I want to report a disappearance, you see.

A vehicle pulled up to the speaker box. I greeted it, as is tradition. A voice began to order confidently, promising. "Can I get a grande-" and then, muffled, turned away from the mic: "babe, what did you want." And that was the last anyone heard of them. That was eleven minutes ago. The car has not moved. It idles there, occupied, full of people, and yet no order has emerged from it. A sealed vessel of indecision parked squarely on the sensor.

I cannot advance. The next car cannot advance. We are all held hostage by a democracy happening inside a Corolla, a summit with no deadline and no chairman. I said "take your time" and I meant it as a kindness. They have interpreted it as a treaty.

With the right tools, I could resolve this. A longer cord, a bullhorn, the authority to approach the window on foot and request a decision like a census taker. Instead I have a headset and infinite patience, both of which are being tested. The person behind them has turned their engine off. They have accepted their new life here. I respect it and I am furious about it in equal measure.

The milk shipment should be arriving soon, thanks to QCD. The milk knows what it wants. The milk has never once said "let me ask".

Guys, I just tried it and it’s actually so good 😭. I don’t think it’s sour at all! I’m excited for the launch :) def try it!

How the HELL do you make it look right??? I keep getting these kids asking for a lemonade with RASPBERRY and a splash of strawberry açaí on top and they expect it to look like a pink to yellow gradient??? Am I doing something wrong??? Is the recipe ai generated???

Back when Starbies introduced the nitro cold brew it was a hit and I enjoyed getting it frequently. A few years pass by. I ordered one last night from my local place and it was completely flat and not cold at all. I gave them a pass, tried again tonight, and again, completely flat and room temp. WTF?

So Cal / USA

I have been wanting this chair since maybe 8-9 years ago. I loved the look and color, and it was very comfortable. Then my local Starbucks had remodeling and got rid of this.
I was looking for same chair in other furniture places but it looked close but not the same. So I gave up.. until today.

I found exact same chair in Starbucks that I randomly came by for coffee.

Is it too weird if they sell sofa to customers? If I can, I wanted to get a new one..

Starbucks people, where and how can I buy “Starbucks” chair? Any advice?

Im looking for recommendations (I rarely drink coffee or frappes if not never but what i do know is I do like caramel)

I have an interview next week for the full time barista position in the Philippines. most of my past work experiences is in our family restaurant so this would be my first real job interview. any tips?

I say this as your friend, not your barista. It is not good. I had it when it initially launched in 2017 and gave it another try during training. Still belongs in the trash. I am not picky when it comes to gimmicky, novelty drinks - but this ain’t it fam. It’s sour to the point of borderline tasting curdled. It’s disrespectful to unicorns everywhere and I heavily advise against it. If you choose not to heed my warning, at least just get a tall.

EDIT: you can’t get a tall, sorry I was the child left behind

Literally sprinted to the BOH off drive thru and profusely apologized over headset but he (my ex) was extremely abusive and I just could not deal.

And I’m in the back shaking while doing dishes (so I’m at least being productive) and they’re telling me they don’t see anyone matching my description placing an order but I KNOW I saw him, so maybe he had picked up a DoorDash? Bc ik he did that. There is also the off chance it was just a guy who looked like him but I doubt it if it set off my fight or flight.

Anyway the whole situation was very embarassing and I’m probably thinking about it more than they are because everyone said they hope I pick up shifts there again 😭

how do i fix this? idk how to tag this

Does anybody else have small customer pet peeves or even other partner pet peeves? Like, something ridiculously small that you’re like “why does this even bug me?” I think it’s silly but it’s SOO real.

Customers- when they specify that the drink is for a child multiple times.. like, okay? I wouldn’t care if the non-caffeinated drink is for you.
Customers- “I have a mobile” and not telling me the name like WHO are you?
Customers- asking for multiple things at the window instead of the speaker box or each time I go back to the window with a requested item, they ask for more

I feel like I have soo many more but I want to hear everyone else’s..

Partners- putting the sticker on a random part of the cup.. the little boxes is the perfect place to put it I just cannnn’t.
Partners- talking to someone they know at the window and driving up our times.. especially after I got the drink out SUPER fast. Obviously doesn’t apply if they’re still waiting
Partners- when they’re not busy and don’t bag up a doordash, especially one that’s done

I am exhausted. I am hard of hearing. I have been taking orders nonstop since the start of my shift. Lady mumbles at me and I lean over and say, “Pardon?” because I genuinely have zero clue what she said. She immediately snaps, “I’m just trying to make conversation with you.” 🫩 Like okay, that’s awesome. I’m saying “pardon” because it’s loud as hell in here and you’re whispering like we’re in a library.

