Starbucks Gossip

Are the new Starbucks store concepts designed to chase customers away?

One customer complains in Forbes about her revamped Starbucks store:

"A recent renovation brought an army of teeny-weeny tables lined up in formation against the longest wall. Behind them is a lengthy bench, too high to sit comfortably and too wide to rest your back. They’ve amped up the music by adding another speaker. And the new lighting feels fluorescent and cold. The effect of the store renovation is clear: It’s not a comfortable place to sit for very long. 'Foot traffic' has clearly increased, but the regulars have scattered."

I'd be curious what store she's talking about. The overhauled SBUX stores I visit seem as inviting as the old stores. YOUR THOUGHTS?

* Starbucks' power over us is bigger than coffee; it's personal

'I feel like I'm about to tear up,' NFL player says after Starbucks card is stolen

New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco lost many things when his SUV was broken into this week, but he seemed most upset about his Starbucks card going missing.

“I earned the gold card,” Ochocinco said in a two-minute video posted to his Twitter account. “You know how many coffees I’ve had to drink and lemon loaves I’ve had to purchase to get to that gold card? I had $220 left on my Starbucks card. Not just any Starbucks card, but a gold Starbucks card."

Starbucks PR jumped into action and quickly made sure his card was replaced.

* Ocho's Starbucks saga has a happy ending

UPDATE: A commenter suggests a discussion about this week's "mysterious store closings," which are described here.

HAVE ANY INFO? WERE YOU AFFECTED? TELL US.

Starbucks *does not* have a drink called "Black Guy"

Starbucks customer Paul Klenk thought he heard someone order a "Black Guy" -- a drink with two shots.

"I was mortified," he writes. "A simple double espresso had taken on a racially offensive and violent nickname. ...It bothered me deeply, and for weeks I considered writing to the company."

It took a while, but he finally figured out that the drink was a "Black Eye."

The barista explained to him: "A red eye is an extra shot. A black eye is two shots; a purple eye, three shots."

And everything's fine now.

* A misunderstanding at the Starbucks counter

Stirring things up: A customer has a question for baristas

LETTER TO STARBUCKS GOSSIP AND ITS READERS:

Lisa writes:

I have a customer question:

What is "standard protocol" for stirring -- or not stirring -- iced drinks? Almost every time I order a flavored iced latte or iced Caramel Macchiato, the drink looks like all milk with toppings/espresso floating on top. Then, I have to take it over to the counter to stir it up before I can go on my way. I would love to have a stirred drink, so I could just grab and go! Are baristas supposed to stir? If so, how can I politely ask for this standard to be followed? If not, is it obnoxious for me to request this favor/customization when I order? What would the preferred wording of that order be?

Thanks to the many hard-working, cheerful baristas out there!

-----

With her question being answered, feel free to post any other comments/questions in this WEEKEND OPEN THREAD-ish item.

Starbucks' top coffee expert to retire

No, that's not Howard Schultz.

It's Dub Hay, the master taster who is in charge of creating new blends.

Anyone with info/stories about Hay?

* With top coffee expert retiring, Starbucks adjusts

Starbucks wins battle to limit pro-union pins on work uniforms

A U.S. appeals court says Starbucks' policy limiting employees to displaying only one pro-union button or pin on their work uniforms is not an unfair labor practice. One SBUX employee in New York tried to display eight union pins on her clothing.

"Starbucks argued that a NLRB ruling allowing employees to wear an unlimited number of buttons would convert them into 'personal message boards' for the union, says this news story.

* Starbucks wins one against union organizers

Dear Starbucks: Your new Tazo tea bags are appalling!

Jim Edwards says the new teabags have two design flaws:

* The string wicks the tea quickly up and out of the cup, leaving it dripping down off the tag and onto your hand or table top.

* The hot water almost immediately weakens the bag itself, and the string frequently rips a hole in the bag when you try to lift the bag out of the cup.

He says Starbucks "has taken the simplest drink possible -- flavored boiling water -- and managed to turn it into an engineering fiasco."

YOUR THOUGHTS?

* Fix this appalling Starbucks design flaw now

Sorry, Starbucks, I think I'll pass on this drink

Am I bad to think of dog poop every time I see this photo?

Did Starbucks back down too fast in insects-in-Frappuccinos flap?

