So Starbucks has finally been hit with a dose of reality. They use water like it’s going out of style. While it IS essential to sanitize spoons and isolate spoons for allergens (like milk allergies), the simple fact remains that they have really done nothing innovative in terms of recycling and conservation. Water has been watsted in this fashion for over 17 years with no real effort made to come up with an innovative solution. Same with the paper cup. While they use a percentage of post-consumer recycled fibers in their cups, they have missed the boat once again to be the innovator by developing the compostable cup/compostable utensil technology.

If you look at the amount of waste generated by a store that goes into the landfill or down the drain, the company could be doing more and should be, if they want to survive their current predicament. BRAVO Howie! BRAVO! Your new “leadership” is working well. The waste corporately and in the front lines continues to be ignored.

The GOOD

It met expectations for flavor and decadence. The smoked salt added a balanced salt/sweet flavor. We were fully aware that too much of that salt could ruin the beverage quite quickly though.

The BAD

Try to drink a short with Non Fat milf and no whip if you’re going to have it a couple of times a week. Here’s why.

~ Java Joe

~Java Joe

Thank you for calling Green Apron Stories, this is Joe. How can I help you?

Over the weekend, I recieved an e-mail from Pat that he acquired something quite special from his local store. In fact, he got 5 of them and the e-mail that went with them. Not wanting to make this place a straight-faced news source or gossip site, I asked Pat to write a story about his special gift. Special thanks should go to Chris and Jessie for their contribution.

As written by Pat Nerr:

Not so long ago in a land not so far way there lived The Karate Man. The Karate Man was passionate about two things in life. Smoothies and Shorin-Ryu Karate. The Karate Man spent his days travelling the world… telling folks about his wonderful Kinetix Protein Smoothies. How the smoothies gave great powers to those brave enough to choke down their fibrous, chalky goodness. Oh how the local villagers loved The Karate Man.

One day, Ol’ King Howard got wind of the influence that The Karate Man had on his subjects. How they would stop and listen to his tales of Smoothies and Karate. The Ol’ King was impressed by The Karate Man’s rugged good looks and beemed at how great it was that The Karate Man was in his Kingdom… how The Karate Man was the next best thing since Frapuccino.

Then, one day… the Ol’ King realized that nobody came to visit him anymore. The villagers were all at The Karate Man’s cafe where he concocted some of the most wonderfully chalky blended beverages ever created. The Ol’ King became jealous. The Karate Man’s manly features and knowledge of Kinetix Protein Powder far surpassed his own. Chet, the short, hunch-backed court jester and village gossip, suggested to the King that he befriend Karate Man…. so that he could gain his confidence and catch him off guard. Chet “Thrived” on such things. And so the Ol’ King did just that. He invited The Karate Man to join the King’s court in celebrating the annual Vivanno Summer kickoff celebration. The Karate Man… sensing no danger… agreed to join the party.

The morning of that Vivanno Summer Kickoff, the Ol’ King had The Karate Man killed. He notified the villagers that The Karate Man was no more. That they were to forget him and celebrate the grandeur that is Ol’ King Howard. The Villagers reluctantly agreed…

So the morale of the story is… Be careful of what Ol’ King Howard invites you to do… or you could end up like The Karate Man.

Now that the dust has settled from Jim Alling’s departure and he is readying to catch his next wave, it might be time to share a little of the type of guy he is. Fun loving, puts himself out there, energetic, enthusiastic, positive and a sincere gentleman. Certainly, an oddball out in the executive group at Starbucks. I had the pleasure of meeting him early on in his career at Starbucks and can say that he was as genuine on day one, as he was on his last day. I viewed him as a man with balance. He often went for a lunch run at noon. My impression is that he is family man first, business man second and serves himself last.

Here’s a little personal media on Jim Alling.

Good luck to him and his family. He deserves nothing but good.

Good morning. Ken Yah here. Your roving SSC-related news reporter. I’d like to take a minute to share something that I overheard in one of the many SSC coffee breakrooms. Most partners are aware that some kind of changes are going to take place with our benefits in October. You may be interested to know that the “new rules” for being eligible for benefits as a PT partner are about to get a little harder. The “word” is that the argument to squelch any disbelievers in the new rules will be the internal PR monster that is “Set Shifts”. Think 30% reduction in the amount of partners eligible for Starbucks benefits. I also overheard some stuff about a new bonus program.

I also heard that this years’ Holiday Promo will be “memorable”.

I’m just telling you what I heard.

Ken Yah

Part of the inheritance of this space is some of the collateral that never made it your way for one reason or another. I thought this item was particularly interesting from the standpoint that as long as Starbucks tries to be something else, they’ll fall further away from the thing that made them great in the first place. I’m told that this is from the 90’s. The bottom left of the bell curve that has been Starbucks.

I think people can learn a lot from this. Have a good day and enjoy your coffee.

Joe

Thank you for calling Green Apron Stories, this is Sue Matra. How can I help you?

As a recently let go partner and new contributor to Green Apron Stories, I felt I needed to have my first post here be something to remember. I could tell stories of my last day experience. I could go on about how I was caught off guard, not treated as a person, not even offered help with the things they boxed up for me. I could tell you how offended and hurt this made me feel after 8 years of staying late and devoting my life and giving my loyalty to the Big Green Bean. But I’m not going to. I’ll simply do this:

The picture above is a photo of the front door to the Starbucks SSC. If you enter this door, you’ll see three elevators. You can take any one of them up to the 8th floor receptionist. If you do this at around 8:30 on a Monday morning, you’ll be sure to be accompanied by many busy partners. Just follow them. Some will beep their badges at the glass door that will be on your right as you exit the elevator. Just act like you know what you’re doing and walk with them.

You’ll notice a lovely display as you cross the threshold. Starbucks current marketing, mugs, coffee bags, etc. It’s quite impressive. You’ll notice a long set of winding stairs to your right. These will take you to the 9th floor. Don’t bother going there. You’ll continue straight, just to the right of the staircase. In about 15 steps, you’ll come to a magnificent cafe-like breakroom on your right. Help yourself to a coffee cup from the cupboard. Hell, make yourself a caramel machiatto with extra caramel.

When you have your beverage, walk out of the other door. Out towards the well-lit, open and airy common area with the large banners and the mature coffee plants to the right. You should see two sets of 4 comfy chairs there. Have a seat. Look up. Pretty huh? Ok. Stand up. Walk North a bit and you’ll see two hallways. Take the left one and walk until you see another small breakroom on your right. Don’t go in. Just walk a few more steps to the copy room, which will also be on your right. Don’t go in there either. Just walk two more steps until you can make a right and see many rows of cubicles. Walk a few steps and take a left down the aisle. You’ll see what looks to be a row of fancy offices. This is called “Executive Row”.

Have fun and tell them Sue Matra sent ya.

Love,
Sue Matra
(8 year partner and recently promoted to another coffee company’s customer)