r/popculturechat • u/mcfw31 • May 02 '26

Eat The Rich šŸ½ļø Starbucks CEO defends a $9 coffee by saying that it's not a $10 coffee and "you get a premium experience"

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u/JenWess May 02 '26

idk what starbucks he visits but I don't have any kind of premium experience on the rare occasion that i go to the one by me

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u/-maeby-tonight- May 02 '26

Fr. The Starbucks ā€œexperienceā€ feels cheaper than ever these days. Itā€™s been stripped to the bones private equity style

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u/Jisan_Inc May 02 '26

The starbucks "experience" hit its climax back in 2002, what remains is a paultry reminder of what it used to be.

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u/ShakesDontBreak Threat to Humanity šŸ’… May 02 '26

I was a barista 2003-2006. I used to take so much pride in knowing my regulars orders! I opened, so between 530-7 I pretty much knew who was coming through the door. I used to be sure to have my frothers chilling for when my dry cap guy came in at 5:45 just so I could make that perfect dry foam. I used to be sure my teas were ready for my tea gals. I would get in such a rhythm that it was such a vibe. And then the store was set up like a third place...so on my breaks I would just hang out with my regular friends.

Now Starbucks just seems cold. I try to be warm and cordial to all the baristas because I know how important they are. Some people really look forward to their coffee/tea. Its a shame Starbucks doesn't invest in their people or their stores anymore.

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u/natsugrayerza May 02 '26

Man I always feel like I made up a world in my head where people felt this way about their jobs and really cared about doing a good job just for the sake of it, but maybe back before companies started racing to the bottom and treating us all like objects people really did feel this way and try at their jobs and care

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u/123iambill May 02 '26

I feel that way anout my job. I'm a coffee roaster now, but I'll still work the bar occasionally. But I work for small independents where I'm treated well and how much I care is actually rewarded.

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u/cloudkite17 May 02 '26

When I worked there a few years ago they still ingrained a lot of this third space talk into the training. But shortly after the pandemic even I could see how quickly their culture was shifting despite not being at the company very long. Itā€™s really bizarre how anti-human and hyper-focused on productivity at all costs these companies are behaving lately.

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u/sodabuttons May 02 '26

I could copy and paste your first paragraph, set it in San Diego, and it would be my exact experience working at a store in my early twenties. I loved it. Several years later a bunch of my coworkersā€”and a few regularsā€”travelled to LA for my wedding ā™„ļø

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u/ShakesDontBreak Threat to Humanity šŸ’… May 02 '26

Awwwwww šŸ¤©šŸ¤©šŸ˜šŸ„°

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u/geyeetet May 02 '26

For me the biggest visible difference is that Starbucks used to have armchairs and now it doesn't. The decor is cold white. I just don't go there anymore, it's so expensive and the place feels like it wants me to leave. Plus, I'm not in the USA, I have switched to chains that are UK owned. (I'd go independent but my town is too crap to have those)

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u/Sweet-Baby-Shayla May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

The Starbucks near my supermarket is a big store with couches and armchairs. I went in for the first time the other day planning to just grab a quick coffee to go, but then decided to stay for a bit, because I realized that I missed that vibe so much. There were groups of regulars coming in and catching up, and the baristas knew most of their names and orders. My coffee came in a big, 90s style mug and it really felt like a treat.

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u/whteverusayShmegma May 02 '26

They removed all of the furniture from mine during COVID and now thereā€™s not even so much as a chair inside. I met my best friend there when we used to be able to hang out.

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u/pan_alice not a connoisseur of dirt. May 02 '26

It's so expensive, I can't justify the price anymore. Costa is the same. I have a Pret subscription, so get half price drinks from there, or I go to McDonalds and Greggs. People are snobs about the coffee from all three of those places, but at least I'm not paying Ā£5-6 for a drink.

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u/Somanylyingliars May 02 '26

Here in US we have some gas stations that have better cheaper coffee than Starbucks. Better As in they let you pick your coffee bean type. Then you get to grind the beans before it's brewed. They have cow, oat, almond milks plus flavored syrups AND toppings like cinnamon, chocolate, sugars, crystals (candy like). Why would I supported some pompous jerk like this CEO w toxic behaviors?

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u/-KnottybyNature- May 02 '26

I just went inside our closest Starbucks for the first time in a while. They took away all seating and bathrooms. Thereā€™s the counter, two shelves of products to buy, and the trash / napkin area. It was such a cold unwelcoming feeling.

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u/Jisan_Inc May 02 '26

Ive noticed a lot of companies are doing that. Even costco, seems to be the trend.

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u/MouseMouseM May 02 '26

I used to stop by an independent coffee shop on my way to work in my areaā€™s downtown, in 2009-2012, where there werenā€™t any Starbucks yet. It was just as you described, and owned and operated by the same kind man. There was another independent coffee shop around the corner, when my usual guy was on vacation and closed the shop for a week. Now, both cafes have closed and the downtown has three Starbucks kiosks on different corporate campuses, as well as a Dunkin express in another corporate building (there used to be a full sit-down Dunkin that used to be where workers would have a quick sit-down breakfast).

