Comments on: Surreptitious in Seattle: There’s a New Starbucks in Town, But You Wouldn’t Know It

By: How Starbucks’ Jobs Campaign Missed the Point

How Starbucks’ Jobs Campaign Missed the Point — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:01:25 +0000

[...] the chance to be seen as a positive economic force and a friend of small businesses (and not just a copycat). At the same time, there’s always the risk of being considered a hypocrite, when you are a large [...]

By: change now

change now — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:17:17 +0000

starbucks will never be sustainable or fair trade…it is like walmarts destroying all mom and pops and THEN under pressure saying it is GREEN..it is all a farce…avoid at all costs….plus their coffee tastes like mud and their employees all have an attitude….as someone with no vested interest would….if you want to buy chain cra) go to dunkin donuts or mcds, apparently their cofee in blind tastes beast sbux anyway…..go figure…or drink tea or buy fair trade coffee and save what is left of your soul (AND our PLANET), EVERYONE who drinks sbux eat at mcds should pay extra carbon tax AT LEAST for highway being currently built right through middle of amazon…yes, you ARE RESPONSIBLE…U.S. consumer responsible for 3/4 of economy, if you didnt buy chinese made junk companies would HAVE TO RESPOND…quality over quantity left these shores LITERALLY a long time ago…most americans wouldn’t know the difference between coffee and dirt…and some wouldn’t care because they is patryts or some other Bul*(*&….people are idi*()& maybe with rising ocean I will have beachfront prop pretty soon..keep it positive!!! yee haw!!! GIT R DUN

By: unfamiliarface

unfamiliarface — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:23:53 +0000

Traveling, SBX is a lifesaver, esp in developing countries where customer service sucks. Of course, SBX CS sucks too, just less hard.

Something is lost in translation with these multinationals. In Shanghai, SBX customer service is robotic and contemptuous with a smile. I mention it because SBX customer service training exceeds all others in Shanghai.
And it still sucks hard.

Like, you order a nonfat and they offer you whipped cream and wonder why you just stare at them, repeating themselves stupidly. Nonfat. Whipped Cream? Nonfat. Whipped cream? Ad nauseum. They don’t understand basic coffee culture. God help you if you as for a plain regular coffee! It’s not on the menu! Do you want a cappuccino?

By: amy gennrich

amy gennrich — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:20:36 +0000

that was very interesting! …you know i just wonder if it will backfire on Starbucks and help people realize that they should support small businesses and coffee houses? because the first thing that pops into my head when I think of this “indy” starbucks shop is …”uugh, that is So lame!” and I’m not someone who is opposed to starbucks or big companies in general. So, I’m not sure they should invite this comparison to their own shops!

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:09:53 +0000

I’ve had good indy coffee, I’ve had bad indy coffee (mostly the latter). Starbucks is popular for the same reason that McDonalds is popular — I can go to Starbucks anywhere from New York to Kokomo to Seattle and get basically the same product.

Going to a super-hip, mega-cool indy coffee place (unless you are a regular customer) is a roll of the dice. I want a good cup of coffee, not mystery.

By: meneltarma

meneltarma — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:36:44 +0000

People really need to get off the “corporate” issue and just examine the product and service offered. There is a certain level of independence at every store BECAUSE of corporate training and involvement.

The least trained people tend to be dependent on a corporate support. Most starbucks employees leave their own stamp on what they do in my experience at dozens of stores.

By: kim

kim — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:29:25 +0000

oh, and Colin, I’m right there with you, man!

By: kim

kim — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:28:20 +0000

and lest we forget that Howard Schulz comes from a very poor family and he took roughly 200 “no’s” from potential investors before someone took a chance on his Starbucks idea back in the day. He has achieved the American Dream – building an empire from nothing, and doing much good for farmers, community NPO’s and thousands of employees every day. What have YOU done lately?!?

By: Mary Catherine O'Connor

Mary Catherine O'Connor — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:16:21 +0000

Fixed, Randy. Thanks for the catch!

By: Mary Catherine O'Connor

Mary Catherine O'Connor — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:15:48 +0000

Starbucks plans on opening more neighborhood stores, but they won’t be called 15th Ave Coffee & Tea, they will bear the names of the ‘hoods in which they do business, as you mention. If each of those coffee shops has a different name and feel, do they constitute a chain? I don’t know. Not in the traditional sense, in my opinion.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:47:41 +0000

It’s still relevant.

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:36:24 +0000

There is no “Pike’s” in Pike Place, You’re confused w/ Pike’s Peak. Pike Place is the name of the street on which the main market in located and on which I live in Seattle. I’ve been here a year longer than that original Starbuck’s; from which I get my wi-fi.

By: Josh Whittington

Josh Whittington — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:52:20 +0000

“But Merholz holds that Starbucks doesn’t appear to have plans to make 15 Ave another brand. It’s a one-off.”

No, it’s not. There are plans for more. A full chain of locally named and resourced stores. Look it up.

By: Nick Aster

Nick Aster — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:44:40 +0000

Colin – I don’t think anyone here has said anything like that – the point of the post is to talk about whether or not it makes sense for starbucks to hide behind make-believe mom and pop banners – is that disingenuous, etc…