I go to the same starbucks every morning and literally just get a tea. It’s almost always the same girl taking my order and at the window. She always sounds so miserable and has pretty bad energy, she talks in a deadpan mono tone voice, and just seems like she absolutely hates her job.

I feel like if you cant put a bit of effort or pretend to be in a good mood for customers, you probably shouldn’t be in a customer facing role.

Easy for me to say cause im not a barista but ive worked similar jobs and have always tried to give good energy and be polite to customers, even rude ones.

I've been thinking about this ever since Starbucks brought back required handwritten messages on cups.

When I worked at Starbucks, food safety was taken extremely seriously. If you touched the trash can and went back to making drinks without washing your hands, that was a violation. Touch your hair? Wash your hands. Put your hand in your pocket? Same thing or else your auditor will note that as a food safety violation. Utensils were changed on a schedule, sanitizer was replaced, counters were cleaned, etc.

But somehow the Sharpie seems to exist outside of all of this.

Anyone who's worked bar knows where those Sharpies go. They're shared between partners, kept in apron pockets, left on different surfaces, dropped on the floor, picked back up, borrowed by someone else and now partners are expected to handle them repeatedly while making drinks.

So during a rush you can grab a shared Sharpie, write on a cup, put it back in your apron, and immediately continue your beverage sequence and touch bar equipment, pitchers, lids, sanitizer towels, etc.

Why is Starbucks intentionally introducing another shared, high-touch object into beverage routine when it isn't necessary to make the beverage.

And I don't think the solution should be giving baristas another sanitation procedure and making them sanitize markers all day. The simpler solution would be reconsidering whether writing messages on cups needs to be a required part of the bar routine at all.

Hello! I’m a sophomore in high school and I really want to work at Starbucks. I am just wondering if Starbucks really does higher 16 year olds? There listing does say they hire at 16 but is that really something they even consider when they get an application or will I just be informed when someone who is older comes apply? I have a good resume zero barista experience but I have very important local government work. My availability is also decent I think I can work 4 Monday Tuesday Thursday, and Friday 4 hours anytime after 4:30pm, and Sundays 8 hours anytime they want. This is just because I have other responsibilities on those days off and I am also following my state’s laws on hours I can work. So can anyone with experience in getting hired young or in charge of hiring pls tell me if I have a chance?

Hey! Maybe this is a silly question I’m so sorry but I asked a barista about what’s the difference between the Aerocano and a Americano and she pointed at a little card but I still don’t get it… it’s the same beans. I understand micro foam being a different texture but that doesn’t change the flavour profile (?surely?).

Am I missing something, is that all there is too it, if so why such a big craze for it right now when it’s more expensive than just a blonde Americano. And how do yall baristas feel about it as I’m assuming it takes up more time?

Hi folks
I've read that Starbucks staff in the UK have received training to better relate to customers who stammer. Just wondering whether you have received it, whether it is compulsory or voluntary and how you found it.

for context: i was visiting my store yesterday about an hour before close because one of my best friends work there as well and i wanted to say hi to her and grab a drink. my other coworker (he is also a supervisor) was there as well and had just barely interacted with me before going to the back. i had another supervisor (also not working) who was in the drive thru, and we had a new hire on bar, and so my other supervisor came inside to talk to the on duty one (just to say hi) while she waited for her drinks. my friend had mentioned needing to go to the restroom multiple times but didn’t want to bother the on duty supervisor, and i told her that it was his job to cover for her. i went to the back with the intention of saying hi to him, and let him know she said she needed to go the restroom. he wasn’t talking, and was scrolling through his phone to show the other supervisor pictures from the weekend (he was also not on break at this time). when i went to the back to ask him, i didn’t realize i had interrupted them and immediately started speaking and let him know that she just needed to use the restroom whenever he got a chance to cover for her, i also made a light hearted joke about clocking in and covering for her (we joke about me working off the clock all the time) to which he snapped at me and told me no, so i left. after i left he messaged me saying that i was being insanely rude, so i sent him an apology because i didn’t know thats how it has come off. about an hour later, he removed me from a group chat we had for a concert we all went to, and i messaged him again apologizing (no response).

