| Starbucks Challenge #4: A Revisit |
 Starbucks Challenge #4: A Revisit
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Sep. 29th, 2006 @ 02:13 pm 
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Same Starbucks, different results...
This challenge took place at the Starbucks at Olympic & Sawtelle - the same as the one in my Challenge #2. It was 10am, once again pretty busy.
I asked the Barista for a venti cup of fair trade coffee. She gave me a blank look: her mental processor was trying to make sense out of the request and then her system froze.
I helpfully said, "The Cafe Estima? That's Starbucks' only blend of fair trade-certified coffee."
"We're not brewing that today," says she, turning to the chalkboard for confirmation.
"Were you aware that it is Starbucks policy to....[blah blah blah presspot on demand blah blah blah - I really try to come off friendly and not a know-it-all and not just a guy who is holding up the line because he won't shut up and drink what they're serving]"
Our Beleaguered Barista's eyes had glazed over about half-way through: she was waiting for my mouth to stop moving. She turned to Somebody More Senior with an "I'm being harrassed by a deceptively polite rabble-rouser" look. More Senior Barista steps up and says, "oh we're brewing the Estima right now."
"Well then, why does it say Verona?"
"We ran out."
"Ok..." I'm confused now. "I guess I'll have a venti of that please."
She serves me. Her skillful use of illogic has effectively neutralized my arguing skills. I take my coffee and sit with my colleague.
I don't have a particularly skilled coffee palate. I know what I like and what I don't. I tried to tell if I was drinking Estima or Verona. I don't THINK it was the Estima, but short of a chemical analysis, I can't be sure, and my CSI kit was in my other pants.
1) Was it Estima, or did the Barista lie to me to get me moving? I don't know. If she was lying, she was skilled enough, without overdoing it, to make a very convincing performance.
2) If she wasn't lying, why didn't they change the sign? Do they not care what they serve? Just call it whatever because nobody can tell the difference? Why try to pass Estima off as Verona? Why not proudly proclaim, "We're brewing Cafe Estima!" ?
RECAP: I either got a cup of Estima falsely labeled as Verona, or more likely, a cup of Verona, falsely described as Estima. Either way, the uncertainty added a bitterness to my coffee that made it impossible to enjoy.Current Mood:  confused |
I'm chalking this as an unsuccess -- fair trade coffee shouldn't add bitterness!
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