When shouting your order into a personality-free loudspeaker at Starbucks, do you ever wish that you could make eye contact with the barista? The chain will be adding video screens to drive-thru lanes after successfully experimenting with the idea in Seattle. The screen will have a selection of menu items in addition to the potentially cheerful face of the person taking your order. [More]
tastes burnt
Keurig Recalls 7.2 Million MINI Plus Coffee Machines For Burn Concerns
By 12.23.14
After receiving around 200 reports — including 90 cases involving burn-related injuries — of hot liquid overflowing from Keurig MINI Plus coffee makers, the company has issued a recall of more than 7 million of the machines in North America. [More]
Starbucks Wants To Open A Chain Of Even More Upscale Coffee Shops
By 12.5.14
You may have thought that Starbucks was already an upscale coffee chain. Perhaps it is, compared to brewing your own Folgers at home, but there are even pricier coffee shops out there that offer even finer coffees. Starbucks wants to compete with these shops, which you haven’t heard of because you can’t afford to visit: even if you can, you probably don’t want to pay $45 for a pound of roasted beans. [More]
Starbucks Now Testing Super Cute 10-Ounce Mini-Frappuccino
By 9.17.14
As a news outlet known for sharing news about record-shattering, vat-filling, massive frozen espresso drinks, it’s a cool and refreshing change of pace for us to share news about a new tiny Frappuccino. If you live near Houston or Denver and want a caffeinated confection with fewer calories, you can check out the test. [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 Can't Serve Me Coffee Unless They Misspell My Name First
By 4.19.12
Some people would say that Carrie is making a big deal out of nothing. That she is being unnecessarily difficult on principle regarding something that isn’t all that important. Well, of course. This is The Consumerist. That’s our thing! Carrie’s battle was against Starbucks, and she fought against employees’ insistence that she give them her name with her order so they can misspell it on her cup. She declined, which threw the employees’ entire worldview into chaos. [More]
Small New Hampshire Coffee Roaster Wins Legal Victory Over "Charbucks" Name
By 12.29.11
Since August of 1997, the folks at the Black Bear Mico Roastery in New Hampshire have been slinging pebbles at coffee colossus Starbucks over the smaller company’s “Charbucks” blend. And in spite of court rulings in favor of the little guy, Daddy Starbucks has continued to fight. But last week, a U.S. District Court in New York may have shut the door on the Seattle java slinger’s attempts to rid the world of Charbucks. [More]
Starbucks Barista Fired For Posting Satirical Song
By 10.3.11
Starbucks fired a barista last week after his satirical song aimed at his employer went viral. In it, the ex-barista, wearing nothing but a Starbucks smock, croons an acoustic guitar ballad about how baristas trick customers when they’re short on supplies, how rude customers stink, and the drink purchasing habits of different races. [More]
Starbucks CEO Emails Customers, Recruiting Them To Stop Washington Gridlock
By 9.6.11
The CEO of Starbucks emailed customers on Friday asking them to join hands with him and other business leaders to urge Congress to stop the nihilist political gridlock and get on with fixing our country. Tuesday night at 6pm he will host an online townhall meeting. At the same time, he’s also set up an online petition where businesses can “pledge” to withhold campaign contributions as well as promise to start hiring employees. Is this the start of the “Coffee Party”? [More]
Starbucks Raises Prices By 17%; CEO Blames Speculators For High Costs
By 5.26.11
Starbucks has announced plans to raise the price of the packaged coffee it sells in its stores by 17% in July. But don’t blame the company: CEO Howard Schultz says speculators have pushed the price of coffee to a 34-year high. “This is the first time in my 30-years of being in the coffee business where this exists,” he said earlier this month. In March, Starbucks raised the price of the coffee it sells in supermarkets by 12%. [More]
Starbucks CEO Laughs At The Notion That His Coffee Costs $5
By 3.29.11
Katie Couric recently interviewed Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on CBS Sunday Morning and asked him if he thought the company had a “tin ear” to what people were going through with the recession. Perhaps, she suggested, they couldn’t afford to pay “$5 on their coffee every day.” Schultz’s response was to laugh. You see, Starbucks coffee only costs $1.50. [More]
Woman Sues Starbucks For Allegedly Throwing Tea At Her And Shouting "Catch"
By 3.21.11
Starbucks is accusing a woman of fraud after she sued them for allegedly sliding a cup of hot tea across the counter that burnt her belly, reports the New York Post. They say they have a doc who says she had a rash and skin infection, and that’s what caused the marks. According to her complaint, the barista shouted at her, “Catch the cup.” Good thing it wasn’t a trenta. [More]
New Starbucks Logo Is Just Old Starbucks Logo Without Outdated Reference To Coffee
By 1.5.11
Starbucks has a new logo! It’s basically just the same one they currently have, minus those pesky words that say Starbucks Coffee. Coffee, we assume, was the primary problem. Why? Because Starbucks is a fast food joint. [More]
Starbucks Baristas Nationwide Realizing They Work At A McDonald's That Doesn't Serve Burgers
By 11.10.10
Reuters says that conditions, benefits and salaries have deteriorated at Starbucks — once celebrated in the media for its happy, loyal workforce. Apparently, disillusioned Starbucks workers are everywhere you care to look. [More]
Mom Sues Starbucks After She Spills Hot Tea On Her Baby
By 7.6.10
It’s not surprising that a parent who accidentally scalds their child with hot tea would end up in a courtroom. But it isn’t usually the case that said parent is the plaintiff, suing Starbucks for doing what they do best — or at least do a lot of — serving hot beverages. [More]
Foursquare Mayors Get $1 Off Starbucks Frappucinos
By 5.17.10
For those of you who don’t follow various internetty things, Foursquare is a location-sharing social media service where you can compete with others to be declared “mayor” of various locations. In an effort to make this actually have a point, Foursquare has teamed up with Starbucks to offer discounts to the Mayors of individual Starbucks locations. [More]
Do Not Even Try To Escape Starbucks
By 5.17.10
The Seattle’s Best onslaught was just the beginning. Starbucks is ramping up efforts to make sure that, wherever you go, there it is (not that the brand was particularly difficult to come by before, but whatever). This includes making its Via instant coffee more widely available, and selling flavored coffee in supermarkets, all to bump up its share of the brewed coffee market from its current level of just 5%. [More]
Seattle's Best Coffee About To Be Absolutely @#$@%& Everywhere
By 5.12.10
Seattle’s Best is one of Seattle’s oldest coffee brands. According to the Seattle Times, two brothers started the business that eventually became “Seattle’s Best” in 1969. A few product changes and new owners later it became part of Starbucks, and was largely ignored. That was 2003. Now the company is about to expand the brand to over 30,000 locations — many of them fast food outlets. [More]
