look smell grind tamp brew taste share

Tugging at the apron strings

2008-06-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I officially begin non-coverage paid time training in the Coffee Master program in a week and a half. I'm also doing a pairing dinner for our shift meeting next week, though I'm not sure if that will count as "my" seminar (every coffee master has to present a guided tasting seminar for their final certification) or not. We shall see. Excited? Yes. Especially because I have nothing else going on right now, so I'll be able to put most/all of my time and effort into it.

On a related note, it's a little saddening to see Eliot sort of "giving up" on things at the store. He isn't in charge of orders, music, etc. or anything else "extra". Makes sense, since he's already proven himself more than capable of doing the job of an ASM. t really does suck for him, since there are really zero chances at advancing beyond a Shift Sup. in the moderately near future. He just needs to get into another area where there is higher turnover.

The times, they are a-changing...

2008-04-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

Well. A whole lot has happened since the last post....let's take some time to remember. In the spirit of the Battlestar Galactica three-season recap.....

ACT ONE

STARBUCKS
Hey, sorry about being lame and impersonal.  But we've gotta make $$ ok?

CONSUMERS
Hmmm.  Ok...

STARBUCKS
Hey!  Try these sandwiches.  They're great "warm".

CONSUMERS
Shouldn't they be "hot"?

STARBUCKS
Yeah but "warming" can be copyrighted.

CONSUMERS
Ummmmmmm....

STARBUCKS STOCK
OUCH!

JIM DONALD
Wait!  Here, have some teddy bears!  And how about some music...people who like coffee like music, too...ummmm and how about some vacuum-packed rock hard "cookies"?  Sweet.

CONSUMERS
Errrr....

SHAREHOLDERS
WTF?

STOCK MARKET
WTF????

-ACT TWO-

HOWARD
OMFG man quit f#@!$ing up my company!!!

JIM DONALD
lol!

STARBUCKS PARTNERS
[grumblegrumblegrumble]

SHAREHOLDERS
Ok bye Jim.

JIM DONALD
STFU!  I made this compay what it is today!!

SHAREHOLDERS
Yea exactly.  Kbye.

JIM DONALD
Noooooooooooo!!

STARBUCKS
KSDjf;lasjdf;laskdjfa;ej11!!!!!!!11!
[rejoices]

HOWARD
Lemmie at 'em.

STOCK MARKET
Well it's about damn time.

-ACT THREE-

HOWARD
Hey make better coffee ok?  Thx.


STARBUCKS
Ok.

HOWARD
Hey R&D quit putting all that SHIT out in the stores ok?

R&D
But then we won't have anything to do.

HOWARD
Ok ur fired kbye.

PARTNERS
asl;dfkjas;lfkjwo;ej;oj;!!!


HOWARD
I am God.

What is a Barista?

2008-02-08T22:35:00.001-08:00

"Barista is a craft profession with the artistry of a fine pastry chef, the skill of a short order cook in a busy restaurant, and the pleasantry of a flight attendant. Every drink that you serve is singularly a creation to the finest of your ability. You are the end of the line in the life of the coffee bean. After growing on heirloom plants high in the mountains across the world, the beans are painstakingly harvested by skilled coffee farmers, processed carefully to remove the cherry, transported thousands of miles over treacherous seas, trucked across the country, and roasted in small batches by yours truely. As the last set of hands to touch the beans before they are slurped by your customer, to put forth anything but your best effort is a disservice to all the people that put their heart and soul into the coffee before you."

-Metropolis Coffee, Chicago, IL

from Howard

2008-02-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2008

What I Know to be True

Dear partners,

As I sit down to write this note (6:30 a.m. Sunday morning) I am enjoying a spectacular cup of Sumatra, brewed my favorite way – in a French press.

It has been three weeks since I returned to my role as ceo of the company I love. We have made much progress as we begin to transform and innovate and there is much more to come. But this is not a sprint – it is a marathon – it always has been. I assure you that when all is said and done, we will, as we always have, succeed at our highest potential. We will not be deterred from our course – we are and will be a great, enduring company, known for inspiring and nurturing the human spirit.

