Starbucks' Best Move For America

Starbucks is closing 600 stores in the United States.

That really is great news. We don't need their bathrooms.

Before we start the party we should have a moment of silence for Europe and the rest of the world.

I'll bet they add 600 in London alone.
To be completely fair though, in a few countries it's the only place to get a good strong cup of coffee.
Now back to bashing them.

I call closing 600 Starbucks a good start.

I hope there will be some left in my town. I love their java chip frapuccinos! I grew up in and support private enterprise wherever I can, but I've tried all the privately owned coffee houses in town and none of them has a frap that measures up IMHO.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Starbucks is closing 600 stores in the United States.

July's Portfolio Magazine has Howard Schultz on its cover with the title: Starbucks' Last Shot: Chairman Howard Schultz has the jitters and it's not the caffeine!

I remember a while back The Onion running a satirical story about a Starbucks opening in a Starbucks' restroom! Hilarious and prescient.

I always disdained the place and the a-holes who carry their goofy cups with them as they stroll around trolling for cachet. On the times when my lovely wife dragged me in there I always ordered an "extra large", refusing to use their goofy lingo: "venti", etc.

The whole "Starbucks" thing is ALMOST as irritating as bottled water!

I was in a Starbucks once. It was in Seattle back in 1980, I believe, and they actually had coffee. Not only that, but they charged about the same for a cup as anyone else. Even more strange, they served their coffee in actual cups.

The last of the 3 times I was in Starbucks we could not get a table
because they were occupied by guys with laptops whose coffee had long
since gone cold. I never could understand how they made money when
people sat around all day talking, reading or posting to Roadfood.

600-----I think there were that many in the Tampa-St Pete area alone.

They assure their employees they're going to find them work at other locations. The bonus there is that they don't have to relocate since the next nearest location is on the NW corner of the intersection as opposed to the SE corner where they worked.

quote:

Originally posted by lynndunham

I grew up in and support private enterprise wherever I can, but I've tried all the privately owned coffee houses in town and none of them has a frap that measures up IMHO.

Well, Starbucks is also private enterprise. I mean, it is not run by the government...or is it?

Well hopefully those 3600 PEOPLE (probably more like 6000 PEOPLE) that work there will be able to find suitable employment.

I like to bash Starbucks as much as the next person. But I have to admit, I used to frequent Starbucks, purchased their beans and their brew. I think we can all thank Starbucks for raising the "coffee conciousness" of everyone. Thanks to Starbucks raising the bar on good coffee we can now get a better cup just about everywhere.

Let the bashing begin.... er, continue.

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr


Well, Starbucks is also private enterprise. I mean, it is not run by the government...or is it?

Starbucks is a public company, in the sense that the company is owned by the shareholders, and any outstanding shares (there's currently 728 million of them) are available to anyone who has the $15.62 they cost per share (as of today's close). That's about half of what they cost a year ago.

P.S. I bet it shoots up tomorrow on the news of the cuts.

I don't drink coffee at all, but living in NYC, I will miss their public bathrooms!

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I love it when things get political. But this thread will either get locked, disappear, or the last post will disappear.

Too late. It did disappear.

It is indeed unfortunate that both you and the moderator lack a sense of humor. I thought my imagining Starbucks as a government enterprise was absolutely apolitical.

Since the thread is still here, and open, I suggest that you not bad-mouth the moderators who will be more than happy to shut your participation down if you don't want to go by the site rules.

My connection with any Starbucks has been to walk thru several that were operating in a Barnes and Noble Bookstore environment. I don't believe I have ever purchased anything from one of those consessions. I don't forsee changing that purchasing plan in the future.

quote:

Originally posted by Pogo

I like to bash Starbucks as much as the next person. But I have to admit, I used to frequent Starbucks, purchased their beans and their brew. I think we can all thank Starbucks for raising the "coffee conciousness" of everyone. Thanks to Starbucks raising the bar on good coffee we can now get a better cup just about everywhere.

I agree. Love 'em or hate 'em, it's forced out a better product and cheaper alternatives.

quote:

Originally posted by Pogo

I have to admit, I used to frequent Starbucks, purchased their beans and their brew. I think we can all thank Starbucks for raising the "coffee conciousness" of everyone. Thanks to Starbucks raising the bar on good coffee we can now get a better cup just about everywhere.
Let the bashing begin.... er, continue.

I totally agree and it's the saturantion that drove me against them.
I keep Lewis Black's http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z9iMgSNrwv4 rant handy to calm me down if I need to.

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen
My connection with any Starbucks has been to walk thru several that were operating in a Barnes and Noble Bookstore environment.

The bookstore and grocery store locations are owned and staffed by the store they're in. So I ask you people, does that change your feeling toward that location ?

I bring this up because at least one community got a brand new Starbuck's ripped out before it even opened through local laws.

So when they say, they "beat Starbuck's" they really beat their local long time neighbor Safeway.
No one brings this up in those wars. What do you think ?

Starbucks has always been over roasted for me and the flavor was too bitter.

I felt like they were going to fall when they were opening stores like crazy.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I'm a guilty one, Guilty One. I was on the team that brought Starbucks to Target Stores and first integrated them into Super Targets. I did get to meet several people at Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle during the initial development stages. They were very serious and conscientious people intent on delivering a superior coffee.

