- cross-posted to:
- economics
- cross-posted to:
- economics
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They should try making good coffee
The coffee is okay, but nowhere close to the price they’re asking for.
The pricing is also egregious considering I can make a far better cup at home for less.
You’ll always make a better cup of coffee at home for less.
But people pay a little extra for the convenience of not doing it. Starbucks however is banking on their reputation to overcharge, which seems to be finally backfiring.
The coffee is better at home, sure. But I can’t make what is essentially a specialty milkshake at home without going out and getting the tools and ingredients.
Sometimes I can have little a of Starbucks, as a treat.
I just found a local place that makes a bomb chocolate coffee shake (I mean uhh. A blended mocha) and support them.
The worst part is that I can get Starbucks anywhere but only get my local stuff near home.
In my town one of the two coffee shops closed down but they opened like 4 more Starbucks, we have 4 within a quarter mile on the same street it’s wild
I will never understand people who get drip coffee at Starbucks… back when I got things from there it would just be the occasional over the top milk shake. Starbucks legitimately has the tools to produce ridiculous drinks with far less hassle then it’d take at home.
It’s like drinking Bud Light at a bar. The beer isn’t the product, the venue is.
Yeah the only Starbucks in my area I’ll go into is the reserve but that’s because it’s just really cool in there. If I want a busy environment that feels like a steampunk world then it’s the place to be. Coffee there still sucks tho and even with the cool location I’m still only in there maybe a couple times a year
I avoid Starbucks for all kinds of reasons but can’t say it’s 100% abstention. Sometimes it’s just a little too convenient for that overpriced slop. Sometimes called Charbucks because of how the coffee is always burnt.
I don’t like candy bars or milkshakes. If I’m going to a Starbucks its at 3am in an airport, it’s the ONLY option, thus I’m willing to tolerate burnt to fuck drip coffee.
Is their coffee much more than $2? Last I remember, it wasn’t THAT expensive considering it isn’t shit coffee like a Burger King/McDonalds or etc.
Or by drip do you mean their like clover machine fancy coffees? I never bothered with those so idk how much that was.
McDonalds coffee is decent, at least in Canada.
Tim Horton’s terrible.
2.95 for a default size black coffee at the one closest to me right now
Ok but what is the default size? And where-ish are you? In the Starbucks app, it defaults to Grande for me and that is $3.45.
A Tall is $3.25.
A Short is $3.15.
This is in Northern California.
That’s… not true. I have zero coffee making skills and tools.
A kettle and some instant coffee, better then any coffee I’ve ever had from a shop
No not always. I knew this Turkish immigrant who had his own little coffee shop you could not make close to the stuff he made let me tell you. God I miss him.
They make desserts using coffee as an ingredient. That’s why their coffee is shit at being coffee.
Vanilla makes a pancake delicious, but you wouldn’t drink it.
but you wouldn’t drink it.
Hey I had to try it at least once!
(Also: at most once)
You should try again
I resent you for the bad taste now in my mouth, but I thank you for giving me an excuse to break from doomscrolling :P
You just didn’t drink enough
Try vanilla bean paste if you haven’t - its actually good unlike the extract. Extract tastes bad because of concentration of cheap vodka, and paste has more vanilla so there’s less vodka per volume.
And not supporting the RNC.
How do they support the RNC?
https://content-prod-live.cert.starbucks.com/binary/v2/asset/137-78795.pdf
There was an article during the convention that listed supporters. I’ll look for it.
ETA- my mistake. It was a fake that was shared on Facebook and Twitter. It must have been here too because i don’t have Twitter and my Facebook is only cats and relatives.
Starbucks does not directly support the RNC. But that doesn’t mean that Starbucks’ lobbying money doesn’t primarily support Republicans. Per the PDF you linked, the majority of Starbucks’ contributions to lobbying organizations went to those that donate at least 75% of their lobbying to Republicans.
From your link: National Restaurant Association: 75% of all donations to Republicans; 50% of Starbucks’ donations to this organization went to lobbying Business Roundtable: “75 percent of donations from the median chief executive were directed to Republicans”; 40% of Starbucks’ donations to this organization went to lobbying
Edit: Added the word “lobbying” before “money” in the first paragraph. Should have been in the original.
My sister used to manage a coffee shop and says they would never hire former Starbucks employees because they are trained to make it very poorly.
Also, good pastries again.
The good cafes next to me all have fresh baked pastries from a local bakery. Not Starbucks. 7-11 has better food than Starbucks.