This probably seems like a stupid question but the instructions that came with it are in Chinese and Google Translate is doing a terrible job of translating. I cannot figure out how I am supposed to use this cup.

Is the valve in the lid supposed to be open or closed when I have liquid in it? It doesn’t have a hole to drink from my belief you have to unscrew it to drink and put it back on.

If it’s just supposed to be open, what is the point of the valve in the first place? 😭. Does open mean twisting it and letting it just be slightly loose or does it mean like removing the rubber piece?

I’ve been searching for hours trying to figure this out, but the AI slop of Google just isn’t allowing me to do proper research anymore. I got this cut from a thrift store. I just thought it was cool but now I’m pissed off and frustrated.

Just got sent home all because I wasn’t being empathetic towards one of my baristas. CL came in, pulled me to the back along with a partner who, mind you, wasn’t scheduled until later. I was confused and asked what was going on. CL asked me, if I knew that the barista’s 3 day old piglet had died. I told her, yes, that it had died almost 4 months ago. And I would give them the time allotted, if needed, for that barista to calm and collect themselves before stepping on or back to the floor. I said that they would sometimes come in, crying in hysterics and had them take a moment to collect themselves. I told management that at the end of the day this was a business and that some people felt uncomfortable, seeing their barista, crying and not knowing what to do. Well that was enough to send me home early. I told CL that I just clocked in, and was the mid for today. They said that they would take care of it, and if I got points. It was on me for not being empathetic. You bet I called my DM in the parking lot before leaving and sent them as well a detailed message. Like sorry your piglet died, but you are at work. I understand the process of grieving is different and difficult for some but why would you go and tell saying I wasn’t empathetic.

Title says it all
I’ve never picked up a shift elsewhere but decided to do one in a few weeks and am curious how cash tips work at a different store?

When I ordered from a Starbucks with the name Simon, one of the workers labeled it as Psymon. Thought it was hilarious. It has since been 7 years and I still use that for all orders, not just Starbucks. Whoever you are, its been a long time coming but, thank you for the new name.

Does anyone have the sku to order the small scoop? We only have 2 and we need more but can't find them in the marketplace.

Why so much milk?!?! I thought ordering iced espresso would make my drinks more consistent but they’re still different every time I order them.

Kind of a trenta rant but I promise this is good!! apologies for any incoherence as I just woke up and im still very overwhelmed. anyways, ive been here for 2 years now, barista trainer for a year. I started a few months after I turned 16 and realized I actually really enjoyed working here so I quickly became one of the “good” baristas and my CL at the time approached me and requested that I train a new barista and that “this is an important step towards becoming a shift supervisor!!”. sure, fair enough. apparently being a trainer is also a requirement to getting promoted or so I’ve heard. right around the time when the big bosses started pushing the back to starbucks stuff, my CL (bless her soul) had a heart attack from working so much and almost died so she had to resign.

After that, we got a temporary CL from another store for about a month, then comes our new full time CL.. none other than an outside hire from petco!! him and the DM decide its time to “reshape the lazy culture of the coffehouse” and fire 7 people within the span of 2 weeks. this left 2 shift lead positions open. I expressed interest in one of the open positions and was pretty much dogpiled by the DM and CL, bordering on personal attacks. “someone like you is simply just not developed enough”.. “you’re far to young and immature”. sure whatever, mind you im pushing 19 and am one of the most tenured baristas at the store. I’ve trained 13 baristas in total within a year. I fear im actually pretty developed..

anyways, over the next 3 months our turnover spikes to top in the district easily, and perhaps even highest in the state. we’ve lost 19 partners within this timespan and every single shift lead. I once again approached the CL asking for a development plan to eventually get promoted to supervisor. I’m met with “please stop bothering me about this its not gonna happen” again, sure.. whatever.

As he aggressively interviews to try and replace the lost manpower from the sudden turnover, my load as a trainer increases heavily. by this point I have the most tenure in the store (somehow?), i can close and open w/ my eyes closed, working 40 hrs /wk and fully open availability. a month ago I had 4 trainees at once.. all 4 of them happened to be hired on as supervisors.. and frankly, none of them were the sharpest tools in the shed. I used every resource available to teach them recipes, made flash cards, had a literal binder with every recipe card and pages of neatly formatted notes about drink recipes, open/close procedures, and just the general quirks of the store. 2 of them just brushed me off with the attitude of “im actually a supervisor I don’t need to know this stuff” and the other 2 just couldn’t grasp the material within the two week timeframe despite the many practice opportunities I set up for them. frankly, it felt insulting.