During this time, I have heard from so many of you; in fact, I have received more than 2,000 emails. I can feel your passion and commitment to the company, to our customers and to one another. I also thank you for all your ideas and suggestions ... keep them coming. No one knows our business and our customers better than you. I have visited with you in many of your stores, as well as stopping by to see what our competitors are doing as well.

It’s been just a few days since my last communications to you, but I wanted to share with you

what I know to be true:

· Since 1971, we have been ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world, and today there is not a coffee company on earth providing higher quality coffee to their customers than we are. Period!

· We are in the people business and always have been. What does that mean? It means you make the difference. You are the Starbucks brand. We succeed in the marketplace and distinguish ourselves by each and every partner embracing the values, guiding principles and culture of our company and bringing it to life one customer at a time.

Our stores have become the Third Place in our communities - a destination where human connections happen tens of thousands of times a day. We are not in the coffee business serving people. We are in the people business serving coffee. You are the best people serving the best coffee and I am proud to be your partner. There is no other place I would rather be than with you right here, right now!

· We have a renewed clarity of purpose and we are laser-focused on the customer experience. We have returned to our core to reaffirm our coffee authority and we will have some fun doing it. We are not going to embrace the status quo. Instead, we will be curious, bold and innovative in our actions and, in doing so, we will exceed the expectation of our customers.

· There will be cynics and critics along the way, all of whom will have an opinion and a point of view. This is not about them or our competitors, although we must humbly respect the changing landscape and the many choices facing every consumer. We will be steadfast in our approach and in our commitment to the Starbucks Experience - what we know to be true. However, this is about us and our customers. We are in control of our destiny. Trust the coffee and trust one another.

· I will lead us back to the place where we belong, but I need your help and support every step of the way. My expectations of you are high, but higher of myself.

· I want to hear from you. I want to hear about your ideas, your wins, your concerns, and how we can collectively continue to improve. Please feel free to reach out to me. I have been flooded with emails, but believe me, I am reading and responding to all of them.

As I said, I am proud to be your partner. I know this to be true.

Onward ...

Howard

P.S. Everything that we do, from this point on (from the most simple and basic), matters.

Master the fundamentals. Experience Starbucks

macchiato

2008-02-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

mä • khee • YA' • toe (Ital.): "Marked, stained, spotted."

I find myself perplexed by the apparent presumptuous interpretations of the Italian coffee drink.

"I'd like a caffè macchiato please."

Will that be...

American: Usually a double shot (2-4 oz.) of espresso in a "macchiato" cup (larger than a demitasse, usually about 6 oz.). Tight milk foam tops the espresso, and is mounded to above the rim of the cup.

Italian (traditional): One shot of espresso in a demitasse (or smaller) with approximately one teaspoon of steamed milk dropped into the cup. The foam that is incorporated with the milk naturally leaves a "mark, stain, spot" etc. on top of the crema (the volatile, lighter colored part of the espresso shot that contains the most complex, sweet and intense flavors). The mark never fully covers the crema. The milk softens the harshness of the Italian-style espresso (sometimes using lesser-quality robusta beans to boost the caffeine content) and enhances the flavors of a well-crafted blend, which is ideally built to perfectly compliment steamed milk. Cinnamon or nutmeg is often served on the side.

Latte macchiato: Steamed milk, topped with foam, with one third of the volume of the milk's worth of espresso poured into the milk. The milk is then, consequently, "marked, stained" with espresso.

Starbucks "caramel macchiato" is, then, a latte macchiato. And due to the recipe, (vanilla syrup+milk, espresso on top, caramel topping) a vanilla latte macchiato. Scandal!

That's about it, I think.

Side note: A new barista at Racy's. One of about three I've seen.

Two of them are blond.

Just when you think you know someplace...

A tip

2008-02-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

Try about a teaspoon of honey in your next cup of Racy Blend. It counter-acts the earthiness and brings out the cocoa. It'll taste like hot chocolate, I promise.

I think a it's time for a little 'splainin'

2008-02-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

Chad, the mall store manager, was separated (Buxspeak: fired) from the company on Wednesday.