They never will though. Recently, they had “expert tasters” test how long their espresso shots tasted good, and their result was that “Starbucks espresso shots last up to 90 seconds.” This just so happened to take place right as they started introducing a new system on how to sequence drinks while on the espresso and cold beverage bars lol.
(Also, as a footnote, Espresso shots die after 5-10 seconds; the crema just dissipates after then, making the shot taste acidic)
So, off topic, but are you saying that I’m to drink a scalding hot, freshly pulled shot within 10 seconds!?
Not exactly? Traditionally, it’s served in a 2oz cup and you would slurp it to coat your tongue and get all the flavors while not outright burning your tongue. Over at Starbucks however, we tend to pour steamed milk or ice on top to shock the shots and make them stay at one taste. A good example is a plain iced doppio espresso: it’s just ice poured over two shots, with sugar, syrup, and cream to preference.
(Also, as a footnote, Espresso shots die after 5-10 seconds; the crema just dissipates after then, making the shot taste acidic)
Espresso shots “dying” within 10 seconds is a myth, apparently started by Starbucks’ training funnily enough. The flavour of a shot definitely dies down as it gets cooler and the crema dissipates, but it’s a matter of minutes rather than seconds before a shot tastes bad.
Heck it takes more than 10 seconds to get the drink to the clients in every café I’ve worked in. If espresso dies after 10 seconds, I have never served a good espresso. I’ve also apparently never had good espresso at work, because I swear every damn time I pull a shot for myself a client comes right in before I can take a sip :P
When I read that comment the first time, I misunderstood, and thought they were saying espresso was over-extracted after 10s, dead after 90.
I know starbucks isn’t amazing, but 90s extractions would be a whole other ballgame!
When your coffee tasting notes are “burned, charcoal, ash”, and you make up for it by offering £7 worth of sugar, it’s not surprising when people only shop there for so long.
Anti Union & dirty tactics. Screw 'em.
Not to mention, buying local is better quality and cheaper.
Wiah I lived where coffee beans are grown, must be great!
You can support the union efforts and get a really cool tshirt here. I got the rainbow one.
Not seeing any merch… ☹️
Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe they stopped offering it (it could have been a limited run of shirts) or maybe I was wrong about where I bought mine. But I went to their action page based on an interview with a couple of the employees who were helping to organize locations more than a year ago, so who knows what could be different in that time. Sorry to mislead you.
Zero worries fam! It not being where you thought it was could be due to a great many things.
❤️
Why would you go to Starbucks if another local coffee shop was nearby? Their coffee is fine, but it loses taste tests to McDonald’s. They’re anti union. They’re too expensive. You can usually get a better coffee elsewhere.
That’s crazy. Someone told me McDonald’s coffee is pretty good for the lower price range. I tried it a few times since you never know if it was just a bad batch, and I gotta say it was pretty awful, not for me. I just avoid starbucks because they think they can charge you the most ridiculous price I’ve seen for ok coffee. I have a few local places I will go to if I need something. Sadly, they are pretty expensive as well these days, but they are still cheaper than starbucks.
I wonder if the people who claim that only order the sugary stuff. I tried McDonald’s a couple of times recently after reading online that they got the Tim Hortons OG coffee provider and it was awful. I’m not a fan of Starbucks but at least they serve consistently good coffee (not great). I only get it if I’m on company expenses
The best mass market coffee I’ve had is, no joke, Sheetz. If their fancy machines are to be believed, they’re grinding the beans fresh every time and doing some kind of pressurized brewing method. For each cup. And if you buy something else it’s usually free.
Wawa has great coffee, too. I don’t think it’s anything to do with the coffee itself or the brewing process - it’s because they sell a shit ton of it so you never get stale coffee that’s been sitting in an urn all day.
It’s almost Pumpkin Spice coffee season! I look forward to seeing the pumpkin on the wawa door. Then I buy like 10 bags!
I like their Christmas blend the best. I always buy a bunch of bags thinking it will last me until summer, and then it’s gone by the end of January.
Saaaame… and that flavor is a favorite of mine too!
That’s the same reason I use Sheetz (or Wawa if I’m in enemy territory) for gas. It’s not sitting in the tanks getting stale.
Yes but Sheetz has that dumb creamer machine that jizzes French Vanilla into your coffee.
Funny how everyone’s tastes are different. There is a Sheetz with a gas station on the way back from where I go skiing a lot and I often stop for gas and coffee. I keep hoping the coffee won’t be garbage, but it always is.
I don’t even like Starbucks but there are plenty of blends they have that I would pick over sheetz any day.