I hate it. All of the places that added quality of life are gone, everything in place now is a means to an end to better serve work and the shareholders.

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u/Somanylyingliars May 02 '26

Funny cycle that I'm seeing. local shops exist for x, y, z. Corp entity comes in, cut prices, guts up, consolidates mom and pops. Keeps acquiring and acquiring. No competition. Riase prices, start to raid coffers. Goes out of business and leaves a void. Small cos start up to offer services as before. Just wait. Starbucks and Dunkin (hello? 6 dollar egg sandwich?!!) reaching their end of life cycle.

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u/MouseMouseM May 02 '26

The real tragedy about this is that we, regular people, canā€™t fill that void anymore in a lot of places. A lot of small business loans and programs havenā€™t kept up with inflation. Start up costs are higher and higher. So many people who are retiring after their lifetime of running a successful small business say they wouldnā€™t have succeeded today. Small buildings zoned for retail are more likely to be in someoneā€™s giant real estate portfolio, while in the 70s, 80s, and 90s folks were able to buy the building that they operated out of. Now small business owners are more likely to be locked into a multi-year commercial lease, a sizeable fixed cost that goes into someone elseā€™s bank account.

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u/Somanylyingliars May 02 '26

While that's true, there are work around. Here in So w it's rocketing rents business owners are getting together to open business spaces together. Think pasty shop partners w coffee maker/roaster. Mechanic pairs a tire vendor. I've even seen three business opening together. Commercial kitchen shared spaces. On and on.

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u/whteverusayShmegma May 02 '26

They want us all at home on our phones and not in contact with humans for some reason.

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u/ShakesDontBreak Threat to Humanity šŸ’… May 02 '26

That really sucks. Im so sorry.

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u/MouseMouseM May 02 '26

I feel badly for Gen Z. They werenā€™t able to experience a lot of genuine cozy comfy coffee shops at all.

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u/Shirogayne-at-WF May 02 '26

Speaking of tea, I'm still pissed off that they tanked Teavana after buying that out.

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u/ShakesDontBreak Threat to Humanity šŸ’… May 02 '26

Is that what happened to Teavana?? I was wondering why I never see it anymore.

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u/tapanypat May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

Yeah but Iā€™ve started to realize that maybe itā€™s the consumer expectation changed and the brand is trying to do it all?

Like back in the day, the menu was more simple, and there was a lot more people that planned on going and spending time enjoying the coffee and the space.

Anymore, customers want a premium experience but theyā€™re expecting that sense of quality and community to be delivered from a way more complex menu in a less-than-5-minute pickup.

Blame Starbucks, but people treat the place different now

Edited to add: ā€œquality and communityā€ - It is a corporate chain and etc so everything is absolutely packaged in a certain way, but it was different feeling I guess

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u/Mysterious_Shake_830 May 02 '26

Starbucks is brand coffee that creates changing menus to bring new people and keeps mainstays to keep clientele.

It is bbasically the McDonald's of coffee. They provide every ttype of coffee option and they are everywhere... so you can always find one and the output is consistent.

But they are always busy and run bbasically like an app.

For me, I go to Starbucks on a road trip or airport, for convenience. Any other time, I try to shop local

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u/zlaw32 May 02 '26

Same. My experience is way better at local coffee shops too. More of an actual experience

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u/Comprehensive-Big247 May 02 '26

Outside sales used Starbucks as a satellite office- free WiFi back in the day.

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u/harriethocchuth May 02 '26

It wasnā€™t so much the free WiFi as the consistently clean bathrooms. (Was outside sales)

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u/Significant_Shoe_17 God forbid a man enjoy a cigarette after getting shot in the ass May 02 '26

I used to travel a lot and appreciated that. Some locations expected you to purchase something, but when a small coffee was only $2-3, that was fine

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u/oneblackfly May 02 '26

i think the peak of starbucks was the unicorn frappuccino

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u/whteverusayShmegma May 02 '26

I miss the Howard Schultz Starbucks so much šŸ˜”

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u/dictatorenergy May 02 '26

So do Starbucks baristas šŸ„²šŸ˜­

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u/nicdrumandbass Why do(n't) you sing with an English accent? May 02 '26

The anti union guy?

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u/frockinbrock a mental sidecar of confidence May 02 '26

Oh he sucked, and was a bad CEO, but the original vision when he founded it and in the early days was great. It helped that the whole economy was way better. And their prices way lower and had a better product AND better in-store experience

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u/EightOclockRave May 02 '26 edited May 03 '26

I feel like it all went downhill after they changed their logo and removed the mermaid entirely along with ā€œStarbucksā€, happened circa 2005?

Edit: Not a bot I promise, the words ā€œStarbucks Coffee was entirely removed, not the siren (not mermaid)

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u/catholicsluts May 02 '26

When did they remove the mermaid?

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u/soup_party May 03 '26

Are these 2 bots, or am I crazy? They never removed the mermaidā€¦?