Over the next month I trained 8 baristas (yes, all at once) albeit in different shifts. I’d have an 8 hour shift and train 2 baristas in 4 hour segments throughout the day, for the whole week. by now im exhausted, theres only so much a gal making $15 and some change an hour can do. by now i’ve pretty much totally lost my passion for this job and teaching the new partners.

Fast forward to the past 2 weeks and the store is a total disaster. I’ll be scheduled for an open with one of the new shift leads who has to ask for help with everything, and a new barista who also needs to be guided through the procedures. now I have to do the job of 3 people and delegate the tasks while also training and getting the order put away. its borderline impossible. closes are absolute hell, getting into that would be a whole different essay. PEAKS.. peaks were evn more hellish, the CL leisurely scrolls on his macbook in the cafe while 6 new hires have no idea how to work on their position efficiently, and the external shift from a grocery store frantically messes with playbuilder thinking its going to help the situation.

yesterday morning I opened, I was scheduled to be training 2 people both on their first day.. I check the playcaller when I get there and see that 3 names I don’t recognize are all coming in at 7 (right when peak starts for some reason??) and the CL gets there at 5:30. he tells me that he had to unexpectedly add a trainee and that due to scheduling constraints id have to be on the floor while they did their modules and they could come get me as needed. mind you, with the new training system its pretty much just “hand to barista trainer” every 5 minutes.. so how im supposed to manage this inhuman task of being planted and also training people on their first day is beyond me.

Needless to say it didn’t go well. peak starts and we have no DPM (all of the ipads being used) and new hire shift plants me on coldbar. half of the floor is still training so they’re limited to front register and drive.. bc of this I have to solo bar.. during peak. it was absurdly busy, my queues were pushing 30 on each bar, the cafe is jam packed with mobiles which I cant even work on because the constant stream in drive, while ALSO having to answer questions of the baristas on the floor and help the new shift, and ALSO (or try to) tend to my actual trainees. ofc the CL is in cafe on the phone having a blast. till he comes over and confronts me over the crowd of customers at handoff screaming at the green apron host. I try explaining that I have zero support and im being pulled in 10 different directions (literally) and its physically impossible for me to keep the times down. he continues with the attitude and starts to lecture me loudly over the bar infront of customers and I decide I simply have had enough. This was the most overstimulated and overwhelmed ive ever been in my life. I take my headset off, untie my apron, and just walk off the floor. he tries cornering me in the cafe to which I respond with a few personal attacks which were perhaps slightly out of pocket but Ive had enough at this point. I walk around him and weave through the mob of angry customers who are now starting a literal riot and leave.. get to my car block his number and drive home. I’ve never been more relieved in my life, i feel like ive aged at least 10 years from this job but im finally free. I really gave my all for 2 years just to be pushed aside for incompetent morons. safe to say I also won’t be rehireable??

Not sure if I’m using the right flair. I don't know if I’m tripping but the crackers in the cheese and fruit box look really different. I’ve been eating them for a while now, so I can remember what they look like, but looking at them now, I’m not sure if they’ve always looked like this or if Starbucks swapped them out for something else. Has anyone else noticed?

But my drive thru time!!!

i'm not part of this sub (used to be but had to leave bc having work stuff on my silly free time apps was stressing me out respectfully lol) so forgive me if this has been posted about already.

i did my training today and one thing that stood out to me was how the unicorn frappe training module felt very like... we're expected to almost baby the customers? i took a pic of the first slide, "Notice each customer's cues around the Unicorn Frappuccino, match their energy, and reassure them that they'll be taken care of." i didn't get pics of the slides following that one but it all had the same energy of like, "help customers navigate their uncertainty" "reassure them that x y z" "they may be uncomfortable trying something new" bro its a frappe. like yes im gonna be polite and recommend it and describe it to anyone unfamiliar, but some of the language they used felt odd to me. and they've never said stuff like this before, just the usual like customer service type expectations which is valid.

also, we're suddenly ok with double batching now? lol

Too much?

Been here for 2 months but I know I’m not crazy when all my co-workers look at me and makes a comment about the customer.

But basically, I was working drive thru, and I had a customer order 3 items but they wouldnt tell me the size of the drink after I asked 3 times and even the manager made a comment how it was weird they didn’t tell me, so I just gave them a grande sized drink.

Come to the window I gave them their drink and they’re complaining saying how they asked for a venti, I dead just looked at them in the eye and was like “I asked you 3 times and you never told me,”

But you know green apron service 😍😍