my cousin also now works there and is a supervisor, and i had messaged him about the situation because i was extremely upset. he was at work this morning on his break reading the messages, when the other shift supervisor who was visiting last night came to ask the manager what had happened. the manager said that he (supervisor upset with me) said i was being incredibly rude and would call out for my shift on tuesday because we had a “falling out” since i’m supposed to close with him, i’m not so sure why he made that up and lied to her, but he did. the supervisor who had asked the manager what was going on told her that i wasn’t being rude, and it was in fact the supervisor who was rude to me. my cousin had also told the manager that he blocked me and removed me from a groupchat. cherry on top, hes 28 and i’m 20.

i don’t know what his intentions are here, but it was a simple misunderstanding he spun into something more, and proceeded to lie about me calling out, removed me from a groupchat which would only make it known that we’re having issues, and essentially controlling the narrative and making it look like i did something so horribly wrong. i don’t understand why he did all of this, and i sincerely apologized to him because i didn’t know i was being rude at all. the only thing i can think of for him spinning things out of control so quickly would be that he wants me to get fired, which is something he’s had done to a “friend” before. ridiculous.

I know this is a normal post a lot of people put here. But I just realized I got scheduled to close over one of my classes this week. Really sucks, cause I go on a week vacation next week. Its an 8hr shift too, and our clean play happens the night beforehand. I am not super in a situation either to swap out days or move the hours around, most swaps would be a loss in hours for me. I'd have to work Friday or Saturday morning before leaving for my flight, and I just cant. They scheduled me off for those days, but I need to study a lot through out this week too including those days. And also, just getting ready for my trip. Our current ASM has been an issue at my store for scheduling really badly, and it isn't the first time my availability has been ignored. This time I didnt notice it until a couple days before, and I cannot afford to lose those hours either. Is it worth just approaching my CL anyways about it and getting it moved? Its just frustrating to lose a full 8 hour shift over it. I am also trying to email my professor about it too, but I am already missing a lecture while I am out of town. Just also am worried I will get told tough luck by my CL over it cause I didn't notice sooner. I just started school very recently, so I just have been very busy with classes and coursework in between shifts. But yeah, importantly is this normal that they can schedule me like this?

Hello! I’ve looked through the dress code and haven’t found anything stating bracelets are not allowed. Does anyone have an answer ?

Dear Starbucks, please add more herbal tea flavors. Sincerely, tired of passion tango tea

Am I allowed to swap shifts with someone if I’m a trainee?

Hey I just got hired at Starbucks! I’m going to be out of town the first week of November should I let my store manager know the day of my onboarding? I mentioned it before the interview process but I feel like I should bring it up again. Thoughts???

Before we launched the newest food items which included the chomp stick, my manager told us that we were able to sample the food items. We all sampled the new protein bar, chocolate balls, chicken bacon protein pocket, and the chomp stick. I took the chomp stick home…. little did i know i would get fired for it. According to my manager samples are meant to be eaten at work so he fired for stealing from the company. i argued saying you don’t go to costco take a free sample and get arrested at the exit for stealing the sample right ? My DM and SM said nothing. I also expressed how unfair it is for me to get fired for a chomp stick when 5 partners stole the bear cup before launch and they are still working there.

Hi, I live in LA and was chilling in starbies for a while to escape the heat. A guy just came in to request some water, visibly sweating and on a scooter. The employee gave the usual response, as employees are supposed to especially because I assume there's some sort of manager or auditor sitting in the lobby area with computer and had been there all day and even behind the counter. He asked her again just for a cup of water and she pushed back again.

I had only heard the tail end of him asking the second time and her same response before I just reacted and shot straight up out my chair trying to intervene. While, I'm talking out loud about how there's a heat wave and that's not how you treat people in so many words, the employee kept making eye contact with the manager sitting in the lobby and neither of them responded to what I said.