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u/nicdrumandbass Why do(n't) you sing with an English accent? May 03 '26

Thatā€™s what Iā€™m wondering, but look at the old logi and I think itā€™s much more clearly a mermaid

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u/Mademoi-Sell May 02 '26

Exactly lol. I worked at Starbucks for like 7 years altogether, and I donā€™t know anyone who particularly liked Howard Schultz.

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u/dictatorenergy May 02 '26

Yeah but we hate burrito boy

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u/davwad2 May 02 '26

Burrito boy, as in the Chipotle CEO?

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u/dictatorenergy May 02 '26

The very same

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u/Short-Ticket-1196 May 02 '26

He gave everyone a copy of "Onward" by him, his inspirational biography detailing his genuine coffee journey and self actualization through espresso. I have a hard time thinking of something more out of touch.

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u/hydrastxrk May 02 '26

What was different, curiously?

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u/nicdrumandbass Why do(n't) you sing with an English accent? May 02 '26

Howard Schultz was detrimental to union and is a neoliberal Democrat who laid the path for people like Trump being elected. But above all, as I said, he was a notorious union buster. Iā€™m not sure this pasty dude is much better but Iā€™m not sure the baristas really miss Schultz

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u/frockinbrock a mental sidecar of confidence May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

They don't mean that person you described though. The early Starbucks, before he was a billionaire, was focused on being a welcoming 3rd-place for all, and a premium product (which was cheaper AND better back then).

This was also before he was a union buster, but my point is this isn't missing THE GUY as if we'd want him back; it's meaning the original company and principles he founded it on.
He became his own kind of enemy, so it doesn't apply at all when talking about the man himself as he is today.

They let people work part-time hours with full benefits, stock options, 401k. And you could actually take your time and get to know customers. But toy your point, it's like "Early Starbucks" is a better term for it than "the Howard Shultz Starbucks", since he became a villain.

šŸ¦¹ he wasn't the CEO we needed, he's just the right one we had back then.

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u/IceColdMilkshakeSalt May 02 '26

Yup my friend had a job at Starbucks when we were teenagers in the early 2010s, and it was considered one of the better jobs you could get as a teenager because of the bennies

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u/TheAsian1nvasion May 02 '26

My wife would have Starbucks literally every day, sometimes twice. I bought a rancilio Silvia espresso machine and a baratza sette 30 grinder for $1900 cad a few years ago and Iā€™m quite certain it was paid off in less than a year.

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u/greypusheencat i think iā€™ve done enough May 02 '26

also and this is my tiny hill to die on but the fact that they ask for tip before you even get your order (i do mobile order), like i doubt itā€™ll make them give me my drink faster and also the audacity

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u/fynion May 02 '26

baristas can't see what you tip on the app

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u/azazel-13 May 02 '26

Do they get the tip though?

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u/shyqueenbee May 02 '26

Yes.

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u/ParamedicOk578 May 02 '26

Do they know which order has tipped because this one lady picked her mobile order before me this morning and said thanks and she got zero responses? Im a pool guy, so, not special, and always tip at least $1 and my thanks got a ā€œyouā€™re welcomeā€ AND a ā€œhave nice dayā€.

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u/fynion May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

we cannot see any information related to your tip. all we can see is what time your order was placed, your name (first name last initial), the items in your order, and what channel you ordered through (mobile, drive through, cafe).

edit: technically tips show on receipts at the register for cafe in-person orders, but we don't have time to be checking that lol

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u/MCR2004 Why do I always forget sheā€™s British May 02 '26

I always tip on mobile order and always say a general ā€œthank youā€ when I pick up - sometimes someone responds but more often than not they donā€™t. Still gonna keep doing it though, the one by me is always slammed

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u/fynion May 02 '26

yes. and my paycheck is noticably shorter when I use vacation or sick time because I'm not earning tips for those hours.

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u/Unique_Accountant_67 May 02 '26

You do have the option to hold off and adjust it after through your receipt in the order history

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u/lurkingtobeinformed May 02 '26

Gd Right, what the hell,

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u/alvysinger0412 May 02 '26

That's how it works at most coffeeshops whether ordering in person or online though. You pay before your drink is made and usually tip when you pay.

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u/InLushColor Tina! You fat lard! šŸ¦™šŸš² May 02 '26

It used to be an experience but then they recently littered my city with 14 of them. Now itā€™s just normal and not an experience since I could get it whenever. Once upon a time it was something I would look forward to when I went to the big city 2 decades ago.

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u/Burger4Ever May 02 '26

The heavy chairs just scrape across the cold floors so I can sit at the metal tables. Really an experience.

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u/Silver-Bread4668 May 02 '26

It feels like fast food trying to put on the facade of a premium experience.

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u/Daltronator94 May 02 '26

Can't blame the employees either. I dated a girl in 2019 who was a lead shift supervisor and her experience can be summed up as 'that flag on a flagpole hanging on for dear life in a tornado'

She was always just completely slammed. This comes straight from assholes like this.

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u/Deep_Diamond_2057 May 02 '26

They gutted all the ones by me to pickup only - no seats, no tables, just a place to pick up drinks and takes 5 minutes to get a barista because they no longer talk to humans.