I'm not sure if he or the rest of are more shocked.

My theory is that if you're gettin' fired, you had better know it's coming, or there is something radically out of whack in your own perception or in your superior's interpersonal skills.

In the long scope of things, it sort of makes sense, though. Considering the recent happenings and announcement considering upper management re-alignment and streamlining, it's understandable that they would want to make any drastic changes as soon as possible.

The only reason I can find for Chad being let go so suddenly and without warning is that he was not leading the store to new performance goals, not making comps, and not making labor. Although to his credit, it is theoretically impossible to "make" labor in that store due to the projected and earned labor hours based on sales per hour per partner. Anyway.

I find myself now struggling to stick with a company that so boldly two-faced...they all are, though, but sometimes an air of monarchical superiority and infallibility creeps under that surface of compassion and responsibility. How am I supposed to remain enthusiastic and passionate all the while doing it for a DM who seems to have little consideration....

I know, I need to wait and find out the whole story before I get maniacal. I just hope I actally get to find out the whole story.

Oh god, who am I kidding...I work in a coffee shop.

Letter to Partners

2008-01-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

To: All Starbucks Partners
From: Howard Schultz

Earlier this month, we communicated our plan to transform Starbucks for the future, and we said action would come fast. It has, and I am writing today to share with you what has happened so far, and what’s next.

The new senior leadership team and I have met almost every day over the last few weeks, creating the action plan to transform our company that not only resonates with our customers, but with our people. We are dramatically changing the way we manage the company and make decisions. We are laser focused on the customer, which will enable us to transform Starbucks.

The three parts of our transformation agenda are: improve the current state of our U.S. business; reignite the emotional attachment with our customers; and make foundational changes for the long term.

We have now assigned accountabilities to our leadership team and their direct reports. They will own everything about their business and be responsible for specific projects to drive us forward in all three of these areas. We have also validated a number of programs that were already in the pipeline that will support and further our vision for the Starbucks Experience.

Some of the actions we’ve identified will occur in the near future and we have a short timeframe to make them happen. We expect that the initial result of our work will be seen in our U.S. business. Other changes will take place in the coming months.

Currently, we have identified the following action steps:

Slow the pace of U.S. store openings and accelerate internationally
We now plan to open a total of 1,175 net new stores in the U.S. this year, down more than 34 percent from our fiscal 2007 openings. That includes closing approximately 100 underperforming stores. In addition, for 2009 we plan to open less than 1,000 new U.S. stores. This fiscal year, we will also open an additional 75 net new stores in international markets, increasing the international store opening target to approximately 975 stores. In 2009 that will rise to over 1,000 stores internationally, and mark the first time that our International store openings will outpace those in the U.S.

This will allow us to optimize our resources and potentially reduce cannibalization from existing stores.

By the end of fiscal year 2008, discontinue warmed breakfast sandwiches at our North American stores
We made this decision because, in short, the scent of the warmed sandwiches interferes with the coffee aroma in our stores, which is key to the coffee experience that forges our connection with customers. Moreover, while our customers liked our sandwiches, they told us that they missed the aroma of coffee. We will continue offering warmed pastries and selling lunch, but there will be some modifications to the line up, as is our normal practice. The highest priority for our food team is to develop the right offerings to complement our superior coffee and espresso beverages.

Manage our business the right way
We are giving ourselves and the financial community a new way to measure our progress, which we believe is a more thoughtful approach to managing our business for the long term. Going forward, we will not report same store sales comps as they will not be an effective indicator of our performance and we will no longer give annual guidance beginning in 2009 and beyond. I believe that this will help us make better decisions and focus on the customer, while building long-term shareholder value.

Reinvent partner training
In the coming months, you will see a renewed level of commitment to providing superior training for our retail partners. We will invest in tools and provide them with the resources they need to exceed customer expectations.

Reinstate regularly scheduled open forums
As you know, we believe passionately that when we invest in our people, build an emotional connection with each other and fully engage every partner in our strategy and agenda, we see positive results. Therefore, effective immediately, we are reinstating regularly scheduled open forums in the field.

