Back in March, we simultaneously spread and scorned the “suspended coffee” meme: a concept originating in the Italian city of Naples where customers can order an extra coffee or food item for a stranger in need that they can request at any time. We dismissed the entire concept as something that a global chain like Starbucks would never implement because it is too complicated to administer and prone to fraud. We were wrong. [More]
coffee
Starbucks Sort Of Implements Suspended Coffee, Donates Food And Drink To Nonprofit
By 5.8.13 — Updated: 5.22.13
Starbucks To Cut Price Of Bagged Coffee By $1 Next Month Because The Caffeine Gods Said So
By 4.12.13
Rarely do we see a spot of good news in the grocery aisle — products shrink, prices go up, everyone makes a frowny face — but today is different. We’re not sure if there are caffeine gods, or if they’re responsible for Starbucks’ decision to cut the price of their bagged coffee by about a buck, but it’s happening in any case. [More]
Why Ordering ‘Suspended’ Coffees For The Needy Is Stupid And Inefficient
By 3.29.13
You might have seen the “suspended coffee” meme going around on Facebook or other social media recently, The idea goes as follows: when you order your morning caffeine jolt or pastry, you order additional items, but ask for them to be “suspended.” When a person who can’t afford their own beverage comes in, they can ask for a “suspended” coffee or food, and receive one for free. This makes you feel all warm and cuddly when you hit the “share” button, but in practice is more of a pain in the butt. [More]
Peet’s Swoops In, Makes Up For Delay Before Anyone Can Even Complain
By 2.13.13
Here’s an example of how even the simplest customer service gestures can make a huge difference in someone’s day, and in the perception of a brand. Heather visited Peet’s for coffee recently, and got her drink a little later than her companion. No big deal: that happens. It was what happened next that caught her off guard and prompted her to write to Consumerist. [More]
‘Bitter Barista’ Blogger Fired; No Longer A Barista
By 2.13.13
When you run a blog that anonymously posts poison-pen critiques of the customers who come into your store, you know you’re running the risk of losing that job should your employer find out. [More]
Fake Starbucks Taste Test Shows The Very Real Power Of Suggestion
By 11.28.12
Starbucks is rolling out its new Costa Rica Finca Palmilera coffee that costs $7 a cup (or $40/lb). So what better way to find out if people can tell the difference than by having a taste test? [More]
Dunkin’ Donuts Can’t Trademark “Best Coffee In America”
By 11.27.12
People might love Dunkin’ Donuts coffee — some might even say it’s the best around, and no one is saying the donut chain can’t call its brew America’s best. Regardless, DD’s application to trademark the phrase “Best Coffee in America” has been nixed for now. [More]
We Never Knew The World Needed Caffeinated Cracker Jacks, But Here They Come
By 11.16.12
If you’re the kind of person who hates wrapping your hands around a warm cup of invigorating coffee to get your daily dose of caffeine, how about tossing some caffeinated sugary caramel popcorn down your gullet? Frito-Lay is taking its beloved Cracker Jack brand and actually jacking it up with Cracker Jack’d, including two varieties called Power Bites that contain coffee. [More]
McDonald’s Could Be Angling To Get More Of Your Java Business With Bagged Coffee
By 10.4.12
Why stop at grabbing a $1 coffee at McDonald’s? If you like the fast food joint’s cup of joe to go, McDonald’s seems to be relying on the idea that you might want to take a bag of the stuff home with you and brew it on your own. The company filed a trademark for its very own brand of ground and whole-bean coffee at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, perhaps in a bid to horn in a bit of Dunkin’ Donuts’ business in the coffee aisle at the grocery store. [More]
Poll Says Almost Half Of You Are Going To Drink At Least One Soda Today
By 7.24.12
What’s that beverage in your hand? Yes, that thing you’re drinking, guzzling and otherwise enjoying. A new Gallup poll says that for 48% of you, it’s probably going to be at least one soda per day, but the rest of you don’t normally drink any. So is the nation’s glass half full or half empty and is there soda in it and if so will Mayor Bloomberg be mad? All important questions. [More]
Fiat Wants You To Make A Nice Steaming Hot Espresso From The Comfort Of Your Car
By 7.16.12
Just think of those times you actually had to stop and buy hot coffee to later spill all over your lap in the car. That’s the worst, which is why Fiat is introducing espresso makers in its 500L model, so you can make your own hot beverage in the comfort of your vehicle, to then precariously balance while driving. Brings new meaning to the idea of a to-go coffee. [More]
Gevalia Decides 23 Years Is Long Enough, Cuts Off Customer's Caffeine
By 4.5.12
Ken loves coffee from Gevalia, He has been an auto-ship customer of Gevalia since 1989. That means that they send him two pounds of coffee every month, and he sends them money. If it were possible to bottle that kind of customer loyalty, it would sell even better than the finest coffees. But Gevalia’s new corporate overlords, Kraft, don’t want to bottle his loyalty. They don’t even want him as a customer anymore. His account has been put on hold. No coffee for Ken. And no one knows why. [More]
Lawsuit Claims McDonald's Filled Toddler's Cup With Hot, Spillable Coffee
By 3.26.12
A woman in the Chicago area is suing McDonald’s over hot coffee — something they’re not unfamiliar with — claiming that her four-year old granddaughter was burned after an employee gave her a refill of the liquid that is only supposed to be served to adults. [More]
Discerning Brooklyn Tots Now Demanding "Babyccinos" To The Annoyance Of The Borough's Baristas
By 2.16.12
Well isn’t this adorable, and by adorable we of course mean, eye-rollable: Apparently tasteful babies in Brooklyn and their parents are ordering something called a “babyccino,” which involves either decaf cappuccino or just steamed milk and foam. [More]
Is $51/Lb. Worth The Convenience Of K-Cup Coffee?
By 2.8.12
We’re always reminding people how much more cost-effective it is to brew your own coffee at home instead of buying it at a coffee shop. But according to a new report, coffee drinkers who are hopping on the K-cup bandwagon are paying a premium for the convenience of only having to brew up a single serving. [More]
Average American Worker Spends Nearly $1,100/Year On Coffee
By 1.20.12
Some say that coffee is the fuel that keeps the American workforce moving forward. And it’s a fuel that comes with a hefty price tag, as a new study shows that the average member of the American workforce spends almost as much on coffee every year as they do on commuting to and from their job. [More]
Tassimo Offers Free Coffee To Registered Customers, Then Won't Register Anyone
By 1.19.12
Tassimo, a Kraft brand, is probably best known as the “those single-serve coffee brewers that aren’t Keurig.” Anita has one, and she received an e-mail from Kraft offering two free packages of coffee if she registered her brewer. Yay, free coffee! So she did just that, only to hit a brick wall of customer disservice. Not what you expect after buying a coffeemaker that retails for $140. [More]