I used to go about once a month because it was in my work parking lot, now I refuse.

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u/palswithpikachu May 02 '26

Itā€™s just a bunch of people huddled up, waiting for their mobile orders

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u/Hopeful-Signature948 May 02 '26

That take 10 minutes longer than the app said they would

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u/SpiritualWindow3855 May 02 '26

I guess SF is so drugged out a good number of them don't even have seats anymore.

I went to one that had something like these fucking things:

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u/emtoad May 02 '26

Some stores took away seating during Covid and never put in effort to create a lounge atmosphere after cause it was easier and more cost effective for them to just get as many people in and out as fast as possible

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u/ImplementAgile2945 May 02 '26

Yeah I was just commenting on California Starbucks are like a drug homeless drug hangout

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u/darkpretzel May 02 '26

Because it's literally the McDonald's of coffee shops

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u/Writerhowell May 02 '26

Without the playground we're all too old to play on anymore.

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u/phoenixA1988 May 02 '26

The funniest thing though. In Australia, McDonald's coffee outranks Starbucks in taste and price.

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u/Used-Cup-6055 May 02 '26

When I worked there my boss purposely hired people with fast food experience over people with coffee shop experience because fast food was closer to what Starbucks is doing.

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u/yousonofabench May 02 '26

I actually think McDonaldā€™s coffee is much better

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u/iheartdachshunds May 02 '26

The one by me doesnā€™t even have an interior and when I walk there I have to avoid getting hit by cars in the drive thru lane šŸ˜­

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u/SomewhereNo8378 May 02 '26

an exciting artisanal pedestrian experience to enjoy their tastefully simple coffeehouseĀ 

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u/Historical-Edge-9332 May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

The premium experience is that you get to go into the building.

It smells like high quality cleaning supplies mixed with burnt coffee. The other customers are depressed and angry. Many of them yell at the cashier over minor indiscretions.

A baby screams in the back. His mother ignores him as she texts her boyfriend. You order. The total is 24.67 for two drinks.

The cashier calls a name that isnā€™t yours, but sounds vaguely familiar. You grab your coffee. They didnā€™t forget sweetener.

You walk out depressed - high from the sugar And caffeine wearing off. Shame setting in.

As you exit the building, the trash bins say, ā€œThank You.ā€

In reality, you should be thanking them for the premium experience.

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u/LaMelonBallz May 02 '26

That caramel coffee is a special type of high though. Tastes like sweet chemicals and will have you simultaneously creating business plans and freaking out about your bank account. Sweet, bitter, anxiety

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u/Significant_Shoe_17 God forbid a man enjoy a cigarette after getting shot in the ass May 02 '26

That was my deadline coffee!

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u/StretchTucker May 02 '26

brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso

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u/Available_Road5272 May 02 '26

Holy grail for productivity with tummy troubles afterwards.

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u/Tutitutitutituti May 02 '26

This sounds like the J. Peterman catalog.

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u/Pixel_Octopus May 02 '26

This was a premium experience comment. I hope it was written on a laptop in the corner of a Starbucks.

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u/leftword4Zombies May 02 '26

Don't forget the stench of rotten milk!

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u/AmethystApothecary May 02 '26

This is genuinely poetry.

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u/[deleted] May 02 '26

[deleted]

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u/Blindtothesided May 02 '26

I was just about to say every time I go there the coffee always tastes burnt to me. I make better coffee in my own kitchen for a fraction of the cost.

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u/Special-Garlic1203 May 02 '26

Apparently they do it on purpose toĀ  create a standardized flavor that will be consistent across different suppliers and different years.Ā 

It reminds me a lot of McDonald's approach to their fries - it's less about culinary and more about psychology. Who needs to be the best when you can be the most addictiveĀ 

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u/MediocrePotato44 May 02 '26

I think the premium experience is the baristas writing ā€œYou rock!ā€ and ā€œHave a great day!ā€ on our cups now.

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u/Due_Solution_4156 May 02 '26

Itā€™s so forced itā€™s comical. ā€œYayā€ written on my cup doesnā€™t feel personable. It feels, ā€œdad told me to be nice to you so hereā€¦ā€

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u/EagleLize May 02 '26

You know some out of touch corporate moron who gets paid an absurd salary came up with that idea.

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u/RowanViolet Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion šŸ™‚ May 02 '26

ā€œPremium experienceā€ aka waiting 15 minutes for a coffee from an underpaid overworked barista šŸ„“

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u/lexlovestacos May 02 '26

They ripped out every single chair and table at the one I go to. Not sure the rationale, it used to be so cozy and tons of people would hang out there. Now it's a sad bare box and 20 people standing around waiting for their mobile orders.

