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BY "JUAN VALDEZ"
Well, since we spent the the last column amidst the gleaming skyscrapers of Bellevue, we thought it would be fun to do the same in this week's column only in downtown Seattle, instead.
And what better place to do so than the middle of 7th avenue, right on the edge of the Elliott Hotel?
In fact, this store is close enough to the hotel that the Starbucks patrons have to use the hotel's facilities if they want to go to the bathroom. Therefore, there will not be an evaluation of the bathroom in this review much to the chagrin of at least some of the loyal readers.
This is a deceptively large store. From the outside, it looks like a normal hole in the wall Starbucks but, once inside, it's rather roomy. I liked the tile wall along the back and the friendly mix of tables, counter space and comfy chairs.
The pastry/cold cases were clean and stocked although the cold case part was apparently not in use for some unknown reason; instead there was a stand up case nearby which held all the cold items. There was some sort of board placed over the empty cold case and, while I was there, at least two people picked it up to see what was going on which had to be irritating to the three partners on duty.
Because we're reaching the end of this little journey, I decided to shake things up a bit and had a signature hot chocolate, the first time I've done so during one of my visits. I have to say I found it to be delicious...a really pleasing blend of chocolate. Yummy.
The partners were pleasant and friendly and efficient. Unfortunately, that efficiency didn't extend past the front counter. Business was steady but came in a couple of waves. In between the waves, there was time to clean the dirty lobby and condiment stand yet no one did. It was discouraging to see a good visit ruined by the lack of attention to detail.
48 down...two more to go...
Grade: B
*
Time of day: morning
* Number of partners on the floor: 3
* Service time: 5 minutes
* Business level: steady
* Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: No bathroom
* Legendary service: No
* Would I recommend to a friend: Yes
COLUMN STATS
* # of stores reviewed where a partner has tried to connect with a customer – 23 out of 48
* # of stores where they've offered samples of anything – 4 out of 48
* # of stores that could have been considered "understaffed" - 2 out of 48
* # of stores with a clean bathroom – 26 out of 46
* # of stores with a chair sitting in the bathroom – 1 out of 46
"Juan Valdez" is the nom de cyber of a former Starbucks manager who became disenchanted with the increasingly bitter taste of the Starbucks experience and fled to the mountains of Colombia where he now rides his burro and ponders the glittering sunsets. On a crisp clear day, when atmospheric conditions are just right and the moon is in the seventh house, he can be reached at juanvaldezsbux@gmail.com
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Starbucks
Harrah's Casino
Las Vegas
BY "JUAN VALDEZ"
So, here I sit, in the concrete jungle otherwise known as downtown Bellevue. Bellvue is due east from Seattle across Lake Washington. Amidst the gleaming half filled office towers (damn you recession), sits several Starbucks. This particular one is a stand alone unit that clearly serves the surrounding buildings as well as the Bellevue transit center. Almost directly across the street is another Starbucks which presumably serves the same function for the buildings on that side of the street. Thanks to a maniacal need in the early 2000s to jack up the number of stores, folks in this part of Bellevue don't have to walk across the street to get their SBUX fix. Although I have to say parking in this area is a bitch.
The four partners on duty at this cafe-store were just outright nice. No pushiness, just sweet, well intentioned folks who did their job in an efficient manner. Smiles were the order of the day and there was actual conversation going on between the partners and their customers. The pastry case had a few holes in it when I walked in but they got those filled quickly enough. The lobby was clean except for the walk off mat near the front door which was capturing dried leaves from customer shoes. This particular store didn't appear to have a bathroom so I am unable to give you the normal snarky evaluation of the bathroom's cleanliness. /CONTINUED IN THE FIRST COMMENT
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BY JUAN VALDEZ
A couple of columns ago, the headline was "Juan needs a legendary experience before he goes away." Well, guess what? Juan found his legendary experience.
It was at a store on 196th ST SW in Lynnwood, one of the busiest streets you're ever gonna find. Because there is so much traffic in this general area, there are Starbucks galore. About a mile and a half northeast from this location are three Starbucks within the confines of the Alderwood Mall. A half a mile due west from this store is another Starbucks and another mile and a half or so is yet another one with yet another one another mile further down that road.
Lynnwood is a veritable cornucopia of Starbucks goodness; especially for a town that only has maybe 30,000 inhabitants. /CONTINUED IN THE FIRST COMMENT BELOW
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