Are you getting it out of a thermos or from the fancy machines? The thermos stuff wasn’t that great but IMHO the machines make a fantastic cup. I think they’re just making espresso and watering it down to an americano, though, so if that’s not your thing I can see why you wouldn’t like it.
I personally do not like any sugar in my coffee unless at a Viennese coffee house. I have a lot of amazing coffee roasters in the area.
I still find McDonald’s coffee to be good for the price. Well, as long as there is a bit of creamer in it. I don’t ever eat at McDonald’s, I only go there for coffee if I need something quick and cheap that is better than gas station / 7-Eleven / Starbucks coffee.
I don’t use creamer/milk in any actual good coffee. I prefer my coffee black to actually taste it, and normally it’s already sweet without anything added. And don’t like drip coffee usually.
I mean it’s a low bar. Starbucks coffee is fucking terrible.
It’s no contest for my taste buds. Black coffee from McDonald’s tastes like carbon, whereas coffee from Starbucks actually has a coffee flavor.
I like MacDonalds coffee, but it is acidic, which I equate to the ‘breakfast blend’ Latin American type coffee that I assume it is. I can absolutely see that as tasting awful to some palates.
Also has been some years since I had the hot coffee. I did have their ice coffee a few years ago, and it was solidly okay for 1 CAD.
It’s different in different markets. In Australia and New Zealand it’s usually a reasonably well made medium-dark blend.
You’ll get much better at any dedicated café, but it’s also miles better than sbux (who don’t even use real espresso machines).
I love the Starbucks sugar and fat loaded frappucinos.
Fortunately, there’s a unionized Starbucks near me! A little out of the way but I make the trip. I feel ok supporting that branch and only that branch.
The reason is the app. If you’re in a hurry, being able to walk in and have your coffee ready is huge. I love to support the local coffee shops and I do on weekends, but it can be risky in the middle of the week if you’ve got to get to work and the local place has a long line or someone ahead of you orders a fancy drink and all you want to do is grab a cup of coffee, pay, and leave.
Starbucks, do you remember when the German government lowered the VAT in July 2020 for restaurants when COVID hit us? The intention was to make food cheaper for the consumer to prevent restaurants from going bankrupt.
That’s the month you increased your prizes to sell your stuff for the same prize including VAT as before and making more profit, giving your customers a huge middle finger.
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
I’m fron Germany and have never bought anything there. There tax evation strategy is disgusting. They use our roads, our people, our country and pay close to 0 taxes in Luxembourg or Panama with money earned in Germany.
Wow that’s BS. I don’t pay attention to them because I don’t drink their garbage coffee, and as an American this never crossed my radar from this angle either. Screw Starbucks.
It wasn’t just starbucks. Also, people still went there to get coffee. I do not like those people.
Good. I hope every single company that took advantage of the inflation by raising prices to the fucking moon goes under.
Started going to a small local coffee shop a little over two years ago, and I’ll never go back to the giant chains. The people working are always happy, greet regulars by name, always go out of their way to interact or talk with me- usually remember something we talked about before, comp my orders every now and then, host little events, etc. It’s not just them either - I always have a way better experience going to non-chain coffee places. Oh, and the coffee is always waay better and priced better.
Sometimes I’ll work out of a small local cafe that roasts their own beans on site.
It’s insane how much better the coffee is for the same price, and they know my order before I even say anything.
Plus, I can get excellent beans from them to brew at home, and I’m supporting a local business instead of a megacorp.
Dutch Bros is where it’s at. Actually good roasts and the same price or less. That said, I make my own Americano at home in about 2 min while making breakfast and it’s consistently great.
Dutch Bro’s has some rule that the staff has to flirt with the customers. Creeps me out.
I bought stock in them during their IPO and want them to succeed as a company since they’re from my home state, but honestly their coffee is terrible to me. I used to go there all the time but dislike it now after branching out more.
Dutch Bros. has been good every time I’ve tried them. I don’t believe their coffee is markedly better than any other coffee chain. It comes down to how much you pay your staff, so that they give a shit about their jobs, so that tasks like roasting beans and cleaning equipment is done properly and regularly.
Starbucks is known for its over roasted (burnt) flavor. That’s intentional. Dutch Bros doesn’t do that. Are they that much better than other smaller chains or independents? Probably not but they’re everywhere and easy to get in and out of.
Bullshit on it being priced better. Provide examples, not anecdotes. Where are you located?
The first thing Starbucks did when they bought Teavana was increase the prices by 25 - 50%, despite them already being on the upper end of local looseleaf tea shops.
Combine that with the change from actual tea to sugar-added, Oprah approved crap signed the death warrant for that chain.