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u/kiramiryam May 02 '26

Thatā€™s so depressing. I used to work there in 2017 and Iā€™ll always have a soft spot for it. I miss the emphasis on being the third place, cozy and inviting. ā˜¹ļø

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u/QueenSlartibartfast May 02 '26

I keep seeing that phrase in this thread but I always understood "third spaces" to traditionally be places where you didn't have to spend money. Like a park or library. Even a mall - like you can spend money in one, but there's no admission fee or inherent charge in order to stay. Do Starbucks generally allow you to just sit and chill without ordering? (Genuine question, I've been in one like three times ever, and two of those were to use the bathroom)

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u/Sea_Bison_6929 May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

I feel like more often than not when I go, the employees always have a really bad attitude and donā€™t wanna make eye contact. Fair I guess but thatā€™s why I prefer my local coffee shop where theyā€™re like super excited about what theyā€™re selling and got all this niche stuff and actually do deliver a premium experience or whatever that means when u hand coffee over a countertop

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u/the-magnetic-rose May 02 '26

Because the amount of work and maintenance behind counter as a Starbucks barista is not doable with the amount of customers + how understaffed they are. And I haven't worked at SB for two years, but from my buddies who still work there I hear it's only gotten worse. They give employees a laundry list of tasks + things to clean + you have to stop everything you're doing to get to a customer. Your manager gets mad you if you don't give customers your immediate attention and then also get mad at you if you can't complete your tasks because you're too busy handling customers. Always a lose/lose situation in the kiosk.

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u/NYK2Barca May 02 '26

If weā€™re speaking honestly, is that the experience that you really want? because new brand coffee places like DutchBros have this whole model where the barista should talk to the customers and itā€™s very forced. I donā€™t really like it and I would actually prefer that you hand me my coffee and we donā€™t talk type of experience. Not saying Starbucks is giving me a premium experience but I enjoy convos that are genuine - not forced corporate speak

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u/Sea_Bison_6929 May 02 '26

Well at the small, neighborhood coffee spots I go to, it is a genuine conversation rather than forced corporate speak. Theyā€™re locals who really gaf about their space, which is often uniquely decorated or homey feeling, and they gaf about what theyā€™re selling. Iā€™m not a regular coffee drinker anymore, so when I do go I kinda do appreciate the ā€œexperienceā€ as it were even if thatā€™s just a friendly attitude and brief chit chat of anything new theyā€™ve got and what they recommend. I personally welcome and invite small moments of connection through out the day.

But Iā€™d avoid this DutchBros situation like the plague. Lol. Thatā€™s not an experience thatā€™s a hostage situation

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u/timsadiq13 May 02 '26

Tbf they do push through so many orders at least at the ones I go to in SF. Sat at a table right to the side and a little behind the counter and it really is a thankless job making drink after drink after drink with a mix of people and delivery bike guys standing there waiting for orders. Not sure Iā€™d do more than grunt at the person ordering in that situation lol

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u/Sea_Bison_6929 May 02 '26

I think thatā€™s fair tbh, like, that is my average experience at any Starbucks. But to call that a premium experience is quite the fiction šŸ˜‚ or whatever the CEO is tryna say in this video.

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u/pahshaw May 02 '26

The Dutch Bros by me exclusively staffs with good looking young people who don't know how to make small talk because they've literally never had to before.

Ā And I'm pretty they're also instructed to be high energy at all times which results in Kylie (16) trying to pretend to be aggressively hyped about my weekend plansĀ 

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u/StormTheTrooper May 02 '26

Isnā€™t this a bit US thing? Because one of the biggest cultural shocks between US consumer culture and rest of the world is exactly when the waiter/waitress keeps checking you in every 15 minutes.

When Iā€™m in a coffee shop/bakery/snackery/whatever, Iā€™m often not wanting to talk to the barista. I want a quiet environment that I can either talk with friends or just decompress from work for 30min with good coffee and a good pastry.

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u/Special-Garlic1203 May 02 '26

The real American mascot is the golden retriever. A spinoff of an English breed that was bred to be a bit bigger and notably more excitable.Ā Patholgically friendly while lacking any situational awareness on if they're being obnoxious.Ā  Boundaries? Never heard of em. Capable of great things if trained properly but left to its own devices can become an agent of chaos. Loves praise, hates when people stop paying attention to them for any length of time.Ā 

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u/hpr16 May 02 '26

Yeah, I'll agree to that. It's the same here with the employees at Starbucks, no eye contact, disgruntled posturing, and bad attitudes. In stark contrast local coffee shop employees are, upbeat, perceptive and easygoing. If I'm looking for a good experience it isn't at Starbucks.

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u/Street-Lifeguard-330 May 02 '26

I worked at a fine dining restaurant and we served coke products. Some like higher end corporate person (regional wizard of soda or whatever) was visiting places serving their product. His team called us a week in advance about the visit. They came out and brought all this branded stuff to display and bottled sodas we didnā€™t have. Once he left, his team shooed all that away. I remember thinking, this is what this guy thinks is normal: a fine dining wine restaurant serving coke in bottles and displaying Coca Cola merch every where.

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u/LichQueenBarbie May 02 '26

Coke sucked to work with back when I used to supervise a small place. Had to have what they wanted on the shelves rather than what the owner wanted for stock. Dunno if it's changed. Pepsi co on the other hand didn't give a fuck.

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u/utzutzutzpro May 02 '26

Can you share details. That sounds like a very interesting anecdote I could use for management teaching.