Bring back the Leadership Conference
We believe that this is the most important and strategic event that we can hold for our store managers and above, because this is another way to build understanding of our vision and strategy, as well as connect and help continue career development. We will hold our leadership conference in Fall 2008. Details will be forthcoming, so stay tuned. And I promise you that it will not be cancelled!

These and future actions will reaffirm for customers and the market that, unlike others, we are not a reseller of commodity-based coffee roasted by a third party. We never have been and we never will be. We will utilize our 35-plus years of ethically sourcing, buying and roasting the finest coffee in the world to reaffirm our coffee authority.

We will continue to communicate with you about our progress. We plan to do so, once again, at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders on March 19, when we will lay out five specific, bold “consumer-facing” initiatives that will be a major catalyst for change and transformation. They will extend our coffee leadership; ensure that our stores are the third place for the next decade; encourage a deeper dialogue with our customers; and further strengthen our partners’ and customers’ relationships with one another. And this is just the beginning!

On another note, we have received a lot of attention in the last week about the $1 brewed coffee 8 ounce short test. Testing is a way of life for us as we continue to find ways to enhance the customer experience. Right now, as a test, it makes sense to us. I’d like to reiterate that Starbucks is built on premium coffee and a premium experience. We intend to maintain our leadership position at the high end, while broadening our appeal. And similar to other leading global consumer brands, we believe there are opportunities to create segmentation, provide an entry point for new customers, and generate trial in a way that will also maintain the value of our core brand proposition.

What you can expect in the near term
Over the next several days, you will hear from your manager about the specific role you and your team plays in executing our transformation agenda. We will continue to conduct a thorough and rapid review of every part of our business to ensure we are using our resources as effectively as we can to continually improve the Starbucks Experience.

Most importantly, I ask everyone to please keep your ideas coming and your enthusiasm high. It is the passion and dedication of our partners that are critical elements in bringing to life the creativity and innovation that will drive our ongoing success. Our customers see your commitment, your excitement – and they respond.

Executing our agenda takes each and every one of us. Thank you for your excitement, and your continued focus on helping to build the best Starbucks Experience for our customers and for each other. We know what we need to do to be the best, and we will do it.

Onward,

Howard

STORE AMBIANCE KEY TO STARBUCK'S PLAN

2008-01-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

January 28, 2008: 03:30 PM EST

Jan. 28, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) --

SEATTLE (AP) - It's been almost a year since Chairman Howard Schultz' bitterly candid memo bemoaning 'the watering down of the Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) experience' landed with a thud on the desks of the coffee chain's top executives.

Mincing no words, he complained the company's unbridled growth had sapped the soul out of its stores -- his rallying cry to shift the focus back onto the customer.

He sounded just as frustrated earlier this month after the company fired Chief Executive Officer Jim Donald, handing the reins back to Schultz as part of a sweeping plan to reinvigorate the company, which has seen its stock slide 50 percent since late 2006.

Without releasing specifics, Schultz said Starbucks will scale back growth in the U.S., close lackluster stores, bolster expansion overseas and focus on changes to revitalize the atmosphere inside its stores.

More detail will emerge on Wednesday, when the company reports earnings for its first fiscal quarter, which ended Dec. 30. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial are predicting profits of 28 cents a share, up 2 cents a share from the year-ago period, on $2.77 billion in revenue.

Analysts expect opening fewer U.S. stores will help the bottom line fairly quickly, and that a sharper focus on adding new drinks to the menu and sprucing up stores will be key to drawing customers back over the long haul.

High on the list of other moves many analysts say the company should make: Bring back the pungent coffee aroma, which has largely faded from stores since the company switched to flavor-locked packaging and automated espresso machines years ago.

'It just screams, 'Huh, yes. Duh, absolutely,' said Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) analyst Nicole Miller Regan. 'I walk by the Cinnabon, it smells like cinnamon rolls. I walk into Yankee Candle, it smells like candles. I walk into McDonald's, it smells like burgers. ... There's no doubt that's the easiest way to appeal to the guest.'
Miller Regan predicts Starbucks will get rid of some of the racks of coffee mugs, teddy bears and other trinkets taking up space that could otherwise be used to add another cushy chair or extra room behind the bar for baristas to whip up Frappuccinos.