Yeah! What’s your shoe size, OP? You got a dog? A cat? A mother? “Everyone” has one, right. You seriously expect us to believe that? Prove it! Come on, what’s her maiden name? Her date of birth? Her routing number! Where was she last thursday night, out back of bakers garage like she was supposed’ta be? Better make sure you get your facts straight OP, or me and my partner Flippy “The Iceman” here will show ya what we do to commenters down in jersey what don’t put up with our unreasonable demands, capiche?
Only down 3%? I was hoping more. Still, fuck em. Maybe fewer consumers want to pay out the nose for a cup of flavored sugar with coffee?
Overpriced cafeinated milkshakes for adults
makeratingmasquerading as “coffee”.Starbucks customer: Ooof, don’t talk to me before I’ve had my morning coffee…Id like a Venti vanilla caramel mochaccino with 2 extra pumps of vanilla and double drizzle on the whipped cream…but low fat whipped cream
Low fat tho. Cause I don’t wanna get fat lol
Remember kids: fat bad, sugar good.
This message was financed by the fine people of the snack and fast food industry.
Oatmilk!
makerating
Masquerading?
It’s an honestly difficult borrowed French/Italian word just checking if that’s what you were going for.
Yep, you’re correct, I butchered it. Tired.
Fire your auto correct, that shit let you down hard.
When you demand infinite growth any decline in growth is a catastrophe.
Same reason McDonald’s shit itself over a 1% decline in revenue.
I used to be middle management in retail. The province wide financial meetings had franchisees shitting themselves because the profit vs cost percentage had gone down, despite the actual profit amount continuing to increase (by raising prices).
These people do not live in reality. All numbers must always go up.
They really should post their expected goals along side the loss.
For example they could have a goal of 3% increase which means they undershot their goal by a stupid margin.
We raised or prices and consumers stopped buying! What is the invisible hand of the market doing? We were promised everlasting growth!
Raised our prices while not just union busting, but outright trying to make them illegal.
First McDonald’s and now Starbucks. Cool. Screw em.
Now do Chipotle next!
But only when they don’t have Carne Asada
I stopped eating at Chipotle many years ago when my local Chipotle caused dozens of food poisoning cases. Luckily there are lots of mom-and-pop burrito joints where I live, and their food is almost always better and cheaper than Chipotle.
Honestly, it wasn’t the $7 coffee that turned me away from starbucks. It was the $7 coffee that taste like toilet water, when there are no shortage of local, cheaper coffee shops with amazing brews made by people who actually want to be there, who also won’t be fired for unionizing.
We are laughing at your misfortune, you fucking ghouls
For granted, there’s no shortage of coffee shops in my city. Locally operated and owned, and they have better coffee at better prices. Starbucks isn’t even a reasonable choice with so many better options available.
I’d always choose a smaller spot anyway. More casual and less crowded, but still doing good business.
More casual and less crowded, but still doing good business.
And probably better value for money as well.
I suggest a community owned and operated service where we can offer Starbucks and McDonald’s words of support during these especially difficult times…
But exactly because the times are difficult for them right now, WE CAN CHARGE THEM SURGE PRICING for the supportive messages!!! Let’s also
fireconduct an employment status reassignment activity for 60% of the human message writer workforce and replace them with AI and cheap offshore call centers!!! Also, let’s sell our now collected sadness data on Starbucks and McDonald’s to our third party partners like Kleenex so that they can also charge them surge prices for tissues as we have reliable data to show that they are crying right now!!!Lol reverse enshittification! Can I credit you as this concepts inventor?
We did this together… You and I.
Good
I started boycotting Starbucks when I learned they had partnered with Nestle for store-bought products - their Sumatra and Komodo Dragon coffees were pretty good.
I send an email every year or so to let them know, since boycotts aren’t effective if the group being boycotted doesn’t know why, with predictably apathetic responses.
Anyway, if you’re a no-Nestle person then Starbucks is on the list…
Thanks! Did not know about the Nestle connection. We stopped going to Starbucks when it moved to a fast food type experience vs the cafe feel it had at launch here.
Will be verifying they moved the hell away from Nestle before we consider returning.
Awesome. Unfortunately the agreement was made “in perpetuity” so there’s no obvious route to them leaving Nestle.
That’s part of why I actually email them, and in the first email I said that I’m bothering to send anything because I do really like their stuff, and I think their other charitible actions mean I can hope they’ll take customer feedback. As opposed to Nestle which I expect to tell me to gfm.
I’ve steadily leaned away from that belief as the company digs farther in to being every crappy anti-labor chain.