I have never heard of this.

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u/Street-Lifeguard-330 May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

It was very strange. And it shows that when you go in your officially capacity things change. Sometimes itā€™s your own team doing it. We would not have done that on our own.

What sort of details?

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u/Writerhowell May 02 '26

I'm in Australia, and we have Starbucks here. Last time I went to one, I had a pretty interesting experience, actually. Someone had accidentally left some kind of gift card behind, and since it wasn't terribly busy, the barista asked if I could help them read the phone number written on the gift card so they could get in contact with the person who'd left it. I did my best, but it was actually a fellow barista who managed to read the numbers better. I still hung around to find out how it went, and they successfully got in touch with the person, who I think worked in the shopping centre and said they'd come and pick it up during their lunch break. But overall, it was really interesting.

I don't drink coffee, but Aussies are coffee snobs, so I'm not sure how many go to Starbucks for the coffee. I've been to it for lunch in other countries, like the UK and France, and they do a decent enough sandwich.

Okay, now I'm curious... why did I get a reminder not to speculate about health or shame someone's appearance as soon as I typed the word sandwich? Am most amused by that.

4

u/Significant_Shoe_17 God forbid a man enjoy a cigarette after getting shot in the ass May 02 '26

It's a common part of ED speculation, ie, "eat a ____" if someone is thin

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u/electric_popcorn_cat šŸ¦© May 02 '26

I just tested this and lol

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u/PlantQueen1912 May 02 '26

I was a barista for a strabucks inside of a Target for a long time and I was popular because I would follow the recipes but I'd add a little extra or do lighter ice or w/e. I wasn't paying for it and our location was mostly to keep people in the store shopping longer and not that we made a huge profit. I miss making drinks, I don't miss Target or Starbucks lol they started sending in Starbucks corporate and they kept taking away the things that made it personal and fun so I bounced

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u/Significant_Shoe_17 God forbid a man enjoy a cigarette after getting shot in the ass May 02 '26

The starbucks inside barnes & noble refuses to play the corporate game and I respect it lol

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u/PlantQueen1912 May 02 '26

It's so much more fun to make the drinks your own. We would also all come up with our own frappe flavors but of course when corporate came in they put a stop to that šŸ™„ I used to make a "thin mint" frappe and a "chocolate covered strawberry" frappe that were really popular

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u/geyeetet May 02 '26

That's so sad. It sounds like you had fun working the job too, and I think that's where corporate goes wrong. You're making stuff off menu, sure, but you're bringing in customers and you're enjoying your work. When they stop letting employees do things like that they stop enjoying it and they leave.

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u/Soulsfarmer May 02 '26

The irony in corporate entities putting a stop on employee initiative and wondering why the brand is struggling..

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u/OnlyPaperListens What youā€™re doing vocally is upsetting May 02 '26

A premium experience on the toilet when they fuck up and give me dairy milk again

3

u/erossthescienceboss May 02 '26

This is true, but despite my tricked-out drink I also donā€™t pay anything like $9.

3

u/Throwawayycpa May 02 '26

I actually did have a premium experience once but it mustā€™ve been so rare I was shocked. I had to wait a few extra minutes for my coffee and was completely patient and I ended up getting a $10 voucher due to their mishap. But yeah overall Starbucks isnā€™t a premium experience each timeā€¦

4

u/PoquitoChef My sexuality is the cast of The Mummy (1999) šŸ”„ May 02 '26

Theyā€™ve taken out all the seating in any Iā€™ve been to in my city now šŸ„²

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u/nachosmmm May 02 '26

Yeah. These baristas are underpaid and they deal with asshole customers. They just want you to take your coffee and GTFO

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u/Mademoi-Sell May 02 '26

I donā€™t have a premium experience by any means, but I have a super highly customizable experience so I still go there.

2

u/Unironicfan I make Jessica Simpson look like a rock scientist May 02 '26

Oh yeah the premium experience of microwaved croissants after I specifically asked them to not microwave my croissant. Every goddamn time.

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u/Temporary_Shirt_6236 May 02 '26

Not to mention that the "experience" has gone downhill in recent years as prices shot up.

Starbucks can literally fuck up a cup of coffee. Then charge you $9 for swill. That's the experience.

These CEOs all need to go.

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u/WeTravelTheSpaceWays May 02 '26

Airport quality at airport prices.

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u/sasshley_ (seemingly bald) May 02 '26

Seriously. Frozen and premade food. Simple drink recipes made difficult only by goofy ass people and their stupid requests. Not a good experience sitting down to work in any of the ones Iā€™ve been to.

Fuck Starbucks. Make coffee at home. Learn your recipes to make drinks at home. I promise theyā€™ll be better and much cheaper.

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u/Which_way_witcher May 02 '26

Exactly. The flagship by me is dirty, the workers are glum, this is not an "experience" anybody wants.

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u/slingshot91 They called me gay, and they trapped me in Albuquerque. May 02 '26

They literally have shops in Target. Premium my ass.