Starbucks has had enough success selling music, Miller and other analysts doubt it will quit peddling CDs or digital tracks through its partnership with Apple Inc.'s iTunes store. 'It's such a small piece of the puzzle, it's hard to suggest that's a major distraction,' Miller Regan said.

In his memo, Schultz lamented some people find Starbucks stores 'sterile, cookie cutter,' and he's said the company will working on design changes that will give stores a more appealing feel.

Even as it continues opening drive-throughs, analysts say it will be crucial for Starbucks to stay true to its mission of being a preferred 'third place' between work and home.

Reading a newspaper next to a gas fireplace at the Starbucks in downtown Helena, Mont., David Shepard, 41, said he's been a loyal customer in large part because it's become a convenient gathering place for his friends. 'This is where we meet to plan motorcycle trips and talk,' said Shepard, a service manager for a spa company.

Asked what he thought Starbucks should do to perk up business, he suggested lowering prices. Though the company is testing $1 extra-small cups of coffee with free refills in some Seattle stores, it has said it's not part of any new business strategy. Most analysts say the company shouldn't -- and won't -- cut prices.

'It cheapens your product. It's never a good thing,' said Howard Penney, managing director of consumer research at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc.

Michael Port, a 33-year-old corporate pilot from Milton, Vt., frequents Starbucks nearly every day and doesn't mind paying a little more than friends who go to Dunkin' Donuts. 'It's five or 10 cents more expensive, but it's a zillion times better,' he said.

Between the independents and fast-food chains like McDonald's Corp. (NYSE:MCD) and Dunkin' Donuts, which have been expanding their lineups of premium coffee drinks, Starbucks faces increasingly serious competition.

Most analysts say there's more than enough demand to keep the cash registers ringing for Starbucks and its growing cadre of rivals. But for the granddaddy of the $4 coffee to bounce back, Starbucks will have to remind people why it's worth paying extra -- anywhere from a few cents to $1 a cup more than at some competitors.

'If Starbucks does not reinvigorate the brand to justify the premium that they charge, then they're in real trouble,' said Morningstar analyst John Owens.

AP Writers Susan Gallagher in Helena, Mont., and John Curran in Burlington, Vt., contributed to this story.

3:15 - 11:30 PM

2008-01-27T22:29:00.000-08:00

Things that went well:

- Accomplished deep cleaning (grinder clean-out and calibration)
- Kept everybody pretty well focused and with tasks to do
- Set the openers up pretty well

Things that did not go so well:

- Felt rushed towards the end of the shift
- Lacked time to fine-tune things
- Didn't get a chance to share coffee knowledge
- Didn't go as above and beyond as I have before

Things to work on for next time:

- Delegate the labor-intensive tasks more evenly
- Coach for quicker pacing; give time-frames

I think the time-consuming task of deep-cleaning and calibrating the grinder threw off my rhythm and timing a little bit. Also, I need to remember that I shouldn't fee *obligated* to send someone home early just because I might have mentioned it in passing...it's more important to act on the potential to get more done. Didn't get to actually sweep and mop the entire lobby, which is something I want to try to get back to.

It seemed that the theme of the night was "How the hell did that even GET there?" How does coffee splash up the side of the hot water tap? How does syrup get on the CEILING? I don't know what this gunk is, but how did it even GET here?

I did the coffee count (where all coffee in the store is inventoried and reported to Seattle) tonight too, which took me off of the floor for longer than I had hoped. And, of course, immediately after submitting the count I remembered I hadn't included the espresso bar's 5-pounders and the contents of the COW cabinet. Oops. It wasn't much though, and at least we did one this cycle.

V-day's coming, up, so Verona™, Verona™ Verona™. Blech. Don't like it...I prefer something a little more...interesting. It's about as middle of the road as you can get, besides House Blend. I've been in a dark roast blend mood for awhile now. Italian Roast...mmm. I'm digging Casi Cielo as of late, too. Can't wait to try it in the Verismo or that Rialto I just discovered we have. I like it a lot more than I did last year. Funny how tastes change. Either that, or the blend is different. I wouldn't doubt it.

