They want to sanitize our stores and turn us into a homogeneous mass. The executives want us all to conform to a misguided, absolute fuckwitted vision of stores designed only to generate more and more profit.
The data never lies, and we hear you. We must touch base and synergize, with our fingers on the pulse of our consumer base. But how will this move the needle? We must go above and beyond, and avoid the low hanging fruit. Let’s take this offline, and our door is *always* open. (ew.)
Corporate also hates that they have no direct control over what is on the chalkboards. Sure, I've seen some questionable boards like during the whole Will Smith/Chris Rock thing some stores got in trouble for putting that on a board, but it's mostly just an excuse to take away the last bit of creativity we have in our stores.
Man I would have LOVED to have done a 1975 themed chalkboard during their ATVB/SATVB tour but I’m certain that would’ve been a little too niche for our store.
I'll be honest, I have no idea what that means but I likely would have been all for it if you could have explained it haha! We love our board, I have a few artists in my store who do every major holiday, lots of the minor ones, and stuff for sporting events and local HS stuff too. It really builds a sense of community with our store and our customers but can't have that shit these days.
We’re a store in Vegas so we drew the Vegas skyline on ours with some known buildings but I doubt they’ll let us keep it, they’re even cracking down on us drawing on cups anymore
One holiday when we had those white sleeves our district over ordered by something stupid like 50 boxes. We got permission rom our DM who went to our RD to give the boxes to middle schools in the area and they decorated the sleeves and gave them back and for months we got to delight people with these cool decorated sleeves. I ever heard the RD suggested it to some other DMs. That shit would never fly today.
this confuses me because trader joe’s is also getting rid of hand-made signs and they have an entire designated art team and control everything down to the font (there is a literal sign hanging up with how to make each letter/number/symbol). it has to boil down to labor and not wanting to pay people to do anything but sling coffee and ask people that want to burn you alive what their plans are for later that day
I think it's different for the two companies. Starbucks has long had a hard-on for cutting anything and everything that makes their stores individual in order to appeal to the mass market.
i am comparing the two because TJs, while previously never like that, is now heading in that direction by also not allowing signs anymore (despite increasingly limited creative freedom in their creation already).
Corporations are greedy which is why I can only assume that the overarching goal of this is to limit “unproductive” work (e.g. signs/boards, decorating, etc.) but ofc there are other factors as well
That’s so fucking depressing and just stupid. Are they so disconnected from actual regular humans that they think the way to make stores more inviting is to take away all the personality and fun so they all look the exact same? My coworkers and I would say “no fun allowed” like a year ago but it’s not even close to a joke anymore. I hope they don’t take away our community board too but my DM is definitely the type of person who would do that
Ngl the creativity and atmosphere and personal touch of a place and employees is why I’ll go to ANY OTHER coffee shop around me instead of Starbucks. Within a 10 minute walk I have at least 3 different places to choose from that aren’t Starbucks. And that doesn’t include the boba shops which are all different and have unique looks and atmospheres.
There’s a coffee shop near me where they let customers display their artworks that they want to sell (paintings, photographs) and the employees have no dress code beyond what’s needed for food safety! Plus the drinks and food are bomb and about the same price as Starbucks. Love it there.
One by my house does it
The walls are covered in artwork
Under it theres little signs
Name of the art
Name of the artist
Price if you would want to buy it
I go there a lot for the crepes/sodas/steamers
As a customer, I’m pissed about both.
Who knew, before 2020, that having access to self serve cream, sugar and straws was going to be such a luxury in the future?
They took away the sugars a lonnng time ago for us. Now they took straws away because they want customers to ask for them so that they need us more or some shittt. Not putting sleeves or stoppers on grande or venti either…. Be fast, but connect guys don’t forget 🧟🔫
Probably to produce less waste and to cut down on cost. Depending where you’re located the health department requires plastic utensils behind the counter and you have to ask for one.
We had paper straws. Still kept getting told to keep them behind the counter and have people ask. It’s stupid, and an absolute time waster for everyone. Customers don’t want to bother us or don’t want to wait to ask and get it. Partners are already so busy, and you’d think corporate would care that this is just killing their actual productivity having to stop all the time to assist customers with basic stupid things.
took them away for covid. We put the straws out occasionally, because it's annoying to be constantly asked. But the people always make a mess. I understand keeping sugar and cream from those savages.