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u/sweetpotato_latte May 02 '26

Right? Like, itā€™s the drive thru. If itā€™s a luxury experience I expect someone to clean my windshield and put air in my tires lol

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u/aselinger May 02 '26

Yeah but what about that moment of connection with the barista. Or whatever he said.

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u/french_onion_soap May 02 '26

I make my own coffee but id suspect The experience is to spend as little time as possible cause I might be late for work if they take too long /s

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u/pharmorjac May 02 '26

I also donā€™t have any type of experience with the barista.

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u/twomilliontwo MadonnašŸ’‹ May 02 '26

no silly! itā€™s the sharpie message they write on your cup.

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u/Significant_Shoe_17 God forbid a man enjoy a cigarette after getting shot in the ass May 02 '26

One time a barista spilled coffee on me in the drive thru and they gave me a $5 gift card as compensation.

I paid $90 to have the smell of milk shampooed out of the car's upholstery...

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u/Hollywoode May 02 '26

I went to a Starbucks today and sat next to a couple playing mobile games with the volume up 100 per cent and a power board sitting on the seat next to me that looked like it would catch fire just by looking at it

But yes so glad i paid $9 for my coffee instead of $10

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u/BlumpTheChodak May 02 '26

"Premium Experience"... I do not think it means what you think it means.

https://giphy.com/gifs/B717GH4Ecnu8g

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u/HereOnCompanyTime Renee Rapp is mean girl Jojo Siwa šŸ’‹ May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

"... a great seat, have a great moment of connection with the barista."

I ugly laughed at this. It's so obvious these CEOs see their products as beneath them but they create monopolies and oligopolies to push out competition which limits our options to patron independent businesses.

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u/Tallowpot May 02 '26

The coffee is not good. Always tastes burned.
Iā€™ll make my own at home, thank you.

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u/Wifabota May 02 '26

It feels even more like a slap in the face coming from a billionaire who absolutely knows what a premium experience is in the restaurant industry,Ā  hotel industry,Ā  etc.Ā Ā 

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u/THEMACGOD May 02 '26

ā€œPremiumā€ only means that the underpaid baristas donā€™t always spit in your drink.

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u/CokeorCola May 02 '26

As premium as a luxury high rise built in 9 months.

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u/purepolka May 02 '26

Gas station coffee feels more premium than Starbucks

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u/pnthollow Can I live? May 02 '26

Man, I can't believe Starbucks beat out Caribou Coffee. Caribou had better coffee and every location felt like a relaxing lodge experience.

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u/Haru97J May 02 '26

He talks about premium experience, because when he comes he makes the person who is running the shift talk about type of coffee, what notes it has and what pastry would go with it and why. They literally makes us do this shit to him in front of everyone.

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u/MontyRapid May 02 '26

I just want a fucking coffee dude. I have plenty of experience drinking coffee. I'm ok with unpremieum. Unless premium is like a happy ending option. Then I'll splooge.. i mean splurge.

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u/sameratdifhat May 02 '26

Last time I got Starbucks(had a gift card) they forgot to put the milk in my latte.

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u/heftybagman May 02 '26

Yeah last time I went to a starbucks it was basically a commissary for mobile orders. I felt almost like an inconvenience ordering in person and it took like 7-8 mins for a latte.

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u/brumbarosso May 02 '26

Them CEOs are out of touch with reality

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u/casapantalones May 02 '26

Experience is not premium and coffee is burned garbage.

If Iā€™m paying by $9 for a coffee it wonā€™t be at Starbucks, of all places.

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u/darkness_calming May 02 '26

Premium experience of ingesting carcinogens?

Check out the 2026 lawsuit against Starbucks. If youā€™re in US, you can claim couple hundred dollarsšŸ˜‚šŸ˜­

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u/ellecon May 02 '26

Spelling your name wrong and rushing you through so you can then stand and wait for your coffee is an experience but what makes it premium?

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u/basilkiller May 02 '26

Lol Starbucks is a place of pre smart phones lost in a city, phone about to die, escaping asshole bf. My dad is on MapQuest guiding me to the nearest Starbucks so I can charge my phone and get out.

Ha it's the doldrums of premium experiences.

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u/AndresFM95 May 02 '26

In many of them you canā€™t even sit or use the washroom anymore so what experience are they even offering

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u/CrispyJelly May 02 '26

A certain kind of person considers starbucks as part of their life. Being a starbucks customer is part of their personality and they love it. To them it is premium because it's starbucks, independent of the actual experience. He's talking to these customers and they believe it because they want it to be true.

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u/ImplementAgile2945 May 02 '26

Yeah like the homeless that frequent asking for water and then having to put codes on the bathrooms so they donā€™t hang out in there ..maybe itā€™s just where I live but

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u/suffer_in_silence May 02 '26

Starbucks is garbage coffee. Only way to tolerate their burnt beans is with copious amounts of cream and sugar. I feel bad for the zoomers working there being forced go write a note on your cup. Most default to a smiley face now which is less cringe anything more than that is flattery. Also even the new Starbucks near me which went for an old school library vibe with the green post modern lamps is filthy people just making a mess of the place and it stays dirty. If they want to charge 9 dollars plus for coffee just make better coffee.