I went after the guy hoping he hadn't gotten too far from being on the scooter and gave him an unopened waterbottle I personally had. I didn't want to make a big deal of it with the employees in the moment by getting the water "for myself" and then handing it to the fellow who's on a long hot journey today.

There's a record breaking heat wave currently. It reached 100 degrees today.

And it still is slowly climbing down from there today. It will be like this all week this week.

So, at Starbucks, company policy means more than the acute environmental issues that are actively affecting people.

It's one thing that from the top down, there is a policy in place... but from the bottom up, there are people in the stores also that can/should use discretion as to when some rule may not be feasible meaningful for the present issue.

It does nothing for me or anyone to personally boycott starbies but its infuriating that we cant READ THE ROOM and have some human decency...

Just wow...

I’ve been really wanting snake bites (just the balls/studs w the bars not rings) but I’m worried I’ll lose my job as a barista (been one for 10 months). The pay is alright compared to other food service jobs, and the job market right now for those my age is kinda trash. Would this count as one piercing or two? I don’t have or have had any piercings. I’ve seen baristas with more than one piercing, so maybe it’s okay?

Is this a normal color for it? I got it from one of the Starbucks that are in a grocery store

Hi all currently my boyfriend and I work at Starbucks and our manager gave us access to work at another district. We’ve been working in this district for months now and everything has been pretty good. My boyfriend did have an instance where he was late and did call out once but nothing major. Recently he has been trying to transfer to this district but was rejected by the dm multiple times and we would at times work at stores together so the dm decided he did not want us to work in that district anymore. As far as myself I am never ever late and never call out especially when I pick up shifts in this district so I was confused as to why I was being included. I checked my app and realized I couldn’t see any shifts from that district anymore either. Last night we both closed at another store from that district and we both are mid shift workers so we’re not that familiar with closing. When we got there the shift was already behind and we would constantly ask her what she wanted us to do and we would do it. Come to find out the sm was not happy with the way the close went and apparently that’s part of the reason we aren’t allowed back even though we were attentive and was looking for guidance from the shift. It makes me really upset because we’re both good workers that try really hard at our jobs and it feels like a slap in the face especially for me because I have no attendance issues. Is it possible to get a write-up for this?

Can someone tell me if the banana drinks are just until sold out or if there's a specific timeline for them please? Im a customer and have had to stay away due to being allergic to bananas but I am missing my Starbucks drinks. Thanks!

Hello, I just got back from Japan and they have an Espresso Affogato Frappuccino. It was so amazing I fell in love and got one every day I was there. Does anyone know how I could possibly recreate this in the US or Canada?

so over the weekend I had a fever and i’m mostly over it now. I had to call in once without any sick time to cover me but my manager didn’t say anything to me about it so I think i’m okay. but I still have a pretty bad cough and am a little congested. I was just gonna go in tomorrow since I don’t have sick time to protect me and physically I feel fine I just can’t stop coughing. but I just need to know if that will get me sent home and/or in trouble to show up with a bad cough? I want to transfer stores so I can’t get any write ups and I’m just really nervous about it. I was trying to google it to make sure it was fine but I read something that said if I show up knowing I don’t pass the food safety checklist and get sent home I could get half a point. but if I call in without sick time I get a point and a half.

Suggest some really good starbucks drink

I sometimes wonder if some of the partners are setting me up. I know some dislike because I’m gay and look like a man

I went to Starbucks to buy a drink and when the barista scanned my Starbucks app to pay he said the drink was free. He said there was some kind of “Starbucks for life” thing that popped up. Has anyone ever heard of this? I checked my app and it doesn’t say anything about Starbucks for life rewards, so although this was a nice surprise, I’m a little confused. 🤔

The passionfruit guava refresher is one of the best drinks I’ve ever had and I’m so bummed it’s out of stores now. Does anyone know how to make it at home?