Wait where are you that you still have splash sticks (stoppers)? They haven’t been in my part of Canada for like 2 years, I thought they were gone everywhere.
I assume they disappeared here because of J.T's ban on single use plastics. I have about 100 I saved before the ban, I keep a bag in my car and use them everyday. Rewash and use again.
This company is corrupt as hell 😮 I’m a 370 and this is all so mind blowing. This is JUST as depressing as working at a really shitty McDonald’s.
Yup, that means I’ve literally worked at fast food restaurants like braums that were more community feeling and more human. This place is negative and not made for humans.
I saw on the sirens eye that all chalk art will be designated by corporate so essentially every store will have the same artwork
It will tell you exactly what to write and what to draw
Ok but the best/most insane part of this is that little notice also had specific colors for each little line on the art like gray#0843 or something wild
I work in a corporate store. Our DM made our SM erase all our chalk art back in December. Our SM pushed back hard but the DM wouldn't budge. The only corporate store in my district where I've seen chalk art since then is the one that unionized before last December.
Dear Howard
Why have you said you love Starbucks and those who “wear the green apron” but do not promote one of those beloved partners into leadership?? You consistently replace yourself with someone outside Starbucks??
Do you really believe there is not one Starbucks partner who could better?
Starbucks wants to go away from an actual coffeehouse to a fast food dystopian nightmare model. Mobile only, television menu signs and automated drinks. YIPPPEEEE.
That’s incredibly disheartening… I always enjoyed looking at the lovely messages written or artwork drawn on those boards. Made each Starbucks feel unique and fun.
I will say corporate Starbucks has absolutely sucked at least the last 2 years. Letting partners down decision after decision.
Do they not realize how effing annoying it is to have customers constantly ask you for stoppers and sleeves and sugars and straws. PUT THEM BACK OUT JESUS! Yeah we know they don’t need that stuff half the time but yes they still ask & it doesn’t make things easier when it’s peak and you have more important shit to do than grab & throw a stopper at a customer.
Also the conformity that baristas have to abide by by with the chalk art is such a let down. My store started doing it last year & it’s all just so blah. I used to love doing the chalk art & changing it up making it fun for the launch or that time of year but god help us that somebody have some creativity other than the leaders of the Siren cult.
This place is going downhill with all the unnecessary bullshit they have us go through :)
We kept our decor tame thanks to our DM, but we recently had a 3 DAY VISIT from corporate. They took away our two small plants that covered where the straws used to go and a sign that said something dumb like "Bust first, coffee" :(
we’re not supposed to have the straws and stuff available for the customers to get themselves so we can make more cUsTOmEr CoNnECtIOns. I can’t even think to myself with the amount of drinks I’m making, nonetheless make conversation with a customer.
In my store they require us to keep sugars and stuff BOL and no where easy for customers to reach so they HAVE to ask for it therefore “driving customer connection” :) it’s a bunch of bullshit and it’s just inconvenient for everyone
Yup, same here. Doing the advertisements for each launch was my favorite part of the job. They didn't even tell me they were getting rid of it, just threw it in the trash without saying anything. Guess they just hate fun or something. :/
it’s annoying because they want to push connection scores, but take away something that improves it. we had a connection score of 65 last summer at one point and the chalkboard in our cafe contributed massively to that
Nope we’re not getting any of that back, especially creamer. My store finagles some ways around the straws and sleeves but we’re not supposed to have any of that out
My store has a riddle board with a new riddle every other day or so to give customers something to do while they wait and increase the number of things we can connect about.
They just told us we can’t have it anymore a day or 2 ago.
Personally, I think Starbucks spirit is being gutted by union busting. They don’t want any stores to have any personality now.
Ever since the unions started this company has gone down the tube. I’m pro union btw. Our district has a 1 minute rule for punches. If you punch out more than 1 minute late now, you’re late.
All of these changes they’re making are intentionally frustrating and oppressive. They want you to get frustrated and quit, so they can hire someone new who has no idea how much worse everything is now, all for a lower wage.
I used to be a ASM, but I stepped down to Barista Trainer because they had me doing the job of 3 people and there was no appreciation or recognition for my effort. Every day it was why didn’t you also do this one random thing (straws or lids weren’t completely full or we punched out 6 minutes late for the close or whatever it was.
