Starbucks: Putting a lid on it
“Coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.” -Turkish Proverb
By Brooke. A. Brown
Starbucks Corp. recently announced that it would be closing nearly all of its shops in the U.S. today – that’s over 7,000 locations, half of which are situated directly across the street from one another.
I should probably clarify that the closing will be a temporary one, lasting just long enough (three hours, to be exact) for company officials, managers, what-have-you to administer a refresher course on espresso standards. Let’s call it a Barista Re-Boot Camp. Here are the details. (And if you find your local Starbucks closed, head fast to a Dunkin Donuts, which is leaping into the fray and from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. today selling small lattes, cappuccinos and espressos for 99 cents.)
So why is this necessary? According to Forbes.com, the world’s largest coffee house chain is seeing diminishing traffic due to increased competition, a poor economy and, apparently, sloppily prepared espresso beverages. Could it be that fast coffee service is not necessarily the best delivery method?
I’d say it’s quite encouraging that a mega-corporation such as Starbuck’s would, first of all, admit there’s a quality control issue. That takes guts. But it’s also impressive that they’re doing something about it in such a public way. That takes brains, not to mention an first-class public relations firm.
Not for nothing, but you’ve got less than an hour to satiate your Tuesday, February 26th late-afternoon Starbucks fix!
February 26th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Read through the comments to the link on “Here are the details.” I agree wholeheartedly with the stale, cardboardy quality of Starbucks un-yummy pastries. And fi upon their overly expensive wi-fi (which should be free). I do buy some of their whole bean coffee and appreciate having a port in the storm to sit and read in the wastelands of mall strips. But their recently added pod-making espresso machines have made their high-test stuff coffee blander. The barrista is dead in Starbucksland. | Doug
February 26th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Interesting, since one of the things I think of when I think of Starbucks is consistency. Sort of makes me want to visit our Town Center location tomorrow to see if my fave Soy Latte is any better.
February 26th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
The pastries are certainly bland and usually dry, not unlike a Triscuit snack cracker. However, their molasses cookie is phenomenal, that is, when they have ‘em.
Miss S makes a fine point re: Starbucks’ consistency. I just wonder if this “Re-Boot” Camp is more for big-city stores with heavy traffic (thus necessitating a complementary, across-the-street store) than it is for the handful of W.Va. locations. Hmmmmmm…
February 28th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Now if only someone would give the rest of the baristas in town an espresso boot camp. In my experience the quality of the coffee beverages at the downtown coffee joints is hit & miss.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Has anyone tried the place in the bottom of the 5th 3rd center? Sophia’s, maybe? I figured it was probably the equal to capital roasters, but i’ve never been in to give it a shot.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
d.o.l. - Sophia’s is fantastic. Read this old post and the comments for more coffee-talk than Linda Richman could ever ask for!
March 1st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
as a general rule, I don’t buy Starbucks because a) I have issues with their business practices (long story; search ‘em on corpwatch.com), b) I think their flavored drinks are ridiculously sweet, and c) I hate the whole concept of the pod-making espresso machine. in addition to all of that, I prefer the European style espresso bar where two shots in a 12 oz. cup is standard (paying extra for it always makes me wince). if I’m in a strange place and need coffee, I may go there because you have a pretty good idea of what you’re going to get. however, I have issues with buying espresso downtown. Sophia’s is consistently pretty good (I love the mocha) but you still get a burnt aftertaste sometimes — it seems like no one around here rinses their filters after brewing a shot, which results in a really nasty burnt aftertaste (more common at Capitol Roasters than anywhere else) which espresso is NOT supposed to have. I never knew that I could enjoy a plain latte until I started working at Ellen’s and she showed me how to make them — she’s very anal about rinsing the filters, so now I am too. so as a general rule, I make my own espresso drinks, and if I’m going for coffee anywhere else I just get regular old drip. Taylor’s dark roast is usually decent in the morning.
wow, I made that long… sorry. I’m slightly obsessed with the coffee scene in Charleston.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I’ll say it again–we need a Daily Grind here in the Charleston area. They are hands down better than Starbucks.