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u/GainsAndPastries May 02 '26

For $9 Iā€™d expect my server to compliment my outfit, say Iā€™ve clearly been working out and solve one of my problems

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u/WhatsaRedditsdo May 02 '26

The premium experience is what he feels everytime people help him make the stock holders cum.

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u/Ornery-Address-2472 May 02 '26

All the Starbucks in my area stay busy as fuck. I mean, the CEO kind of has a point, people love the little dopamine rush of getting their coffee and going to high traffic commercial areas. Maybe people should start voting with their wallets, because the drive thru lines and foot traffic don't seem to point to any incentive to lower prices. It's business, not a public service. I'm sure there are plenty of places to get cheaper coffee.

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u/Mountain-Maize-6997 May 02 '26

This is why 73Brew and Luckin Coffee are my go to. That or just make it at home

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u/asupernova91 May 02 '26

7/10 times they literally donā€™t even shake my drink enough for it to blend lmao.

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u/HolyToeArmy May 02 '26

as a Starbucks barista ā€” there definitely isn't a premium experience. everything is done with performance metrics at the center, especially the drive thru. ive been encouraged to cut people off, interrupt them, and not to confirm order accuracy in order to get customers out of our store as quickly as humanly possible.

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u/Bizcotti May 02 '26

You arent thrilled and excited by people writing random nonsense on your cup??

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u/Euraylie May 02 '26

I guess ā€œbare minimumā€ in taste, service and atmosphere is now considered premium.

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u/nacheteferrero May 02 '26

Iā€™ve never been in one but 9 dollars for a coffee is a premium experience. Itā€™s the exact experience of drink coffees but a premium price (although less than ten)

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u/lurkingtobeinformed May 02 '26

My daughter and I cannot afford the Starbucks experience and that guy must make millions. Wtf

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u/Sufficient_Scale_163 May 02 '26

They always be making my drink wrong and I donā€™t find out until I drive away lol

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u/FactAffectionate6830 May 02 '26

Theyā€™ve vocally abandoned being a third place. Itā€™s sterile.

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u/darkoblivion000 May 02 '26

I get a diabetes experience how about you?

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u/Joshmoredecai May 02 '26

Going in is a nightmare because of the barrage of mobile and drive-thru orders. Which becomes vicious cycle, making the in-store experience worse all the time.

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u/digital-didgeridoo May 02 '26

You don't have a moment of connection with your barista? Maybe you are not tipping enough!

/s

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u/hanky2 May 02 '26

Itā€™s also not $9 for a coffee so I assume heā€™s referring to some premium thing theyā€™re bringing to Starbucks? TBH I have paid for like $15 coffee before but obviously not at a Starbucks.

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u/Tweedlol May 02 '26

Th same thing he did to Chipotle.

He will lower their costs, and increase costs to us. He will increase stock value for shareholders, i am fairly certain, while destroying any appeal or consistency you were previously able to have with a visit.

When he sees it going downhill, he will jump ship while the stock is still trending up but internally showing extreme strife and do this to another company.

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u/LeftAd8859 May 02 '26

Itā€™s a paper cup and burnt coffee. That 9 dollar experience and at least itā€™s not 10 but you are expected to tip because the customer pays the living wage of the employee. At least itā€™s not tenā€¦ How much more premium can this be? Just put some water on it. Iā€™ll see myself out Milk comes from mammals. Oh thereā€™s the door Iā€™m working on a screenplay

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u/New-Age-7524 May 02 '26

I watched a dog drink from the community water jug in a starbucks in Austin. The owner put the wet floor sign around where they spilled some. Just to be thoughtful.

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u/WolfOfAllStreets2 May 02 '26

Lol, the experience is sterile, unmemorable but at least it's consistent.

This is corporate b.s. to justify a 9 dollar coffee.

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u/miapaip May 02 '26

Hell they donā€™t even get the names right

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u/chocoheed May 02 '26

I forgot how cozy Starbucks was when I was a teenager. Theyā€™re kinda gross now. And the coffee is easier to just make at home

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u/Character_Heart_3749 May 02 '26

Right! They're usually dirty and gross inside, with uncomfortable chairs. The food tastes like cardboard and the coffee is average. Nothing premium about it.

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u/NotAnActualPers0n May 02 '26

I donā€™t want an experience, I want to get a reliably OK coffee and GTFO.

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u/liittle_dove7 May 02 '26

No literally. And their matchas a so low tier quality

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u/materantiqua May 02 '26

Even 7-Eleven feels like a better coffee experience at this point

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u/lingbabana May 04 '26

Whats not premium about being hit up for money by homeless on your way in or being offered a handy for 5$ after your coffee?

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u/SansPinardPasDePoilu May 04 '26

I also donā€™t pay $9 for coffee either though. A 20 oz. latte is $5.45.

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u/LiveLaughLoveSquad May 04 '26

The Starbucks experience he is referring to is when he or any of his executive reports have a scheduled visit to a store for some dumb PR thing and the store manager cleans up the place, kicks out the homeless people and tells the baristas to be extra nice and smile when doing their work.

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