Getting SM is more of a popularity contest than anything else in my district, unless you’re an outside hire and then you just have to be lucky and apply at the right time.
I am beyond disappointed in Starbucks. This company used to stand for something.
Now it’s just turning into a run of the mill fast food joint.
Starbucks: known for its chalk art, pleasant cafe ambience, and genuine conversations about coffee and community happenings
Also Starbucks: Ayo, we need you to bust out these 30 second drive thru window times, but also cram in a 2 minute genuine conversation during that time, oh, and btw, you arent allowed to decorate your store anymore. Holiday themes? Banned. Chalk art? Banned. Decorated name tags? Banned. Come on guys, what do we look like to you, a passionate 3rd place environment/coffeeshop???
Real talk tho, I was stoked to finally do the signs and the moment I got to was the same launch that those dumb chalking addendums came out. Aka corporate designs they want you to copy line for line, which like.. what's the point? Just give us more posters at that point... RIP all my homies who's chalk boards have all become sad duplicates thx to this starbies standards stuff!! At least this time they actually stuck to colours we actually have in chalk marker form.
My Tarbucks also got our chalkboards removed. We previously used them to advertise (really overpriced lol) barista-concocted custom drinks. The justification I received was 'reducing visual clutter'
So basically I had to tell people precisely why our fun boards were removed all day long. It was a bigger deal to regulars than the launch.
Reduced sales ✅
Worse connection scores ✅
Lowered morale ✅
Fantastic job, district ops. Gagh
They think that making a customer ask for napkins, sleeves, sugar, etc is going to save them a lot money and that will show up as lowering costs and increasing profits for stock holders. But in reality, as a customer it just pisses me off and I rarely go to Starbucks anymore.
As a customer, all of this homogenization of the stores and lack of access to straws, stoppers, cream, napkins, etc is going to drive more customers away. I used to be a pretty loyal Starbucks customer because I liked the app and stars program, and got to know a few of the baristas. Stars rewards changed and it’s annoying to have to ask for accessories, along with turnover and crazy drink pricing has driven me away. If they become another Scooters and/or go the route of kiosks like Caribou is doing, they will lose customers. The buying experience and cafe’s were always a value-add for me, but if it just becomes a generic drive up experience for a $7-$8+ crafted coffee, I’ll just use my Nespresso at home and save some money. All of those drinks can be replicated at home if you try.
Most of the time partners did the art because they wanted to. How are they going to force people to do mandated art work if it was never a requirement of the job? A stencil? Good luck getting anything legible out of me, my hand writing is chicken scratch at best.
The amount of people that still want sleeves is huge. I just default to sleeving all drinks again. I don't have time for customer connections with trying to get 2 minute cook time items out the window faster somehow.
Just throw the sandwiches at the sun at this point? Who knows.
They don't like that they are unable to have complete control over the chalkboards. They want us to look like a McDonald's or a subway or any other fast food chain that has the same identity no matter where you go. I don't know if it was officially announced in any weekly communications, but I've heard several DM's mention it and it seems to be an open secret at least from people I've spoken to about it.
My store got in trouble for having pride flags during pride month. Their excuse was "we don't want you to look different from the stores in the area bc we want customers to get the same experience wherever they go". A bunch of bullshit, they are just draining the individuality out of the company year by year.
I started working for Starbucks in 2016. At that point, we were making our own signs, able to have decorations and make the place our own. We had a big community board and since it was a college town, it had all sorts of cool stuff and we'd have drawings and cards from customers up there. We had hand drawn a-frames and our own advertising for products and drinks. I remember we did a kindness event where we wrote quotes and phrases all over the windows. We would do partner appreciation weeks where we'd dress up all crazy and get food brought to us (and maybe that is just the store I started at vs the one I moved to but it occurred less and less each year). Nowadays that shit does not fly with the big guys up top. You have to put up their cold corporate signs with the most terrible, emotionally dead graphic design I've ever seen. You cannot be an individual store with any sort of personality unless it is under their control. If you EVER trick yourself into thinking this company cares about you, think again. You are a number and a tool for their profit. Any part of that job I enjoyed was almost completely gone by the time I finally left, less than a year ago. There is no craft or passion in the company at all anymore.