Rick Sinnott writes:

"Starbucks wasn’t forcing anyone to drink their cochineal-laced frappuccinos. By demanding that the company replace the cochineal extract with lycopene, vegans and animal-rights activists may have done Mother Earth a great disservice. Fifty years after the publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” and people still prefer ingesting pesticides to a few powdered, organic bugs?"

* Did Starbucks back down too fast in flap over insects?

One of Vancouver's original Starbucks stores to close

Any Starbucks Gossip readers affected by this?

The store opened in 1988 and was the third Starbucks in Canada. Not to worry, though, as there's another Starbucks across the street.

This story explains:

The store is closing at the end of its current lease because it needs renovating and a new lease contains a demolition clause that could be activated with short notice, potentially making the renovation a waste of money.

One of Vancouver's original Starbucks to close

Just another Starbucks customer from hell

You've probably seen no-goodniks like her before:

The woman walked into a Starbucks, grabbed two coffee presses off the shelf and tried to "return them." When the employees insisted on seeing a receipt, the woman left the store and drove away. Police later caught up with her and made an arrest.

* Starbucks customer attempts fake return, lies to police

Starbucks announces two new Frappuccino beverages

Starbucks has put out a press release announcing the debut of Mocha Cookie Crumble and Chocolate Cookie Crumble Creme Frappuccinos, available for a limited time this summer. "Also returning are customer favorites -- the Mocha Coconut Frappuccino and the Coconut Creme Frappuccino blended beverages." That's old news to Starbucks Gossip readers.
* Starbucks introduces new Frappuccino beverage flavors

Claim: There are multiple Starbucks 'secret menus'

These so-called "secret" drinks are generally not so secret; do you agree? Your thoughts on the latest post about these supposed hush-hush offerings.

* The secret to ordering from Starbucks' "secret menu"

The return of Frappuccino Happy Hour?

A commenter wrote in the Pudding Frappucino thread:

"May 1st the coconut is coming back and a few days later for a few days, I think the 4th, they will have the frap happy hour again too. Can't wait."

Is it true that Happy Hour is returning? Let us know.

Starbucks rewards are now being delivered straight to registered Starbucks cards in Pittsburgh

Starting today, Starbucks customers in Pittsburgh will no longer receive postcards in the mail for their free earned drinks or birthday drink. Instead, the free drinks will be loaded onto registered Starbucks Cards automatically. Let's hope this goes national shortly.

* My Starbucks Rewards goes digital in Pittsburgh

Does Pudding Frappuccino sound good? You'll have to travel to Japan to try it.

The pudding rests in the bottom of your Frappuccino cup under a cream-based chocolate cookie shake. I only drink brewed coffee at SBUX, but this drink might tempt me.

* Japan flavor report: Pudding Frappuccino

Starbucks downsizes goal for reusable cups

Starbucks once had the goal of serving 25% of its drinks in reusable cups by 2015.

It's lowered that goal to 5%. Last year, 1.9% of the drinks were served in mugs and tumblers.

I'm proud to say that I always use a travel mug; no paper wasted here.

Starbucks downsizes goal for reusable cups

Starbucks to stop using red dye made from crush bugs in its drinks

Starbucks U.S. president Cliff Burrows says in a blog post:

"After a thorough, yet fastidious, evaluation, I am pleased to report that we are reformulating the affected products to assure the highest quality possible. Our expectation is to be fully transitioned to lycopene, a natural, tomato-based extract, in the strawberry sauce (base) used in our Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® blended beverage and Strawberry Banana Smoothie.

"Likewise, we are transitioning away from the use of cochineal extract in our food offerings which currently contain it (Raspberry Swirl Cake, Birthday Cake Pop, Mini Donut with pink icing, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pie)."

* Starbucks drops red dye made from crushed bugs

'Anarchists who attacked a Starbucks must be prosecuted to the utmost'

Threaten a journalist's cup of coffee and you're going to hear about it!

The New York Daily News is really pissed about anarchists attacking a Starbucks store in their fine city, and says those bad guys "need to be treated far more seriously by the criminal justice system than perpetrators of standard civil disobedience."

They're a threat to all caffeine lovers, dammit!

* New York Daily News wants to see SBUX attackers behind bars

She prefers decaf in the afternoon

Barista at @Starbucks explains they don't keep decaf brewing after noon. Shouldn't that be the other way around?

— Ellen Gray (@elgray) April 15, 2012

This also is the number #1 Starbucks beef of a good friend who never touches caffeinated coffee. Your thoughts on decaf-serving hours, customers and baristas?