It’s been three months since a judge tossed out New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces, calling the regulation “arbitrary and capricious.” Today, a state appeals court panel heard arguments for and against the ban, but it doesn’t look good for Mayor Mike. [More]
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Starbucks Bans Smoking Within 25 Feet Of Stores
By 5.31.13
Starting tomorrow, Starbucks customers who wish to smoke will need to head out to the parking lot or down the street, as the national coffee chain is enacting a ban on smoking within 25 of its stores. [More]
Starbucks Baristas Trying To Keep Higher-Ups’ Grubby Paws Out Of The Tip Jar
By 5.29.13
Anyone who’s ever worked a job where customers are encouraged to dump their change or heck, even a wonderful dollar into a tip jar knows how coveted those tips are. That’s why Starbucks baristas are in a fight in New York to keep shift supervisors and managers out of the tip jar. The fewer people entitled to tips, the more money each barista gets after a shift serving up venti extra caramel no whip low foam frappywhatchacallits. [More]
Is It Okay To Change A Baby’s Diaper In Public If There’s No Restroom Changing Table?
By 5.14.13
The reality of babies and young toddlers it that they’re gonna go when they’re gonna go, and parents will need to change their diapers. But what if a business like Starbucks doesn’t have a changing table in the restroom — is it okay for a parent to take care of diaper duty in the public seating area? One woman did, and Starbucks employees ended up calling the cops. [More]
Starbucks Sort Of Implements Suspended Coffee, Donates Food And Drink To Nonprofit
By 5.8.13 — Updated: 5.22.13
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]
Study: Nearly Half Of U.S. Consumers Went To McDonald’s In March
By 5.2.13
A new study attempts to determine the businesses that American consumers visit most often. Not surprisingly, the list is dominated by places that sell food; and that McDonald’s was by far the most-visited business in the U.S. [More]
Trying To Sneak Poisoned Juice Into A Starbucks Fridge Is One Way To Get Cops’ Attention
By 4.30.13
It’s quite a day for Starbucks in the headlines, but this time it was the target of some particularly toxic vitriol. As in, a woman is accused of trying to sneak tainted bottles of orange juice into a store display in San Jose. It appears at least one person in the store wasn’t totally immersed in their laptop and saw the shenanigans before anyone got hurt. [More]
Starbucks Apparently Thinks Someone Was Cruel Enough To Name Their Daughter “Vagina”
By 4.30.13
We’ve heard a lot of unfortunate names — heck, just look up “celebrity baby names” — but despite the cruelty some parents inflict via birth certificate, it’s highly unlikely that anyone named their daughter “Vagina.” Now, Virginia? Quite a nice, decent name. And it belongs to a woman who says a Starbucks in Hong Kong scrawled “Vagina” on her coffee instead. [More]
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]
Why Should Starbucks Give You A Loyalty Discount? You’re Already Addicted
By 3.26.13
Six million people have rewards accounts at Starbucks, but it might not be accurate to call them loyalty cards. Yes, Starbucks uses cards and apps to store gift card balances and keep track of what customers buy, but don’t look for them to start handing out more discounts as they collect more data on you. If someone is already coming in five days a week, the goal isn’t to charge them less: it’s to make sure they don’t stop coming. [More]
Starbucks CEO: Don’t Like The Company’s Support Of Marriage Equality? Sell Your Shares
By 3.22.13
When Starbucks announced last year that the company supported the legalization of same-sex marriage in its mother state of Washington, opponents of the measure were less than pleased. The National Organization for Marriage launched a boycott of Starbucks, pledging to hit the company where it hurt — in its pocket. But CEO Howard Schultz says he didn’t give a toot about sales when it comes down to it. [More]
Starbucks’ Decision Not To Change Menu Flies In The Face Of Bloomberg’s Sugary Drinks Ban
By 3.11.13
UPDATE: Looks like Starbucks knew what it was doing — since we published this story earlier today, a New york judge has ruled that Mayor Bloomberg’s ban on large sugary drinks is invalid. [More]
Cheap Shot? Starbucks Hands Out Free Java From Truck Parked Near Local Coffee Shop
By 3.6.13
For local coffee shops, trying to make a go of it on the bean scene can be rough when there’s a Starbucks around to suck in customers with the siren song of its omnipresent green logo. But put Starbucks on wheels and it turns into a rolling Java the Hut, lumbering around and trying to gobble up customers outside a Dallas coffee shop. [More]
Is A “Quadriginoctuple Frap” The Priciest Starbucks Drink Ever Ordered Or A Scary Medical Procedure?
By 2.20.13
First of all, if you guessed “scary medical procedure,” we’re very happy to inform you that you are wrong and whew, because that would be terrifying to have your inside parts topped with whipped cream. The so-called “quadriginoctuple frap” is what one guy is claiming as the most expensive drink ever ordered at Starbucks, checking in at $47.30 and sloshing around in a 52-ounce mug. [More]
Starbucks Barista Offers Would-Be Robber Free Coffee Instead Of Cash: Robber Accepts
By 1.21.13
When a would-be robber asked for all of the cash in the register of an Alabama Starbucks, either a quick-thinking cashier or the limits of technology got in his way. According to police, the cashier told him that the drawer wouldn’t open….so would he like a free coffee instead? Score! Free coffee! [More]
Seattle Woman Determined To Only Consume Starbucks Products For Entire Year
By 1.10.13
Many of us have probably already broken our New Year’s resolutions by now — if we ever made any to begin with — but one woman in Seattle says she’s determined to stick out the entire 365 days of 2013 consuming nothing but products made by Starbucks and its associated companies. [More]
Starbucks Baristas Say New Reusable Cups Are Selling Well, But Will The Trend Last?
By 1.7.13
Based off some very unscientific and off-the-cuff polling, it sounds like Starbucks’ new reusable $1 cups are pretty popular with the public so far. But once the initial novelty wears off, will anyone actually remember to bring the dang things in? After all, how many times have you arrived at the grocery store only to realize you’ve forgotten your environmentally-friendly shopping bags? [More]