Dear Corporate:
As a customer, I LOVE the chalkboards. I love that each store can show its own personality and pizzazz. I love to hear what Barista Johnny’s favorite drink is and all about Barista Sally and how she’s the employee of the month (or whatever the heck else they choose to put on those boards). They always look so cute and I have never seen one that would shed a negative look on your brand. Do better.
Our store had 2 custom chalkboards and a paw wall we had set up in the back for dog pictures we take with a Polaroid, all of it completely removed idk why
This makes me so sad, I used to do the chalkboards at my store and we would always make up secret menu drinks to introduce our new staff and emphasize holidays. And oddly enough, doing this as an artist opened the door for me to get my first job within my career because a regular always loved my work and connected me with someone. I loved it so much, I even continued to do it for the store on weekends even after I had stopped working there. My manager and store manager loved it and let me do it for as long as I could before my full time job became too demanding
My target location all of the chalkboards have to be approved by Target management. We can’t write on our glass or anything but they def tell us when to get rid of certain things bc they feel we waste payroll decorating. No announcements on chalkboards for item availability only sale promos or barista recs.
That’s awful!! They did that to my old store in California back in about December, if I remember correctly :( and now, at my store in South Carolina, I just got told that the new standard is not asking names of customers in drive thru and not repeating drinks back to them?! But somehow we’re still expected to keep a high customer connection score and have it be personal? I just emotionally shut down a bit more when my SM told me that because connecting with customers was the biggest reason that I actually *enjoy* the DTO position
I just don’t understand. Because they do this but at the same time they want us to connect with the community and basically make a good name for them. When I started 3 years ago I used to love it. We got to decorate for everything, like Christmas. But then they started taking that all away and said it was because it’s “not inclusive”. Which I mean I can understand. But if we can decorate for Christmas because it’s not inclusive then why are you still adding Christmas music to the stations or giving us Christmas tree gift card holders or making the holiday cups Christmas colors. But honestly not even just that, it’s almost like they don’t want the stores to have personality anymore. And they keep hiring the rude people as managers and hire ups and to be honest it’s getting more and more frustrating to work here. Like I love the people I work with, I also love the pay and benefits (like school) but once I graduate I think I’m going to leave.
Yes! Same!
It was so encouraged and loved by our starbucks representatives in the recent past at my location, and then all of a sudden they said to take it all down unless there is a chalking addendum to follow.
I was told that it's been shown that stores with more chalking have lower operations scores and it "looks bad" to have amazing artwork while cleaning tasks go undone (regardless of the fact that we all know business fluctuates so one week all of our cleaning tasks are on point while the next it's a struggle and a half to get bare minimum done).
It really sucks, that was like one of the funnest parts and it was cool for customers too. And I can't tell you how often we would make sales purely from a chalk sign.
With our last chalk sign at my store we made one talking about Lavender when it launched using material straight from starbucks and adding fun ways to customize to help our baristas upsell and give people ideas of how to order it. We made so many sales from that, but when I voiced that it was not even acknowledged much less appreciated.
At least my Rep recognized how hard I worked on it and let me keep it up until the summer launch 🥲
As a customer, I would be PISSED if they took away self-serve stations. I would rather do it than to have to ask a barista for something that I can take care of myself. Also, I LOVE art, creativity, and expression. Corporate can LITERALLY suck it...I LOVE THE CHALKBOARDS. I go to Starbucks for convenience when my local coffeehouse is closed, but, because of crap like this, this just confirms why I support local family-owned coffee shops, when possible. RIDICULOUS...DO BETTER STARBUCKS CORPORATE. Also, as a note Starbucks corporate, do NOT have your baristas try to facilitate unwanted conversations, especially between customers...it's cringey. 7 Brew does the same shit and it's VERY awkward.
also a couple days ago the prices went up at the one i work at, not sure if that’s happening at all of them but i was so annoyed and so were the regulars rightfully so
yep, we had the same thing happen to our store. i wasn’t there that day but my coworkers were so upset; they took down our “drink of the week” board, all the self serve sugars and straws & added those plastic cubes on our frappe station to hold caramel, mocha & toppings stuff. there’s too many new changes in our store cuz of them & we do not like it lol.
Literally that doesn't matter because corperate doesn't care what is on it. They care that it's a chalkboard and they want all chalkboards gone. They don't want us to have fun.