A quick tip: preheat your cup or thermos with hot water before filling with coffee. It keeps it hotter longer.

Goals

2008-01-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

I just sat down and had a chat with Acting SM Lisa about the labor "crisis" we seem to be suffering through at our store, and about the second Sunday in a row I was faced with high volume and only a mediocre team to handle it.

The way the labor scheduling is done at the store is really really confusing. It's based on our comparative sales and the projections made from last year. I can't divulge the proprietary details, but suffice it to say that it leaves you high and dry at the end of the week if you're not making comps. I think that success lies in taking a good look at the schedule and the teams that we have, and adjusting to compensate. I would *gladly* volunteer to do that on my time.

Some task-minding...

We have new promotional coupons that are fairly good deals (free "skinny" drinks, free tall beverage with a pound of beans, free beverage of the week etc.). The trick is that they have to be distributed *outside of the store*. So, our objective is to figure out where to distribute them. The hospital across the street has griped already about us doing sampling over there, and I'm not sure how they would feel about free drink coupons...it's worth a try, I guess. I think their main concern was with our solicitation of the patients. If we hand them a stack of coupons to pass out to the employees, I think it would be a different story. However, I have heard tell that the receptionists tend to hoard stuff. Boo. Maybe we'll just give some to Pam to take over with her one morning.

Another focus is boosting our nightside sales. We're lucky if we do $300 from 4-close some nights. So I suggested handing out our "think outside the office" coupons at the Student Organizations Complex on campus. For every group that holds a meeting at our store, we will supply the coffee. Then, hope that they come back... We would need to ensure that they have sufficient meeting space as well...

Oh! Idea... A "coffee at college" seminar! Dorm-friendly coffee brewing info!

Also, regarding Make-Your-Mark events, Lisa is arranging a volleyball tournament. We'll need to solicit prize donations for the winning teams, and if the donations seem to be going well, for a silent auction as well.

So. In closing,

- list ideas for the distribution of promo coupons
- ideas for distribution of group meeting coupons
- ideas for contacts for donations for tournament prizes
- ideas for the college coffee seminar

Note to self: Don't forget the Tech!

It's Friday...

2008-01-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

...and that means a busy morning and a slow, slow nightside. I'll just assume now I'll need to cut cut cut labor by three or four hours by the end of the week.

Not sure about the slow-ness, though. We have had a few Friday nights where I really wanted to dim the lights, get some mood lighting going and keep 'er open well into the night because we had the people there. I just hate kicking people out, I guess.

You know, I really really wish we had some manual machines in the store, because I would *love* to play around with them.

Eliot is going to the playoff game, and so Ashley and I covered his hours for him. I told him that I'm going to need 2 of his aprons in return. I should have asked for three...

I really wish that Tina was back in action, because I want to get rolling on that Coffee Master program.

Tasting #1

2008-01-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Ryan, Allison and I tasted a flight of presses containing Sulawesi, Ethiopia Sidamo, and Italian Roast. We paired each with a selection from the pastry case and smelled, sipped, munched, and enjoyed.

P.S. Just brewed up a cup of Greek coffee with some evaporated cane juice and cinnamon--smells like the taverna on Hydra. Tastes like crushed velvet. The cinnamon draws out all of the flavors and smells lurking in the background that I knew were there to begin with, but seemed a bit shy for my liking.

Being Welcoming

2008-01-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hey there, thanks for stoppin'...what can we get for ya?

We'll see how far this experiment goes... What's going on here? This is my "work" blog, where I shall log the in's and out's of barista-ing at Eau Claire's finest Starbucks Coffee Company store--9956, woo.

From glancing at the url, you can see that I've also set a far-reaching goal for myself in my final semester here: to earn the Black Apron. I think it's sad and a disservice to our customers not to have a visible and active Coffee Master around the store on a regular basis. Stressing VISIBLE and ACTIVE here. Anyway, this post was mainly just to get something on the page so I can make it look nice. Ok, thanks.

Take care now, ok?

Jacob