How quickly we forget most of the swill that was disguised as coffee in restaurants including Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds before Starbucks upped the expectations ante. We also forget they created the market for the many independents that manage to compete. Before Starbucks in most of the country there were no independent coffee oriented shops. I'm not saying Starbucks necessarily has the best coffee because independents can set their sights and beat them at their game. My son-in-law and his family owned a small chain of four shops and figured that out. So if Starbucks wiped out an independent it was because that independent wasn't good enough.

Any kind of business that is based on a one tricky pony (coffee in this case) is vulnerable. The profit comes from the fancy expensive drinks and they become the first casualty in a downturn. Anything automobile dependent is going to take a hit too if gasoline continues to rise.

My disclaimer. I drink coffee black with no cream, milk or sugar every morning. I have no qualms about stopping at a Starbucks, or a Caribou, or even a McDonalds for my coffee.

quote:

Originally posted by MetroplexJim

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

I love it when things get political. But this thread will either get locked, disappear, or the last post will disappear.

Too late. It did disappear.

It is indeed unfortunate that both you and the moderator lack a sense of humor. I thought my imagining Starbucks as a government enterprise was absolutely apolitical.

I lack a sense of humor?

Michael,
Please let sleeping dogs lie.


Guilty One- My comment about not purchasing anything from a Starbucks concession is not related to any 'feelings' about the company. I simply don't drink coffee very often. I can count the number of cups I have consumed in 2008 on one hand, and I think all of that was made here at home. No real reason, I'm just not a coffee user. Make that a Soda and then I might show more interest!!

I am not a coffee drinker, and think I stopped in Starbucks once to buy bottled water.I do feel for the employees losing their jobs, but the closing of the stores wont impact me as I do not frequent them.

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd
Any kind of business that is based on a one tricky pony (coffee in this case) is vulnerable. The profit comes from the fancy expensive drinks and they become the first casualty in a downturn. Anything automobile dependent is going to take a hit too if gasoline continues to rise.

Well, Starbucks is hardly a one-trick pony, even if their bakery items aren't all that good, but this is so true when you pin a place like Krispy Kreme against Dunkin Donuts.

I am curious to know how Wawa and Sheetz are doing these days...I imagine Wawa is better equipped to endure, since their roots were in stand-alone delis before picking up gas pumps.

When I was working at a Barnes & Noble, a couple times I got hijacked to help behind the counter at the store's Starbucks op.
I protested I don't drink coffee, I don't understand cofffee, I don't like coffee.
Just follow the steps on the pictogram-filled instruction sheet, I was told.
So I did.
You know what I quickly realized? First off, the operation is incredibly wasteful. Over half of all coffee is thrown out, most of it seconds after being brewed! Second, there is almost no difference between any of the coffee drinks they sell! Espresso one unit or two, milk yes/no, chocolate syrup yes/no. That's pretty much it.
The bakery goods were okay but way overpriced.

Funny thing is, when the store was setting up, the Starbucks had so many teens, X-ers, and Y-ers that they couldn't fit behind the counter. A few weeks later when we finally opened, most of the new hires had already quit.

I can testify that the coffee area did fill with Yuppie derelicts quite content to sit there until being thrown out. Since our store management banned us from making "store closing" announcements, the Yups would just keep sitting there. Because there were still "customers" sitting there, the poor folks behind the counter were not allowed to start their closing tasks!
One quartet of Yup hoboes sat there for a half hour after the store had closed. I finally walked over to them and told them the store closed at 11 and it was now 11:30. The Yups looked at each other and started discussing what they should order "to go"!

Another time, it was 11:10 and I'm guarding the door as the final customers exit. A car speeds through the parking and squeals to a halt in front of me. A guy jumps out and runs for the door. "We're closed--" "Thats okay; I just need to order something at the Starbucks!"

Starbucks has long since passed the point where they and their customers are parodies of themselves.

Frankly, I cannot understand why Barnes and Nobles feel that having a Starbuck's in their bookstores is a profit-maker. I have witnessed so many people grabbing an armful of magazines and books and plopping them down at their table. They drink their overpriced coffee and spend hours sitting there and reading the books and magazines. After they finally leave the table, an employee has to pick up all the books and magazines and put them back on the shelves and racks. I just cannot figure this out.

I often wonder why Barnes and Nobles are profitable. More often than not I will browse a B and N to get ideas, and then I'll go home and buy the books I saw there on Amazon for a cheaper price and without any sales tax.

Wow. I actually live more than 100 miles FROM a freaking Starbucks and they're starting to retract. Amazing.

Seriously, though, I actually do like Starbucks coffee. I don't order the fancy frou frou stuff, just a regular house blend, and I get change back from two bucks. Fine by me.

quote:

Originally posted by DavidEMartin

Since our store management banned us from making "store closing" announcements, the Yups would just keep sitting there. Because there were still "customers" sitting there, the poor folks behind the counter were not allowed to start their closing tasks!

Oh, yes "Seattle Customer Service" another thing about Seattle that also gave me an ulcer while I was living there.

Here is the first list of stores to close:
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=880

I like to view lists of stores closing, but that one doesn't tell me anything since I'm not familiar with any of those and I assume there is three more within a block of each.

The only one that surprised me is Rancho Mirage, Ca
I looked it up and there are 4 others in that small town and if you include it's two small neighbors Cat City and Palm Desert, there are 16 total.

Subway would be the only other chain that a closing list wouldn't tell me much.

Thanks for posting it though.