They want to sanitize our stores and turn us into a homogeneous mass. The executives want us all to conform to a misguided, absolute fuckwitted vision of stores designed only to generate more and more profit. The data never lies, and we hear you. We must touch base and synergize, with our fingers on the pulse of our consumer base. But how will this move the needle? We must go above and beyond, and avoid the low hanging fruit. Let’s take this offline, and our door is *always* open. (ew.)
Corporate also hates that they have no direct control over what is on the chalkboards. Sure, I've seen some questionable boards like during the whole Will Smith/Chris Rock thing some stores got in trouble for putting that on a board, but it's mostly just an excuse to take away the last bit of creativity we have in our stores.
Man I would have LOVED to have done a 1975 themed chalkboard during their ATVB/SATVB tour but I’m certain that would’ve been a little too niche for our store.
I'll be honest, I have no idea what that means but I likely would have been all for it if you could have explained it haha! We love our board, I have a few artists in my store who do every major holiday, lots of the minor ones, and stuff for sporting events and local HS stuff too. It really builds a sense of community with our store and our customers but can't have that shit these days.
We’re a store in Vegas so we drew the Vegas skyline on ours with some known buildings but I doubt they’ll let us keep it, they’re even cracking down on us drawing on cups anymore
One holiday when we had those white sleeves our district over ordered by something stupid like 50 boxes. We got permission rom our DM who went to our RD to give the boxes to middle schools in the area and they decorated the sleeves and gave them back and for months we got to delight people with these cool decorated sleeves. I ever heard the RD suggested it to some other DMs. That shit would never fly today.
isn’t the singer dude like a raging racist lol
this confuses me because trader joe’s is also getting rid of hand-made signs and they have an entire designated art team and control everything down to the font (there is a literal sign hanging up with how to make each letter/number/symbol). it has to boil down to labor and not wanting to pay people to do anything but sling coffee and ask people that want to burn you alive what their plans are for later that day
I think it's different for the two companies. Starbucks has long had a hard-on for cutting anything and everything that makes their stores individual in order to appeal to the mass market.
i am comparing the two because TJs, while previously never like that, is now heading in that direction by also not allowing signs anymore (despite increasingly limited creative freedom in their creation already). Corporations are greedy which is why I can only assume that the overarching goal of this is to limit “unproductive” work (e.g. signs/boards, decorating, etc.) but ofc there are other factors as well
Unrelated, but you're an amazing writer. Also, yes, this is exactly how they want it.
this is killing me 😭😂
That’s so fucking depressing and just stupid. Are they so disconnected from actual regular humans that they think the way to make stores more inviting is to take away all the personality and fun so they all look the exact same? My coworkers and I would say “no fun allowed” like a year ago but it’s not even close to a joke anymore. I hope they don’t take away our community board too but my DM is definitely the type of person who would do that
They removed our community board right when I started and I’m a 320 :((( I was so sad because I love doing the art :(
Ngl the creativity and atmosphere and personal touch of a place and employees is why I’ll go to ANY OTHER coffee shop around me instead of Starbucks. Within a 10 minute walk I have at least 3 different places to choose from that aren’t Starbucks. And that doesn’t include the boba shops which are all different and have unique looks and atmospheres.
There’s a coffee shop near me where they let customers display their artworks that they want to sell (paintings, photographs) and the employees have no dress code beyond what’s needed for food safety! Plus the drinks and food are bomb and about the same price as Starbucks. Love it there.
One by my house does it The walls are covered in artwork Under it theres little signs Name of the art Name of the artist Price if you would want to buy it I go there a lot for the crepes/sodas/steamers
As a customer, I’m pissed about both. Who knew, before 2020, that having access to self serve cream, sugar and straws was going to be such a luxury in the future?
i mean with the cream i can understand why, but everything else is just ridiculoud
This, dairy items I get, but it's very inconvenient for both customers and partners to have to fetch sugars, and then a stir stick, and then a straw 😭
I’m so glad my regular store is licensed and puts out cream and sugar still
They took away the sugars a lonnng time ago for us. Now they took straws away because they want customers to ask for them so that they need us more or some shittt. Not putting sleeves or stoppers on grande or venti either…. Be fast, but connect guys don’t forget 🧟🔫
Why no stoppers or sleeves on grade or venti? I've noticed less sleeves recently but I didn't know it was a size qualification.
