iced teas

Starbucks Gossip reader Will writes:

"I was recently informed that all of DM [name withheld for now]'s stores in Houston were ordered to charge double price for no-water iced teas. This would make a Trenta sized iced tea almost seven dollars! There's no way that this is Starbucks policy. Even charging for a refill in this situation seems unreasonable. Can you please help me bring attention to this to get it stopped?"

Is there anyone from the Houston area familiar with this charge-them-double policy? What's the reaction to it -- from customers and SBUX employees? Do any other stores do this?

* When ordering SBUX iced tea, ask for "no water" to avoid a diluted flavor

Starbucks barista in Philadelphia is credited with recognizing murder suspect

Got coffee at the 10th and Chestnut Starbucks this morning in honor of crazy Kai the Hitchhiker story. (philly.com/philly/news/Ka…)

— Emily Babay (@emilybabay) May 17, 2013

He/she is a Coffee Master and a Master Detective!

Police say a Starbucks barista in Philadelphia recognized murder suspect Caleb "Kai" McGillvary, who was wanted in the beating death of a 73-year-old New Jersey lawyer.

The barista waited on McGillvary on Thursday, recognized him and called 911. McGillvary took off with his coffee, but was later found at a bus terminal.

Anyone from the Philly store care to tell us more?

* Starbucks barista helped nab "Kai the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker"

Diaper-changing dispute at Starbucks results in a call to police

Ruth Burgos was with her year-old son at a Denver Starbucks last Friday when she needed to change him. There wasn't a changing table in the bathroom, so she quickly did the job in the seating area.

"As a mother, you have to do what you have to do. Wherever you have to do it," she says.

Burgos noticed there was no changing table at the Denver Starbucks on the 7900 block of East 49th Avenue so she changed her son's diaper in the seating area.

"I just kind of wiped him off, cleaned him off as quickly as I could," Burgos said.

Her husband told a TV reporter that a Starbucks employee tossed a rag at the mother and spoke to her in a "demeaning" tone.

"He said make sure to wipe the seat when you're done," said the hubby. "They started talking amongst themselves and laughing about it."

An angry Burgos then poured his coffee on the floor. Starbucks baristas responded by calling police. An officer responded but nobody was arrested.

The TV station contacted Starbucks and its PR person said the coffee chain has apologized to the Burgos family, and said it wants all customers treated with "dignity and respect."

Do any Starbucks Gossip readers have first-hand knowledge of what happened here?

* Starbucks diaper change ends with call to police

'It's going to be unbelievable,' La Boulange founder says of his offerings at Starbucks stores

Melissa Allison, who is on the Starbucks beat for the Seattle Times, traveled to San Francisco to talk to La Boulange founder Pascal Rigo about his plans for transforming Starbucks pastry and sandwich cases over the next five years.

She writes of the La Boulange era at SBUX:

"Some customer favorites remain, including croissants, pumpkin loaf and lemon loaf, but with new recipes that do not include hard-to-pronounce ingredients such as guar gum. The new effort also has eliminated all preservatives except nitrates in the ham-and-cheese croissant.

"Then there are an array of new goodies, from chocolate croissants to that ham-and-cheese croissant to chocolate molten cake."

You'll know that La Boulange has arrived at your Starbucks when you start seeing a lot of pink.

"Pastry cases will be lined with pink paper, and muffins and cookies will leave the store in pink 'La Boulange' bags also bearing the green Starbucks logo," reports Allison.

La Boulange mini-bakeries recently debuted in Starbucks stores in San Francisco, and they'll be inside of 348 Seattle stores on June 4. By August 2014, La Boulange products will be in every Starbucks store in the U.S.

* Entrepreneur bakes up Starbucks' sweet pastry plan

Congratulations to Jose & crew on the opening of your new downtown Evanston store

The downtown Evanston (Ill.) Starbucks has been one of my hangouts for over a decade. It is -- or was -- a small store with only 7 or tables, and always packed with Northwestern University students. Today the SBUX crew moved into much larger digs just 3 doors down. Lines were out the door on opening day today; congrats on a nice addition to Evanston's downtown.

* New downtown Evanston SBUX store is LEED-certified, accomodates 90+ customers