To perk up tepid sales, Starbucks purchased Clover, a company that makes $11,000 coffee machines, machines that make one cup of coffee at a time, but are the results worth the price? The NYT hooked up with a legendary coffee connoisseur and according to his taste test, not even 11g’s can make up for burnt beans. Starbucks is often accused by caffeine snobs of over-roasting its beans, which they say destroys most of the subtle aromatics. When the Clover made cups using lighter, non-burnt beans, the coffee came out great. You know, $11,000 could probably buy you a lot of non-burned beans.
starbucks
Tell Starbucks What You Want: More Free WiFi, Plugs For Laptops, Better Coffee…
By 3.21.08
Starbucks has launched a social customer feedback site that asks you vote on and submit your own suggestions to improve Starbucks. The most popular suggestion right now is (unsuprisingly) “give loyal customers the occasional free drink.” After that, free WiFi is suggested:
Starbucks Ordered To Pay Back $100 Million In Tips
By 3.21.08
A California judge has ordered Starbucks to pay its employees more than $100 million in tips and interest that was paid to shift supervisors, says the Associated Press.
Starbucks To Buy Fancy Coffee Machine Maker, Add Reward Program
By 3.19.08
Things are still changing at Starbucks. First off, they’re going to buy the maker of “Clover” the crazy $11,000 coffee machine that makes one cup at a time.
Starbucks, the world’s largest chain of coffee shops, also said today it would acquire Coffee Equipment Co., the maker of the $11,000 Clover machines that brew one cup of coffee at a time. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
Round 6: Starbucks vs United Airlines
By 3.19.08
This is round 6 in our Worst Company in America 2008 contest, Starbucks vs United Airlines.
Starbucks: Blankets the landscape in coffee shops and gets accused of putting small coffee shops out of business (However, if you open a java joint next door, you’ll profit from their spillover traffic). They also sue the beejeezus out of you if you have a vaguely similar logo. As in, you also have a green circle in your logo. They’ve been accused of union-busting, and filthy stores. Oh, and crappy coffee. At least they’re no longer using milk spiked with Bovine Growth Hormone.
What Went Down Inside Starbucks Yesterday?
By 2.27.08
So just what went on inside closed Starbucks across the nation from 5-9pm last night? According to comments on the Starbucks Gossip blog, they staff watched videos, learned how to pull the perfect espresso shot, relearned the importance of making creamy foam on top of lattes (NO EXCUSES), found out where the power buttons on the verisimos are, how to, and the importance of, cleaning, roleplayed through customer service situations, and chugged 10 espresso shots. One commenter says, “Just got back from my meeting, and I have to tell you, it was great. We went over what we needed to: espresso quality, milk quality, and customer care.” Such things pass for great after your stock drops 50%.
By 2.27.08
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This “Quick Vote” is on the front page of CNN right now.
Dunkin Donuts And McDonald's Try To Steal Starbucks' Business Today With Cheap And Free Coffee
By 2.26.08
In order to capitalize on all Starbucks being closed today for retraining, Dunkin Donuts is selling $.99 espressos today from 1 to 10pm. And if you’re lucky enough to live in Chicago, they’re giving away free small lattes. Not to be outdone, Houston area McDonald’s are giving away free medium iced coffees from 5-9pm, precisely when all Starbucks will be shut down nationwide. Too bad all three chains taste like crap.
Coffee Shop Offers Free Coffee In Celebration Of Starbucks "Retraining"
By 2.21.08
A small coffee chain (2 stores) in California is offering free coffee during the much ballyhooed “Starbucks retraining event,” on Tuesday, February 26th from 5:30 PM until 8:30 PM PST.
Starbucks Retraining Employees At 7,100 Stores Next Week
By 2.20.08
Next Tuesday, Starbucks will close 7,100 corporate-owned stores early to implement a company-wide retraining session on how to make drinks. “The barista re-education is a ‘renewed focus on espresso standards,’ say Starbucks honchos.” We thought that’s why they bought the robot espresso machines—so they didn’t have to have trained coffee pullers anymore.
U.S. Woman Arrested For Sitting With A Male Co-Worker At Starbucks in Saudi Arabia
By 2.7.08
A U.S. businesswoman was arrested by Saudi Arabia’s religious police for sitting with a male co-worker at Starbucks, says CBS news.
She sat with a male colleague in the Starbucks’ family area, the only place women are allowed to sit with men.
Starbucks: Say Good-Bye To Breakfast Sandwiches, Hello To $1 Coffee
By 1.31.08
Starbucks recently announced that they would begin selling their “short” cups of brewed coffee for $1 a piece, and offering free refills of brewed coffee as a test in their home market of Seattle.
Is It Morally Wrong To Buy Stolen Starbucks Free Drink Coupons On eBay?
By 1.23.08
Starbucks Gossip has an interesting moral quandary for you Consumerists:
Organic Milk Is Off The Menu At Starbucks Starting Feb. 26
By 1.16.08
Starbucks made the switch to recombinant bovine growth hormone-free milk and are taking organic milk off the menu in all of their stores, effective Feb. 26.
By 1.8.08
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Embattled Starbucks fired CEO Jim Donald and brought back company founder Howard Shultz. Maybe they’ll be forced to close down some stores. Won’t that be the day. [Economist]
By 1.4.08
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Starbucks “Skinny” Drinks apparently taste about how you’d expect them to taste. We’ve never understood the appeal of paying the same amount of money for a large drink that doesn’t taste as good. Why not just buy a smaller size of the good tasting drink? We’ll never understand. [Chicago Tribune via Starbucks Gossip]
By 1.4.08
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Bad Redesign: Intrepid coffee drinker is forced to return his brand new (replacement) Starbucks travel mug because it’s too painful to use. “My first sip, as expected, was a little awkward. I adjusting to the vacuum seal lid. But the second sip was painful as was the third. I realized that the design of the lid thrust my upper lip directly into the stream of the hot coffee.” Weird. [NowPublic]
Starbucks Baristas Don't Like The New "Skinny" Drinks
By 1.2.08
A few days ago Starbucks started their new “skinny” drink program. Ordering a drink “skinny” means you’d like sugar-free syrup, non-fat milk, and no whip cream. We didn’t write about it because, um, you can already order that if you want , and we figured you didn’t really care that a basic drink order had a new marketing nickname.