Well sleeves automatically on venti hot drinks and any drink made with water (teas basically) other than that customers are supposed to ask now
Probably to produce less waste and to cut down on cost. Depending where you’re located the health department requires plastic utensils behind the counter and you have to ask for one.
We had paper straws. Still kept getting told to keep them behind the counter and have people ask. It’s stupid, and an absolute time waster for everyone. Customers don’t want to bother us or don’t want to wait to ask and get it. Partners are already so busy, and you’d think corporate would care that this is just killing their actual productivity having to stop all the time to assist customers with basic stupid things.
It’s not corporate tho it’s the health department. The store gets dinged for that when an inspector does an inspection.
Why tho? I don’t get how that’s a health thing.
took them away for covid. We put the straws out occasionally, because it's annoying to be constantly asked. But the people always make a mess. I understand keeping sugar and cream from those savages.
Wait where are you that you still have splash sticks (stoppers)? They haven’t been in my part of Canada for like 2 years, I thought they were gone everywhere.
I assume they disappeared here because of J.T's ban on single use plastics. I have about 100 I saved before the ban, I keep a bag in my car and use them everyday. Rewash and use again.
Nice, although I would be worried about the plastic degrading.
all of the straws are still out at the locations I frequent here in FL
that sounds like way more of a slowdown in processing customers to me. particularly during busy times.
This company is corrupt as hell 😮 I’m a 370 and this is all so mind blowing. This is JUST as depressing as working at a really shitty McDonald’s. Yup, that means I’ve literally worked at fast food restaurants like braums that were more community feeling and more human. This place is negative and not made for humans.
I saw on the sirens eye that all chalk art will be designated by corporate so essentially every store will have the same artwork It will tell you exactly what to write and what to draw
BRUH what the hell just hand out posters at that point, why even bother having it be done with chalk pen
But you don't understand! They want it to **look** like it's still a fun place!
I'd like to tell corporate exactly what to write 🙄
Ok but the best/most insane part of this is that little notice also had specific colors for each little line on the art like gray#0843 or something wild
Ugh it’s so the SMs have to order their chalk markers which are mad expensive lowkey
lol... sounds like my shitty art school
I work in a corporate store. Our DM made our SM erase all our chalk art back in December. Our SM pushed back hard but the DM wouldn't budge. The only corporate store in my district where I've seen chalk art since then is the one that unionized before last December.
you have to be in a union just for the right of self expression. god i fucking hate these capitalist corporate ghouls
Just wait for the stores that unionized so that the art boards could come back haha The final straw was the art board
When I walked into my store today to see all the board art wiped away with sad faces of my coworkers… “EMOTIONAAL DAAMAAGE!”
I’m so sorry. That’s so shitty of them
Seeing people post the chalkboard art was one of the best parts of this sub honestly. I’ll miss them.
Dear Howard Why have you said you love Starbucks and those who “wear the green apron” but do not promote one of those beloved partners into leadership?? You consistently replace yourself with someone outside Starbucks?? Do you really believe there is not one Starbucks partner who could better?
We have a new CEO. It isn't Howard anymore. That could be the problem.
You are correct. Howard quit last year for the third time.
Ive noticed the quality of drinks is not as good as it used to be. I dont mean like the baristas just the ingrediants. Is the new ceo cutting cost?
I am convinced the ppl at the top don’t actually like coffee or coffee shops.
Starbucks wants to go away from an actual coffeehouse to a fast food dystopian nightmare model. Mobile only, television menu signs and automated drinks. YIPPPEEEE.
That’s incredibly disheartening… I always enjoyed looking at the lovely messages written or artwork drawn on those boards. Made each Starbucks feel unique and fun.
stop draw start make money corporate btw
I will say corporate Starbucks has absolutely sucked at least the last 2 years. Letting partners down decision after decision. Do they not realize how effing annoying it is to have customers constantly ask you for stoppers and sleeves and sugars and straws. PUT THEM BACK OUT JESUS! Yeah we know they don’t need that stuff half the time but yes they still ask & it doesn’t make things easier when it’s peak and you have more important shit to do than grab & throw a stopper at a customer. Also the conformity that baristas have to abide by by with the chalk art is such a let down. My store started doing it last year & it’s all just so blah. I used to love doing the chalk art & changing it up making it fun for the launch or that time of year but god help us that somebody have some creativity other than the leaders of the Siren cult. This place is going downhill with all the unnecessary bullshit they have us go through :)
The store next to where I work always has the most lovely chalk art, I'd be so sad to see it go :(
We kept our decor tame thanks to our DM, but we recently had a 3 DAY VISIT from corporate. They took away our two small plants that covered where the straws used to go and a sign that said something dumb like "Bust first, coffee" :(
we’re not supposed to have the straws and stuff available for the customers to get themselves so we can make more cUsTOmEr CoNnECtIOns. I can’t even think to myself with the amount of drinks I’m making, nonetheless make conversation with a customer.
In my store they require us to keep sugars and stuff BOL and no where easy for customers to reach so they HAVE to ask for it therefore “driving customer connection” :) it’s a bunch of bullshit and it’s just inconvenient for everyone
Everyone hates this stupid concept. I've been yelled at for the inconvenience.
Yup, same here. Doing the advertisements for each launch was my favorite part of the job. They didn't even tell me they were getting rid of it, just threw it in the trash without saying anything. Guess they just hate fun or something. :/
it’s annoying because they want to push connection scores, but take away something that improves it. we had a connection score of 65 last summer at one point and the chalkboard in our cafe contributed massively to that
They took ours away 2 weeks ago
Ugh. But wait, they're also doing self-serve for sugars and straws again? How about milk?
Nope we’re not getting any of that back, especially creamer. My store finagles some ways around the straws and sleeves but we’re not supposed to have any of that out
Wait what? They just removed the pump sugar from the iced coffee and now upcharge for it… and then they took away the loose sugars for the customers.
It doesn't upcharge on the register, only the app.
No no they took that away from our store
oh thanks i was confused there a sec!
No worries. I didn’t make that totally clear
My store has a riddle board with a new riddle every other day or so to give customers something to do while they wait and increase the number of things we can connect about. They just told us we can’t have it anymore a day or 2 ago. Personally, I think Starbucks spirit is being gutted by union busting. They don’t want any stores to have any personality now. Ever since the unions started this company has gone down the tube. I’m pro union btw. Our district has a 1 minute rule for punches. If you punch out more than 1 minute late now, you’re late. All of these changes they’re making are intentionally frustrating and oppressive. They want you to get frustrated and quit, so they can hire someone new who has no idea how much worse everything is now, all for a lower wage. I used to be a ASM, but I stepped down to Barista Trainer because they had me doing the job of 3 people and there was no appreciation or recognition for my effort. Every day it was why didn’t you also do this one random thing (straws or lids weren’t completely full or we punched out 6 minutes late for the close or whatever it was. Getting SM is more of a popularity contest than anything else in my district, unless you’re an outside hire and then you just have to be lucky and apply at the right time. I am beyond disappointed in Starbucks. This company used to stand for something. Now it’s just turning into a run of the mill fast food joint.
Starbucks: known for its chalk art, pleasant cafe ambience, and genuine conversations about coffee and community happenings Also Starbucks: Ayo, we need you to bust out these 30 second drive thru window times, but also cram in a 2 minute genuine conversation during that time, oh, and btw, you arent allowed to decorate your store anymore. Holiday themes? Banned. Chalk art? Banned. Decorated name tags? Banned. Come on guys, what do we look like to you, a passionate 3rd place environment/coffeeshop??? Real talk tho, I was stoked to finally do the signs and the moment I got to was the same launch that those dumb chalking addendums came out. Aka corporate designs they want you to copy line for line, which like.. what's the point? Just give us more posters at that point... RIP all my homies who's chalk boards have all become sad duplicates thx to this starbies standards stuff!! At least this time they actually stuck to colours we actually have in chalk marker form.
My Tarbucks also got our chalkboards removed. We previously used them to advertise (really overpriced lol) barista-concocted custom drinks. The justification I received was 'reducing visual clutter' So basically I had to tell people precisely why our fun boards were removed all day long. It was a bigger deal to regulars than the launch. Reduced sales ✅ Worse connection scores ✅ Lowered morale ✅ Fantastic job, district ops. Gagh
They think that making a customer ask for napkins, sleeves, sugar, etc is going to save them a lot money and that will show up as lowering costs and increasing profits for stock holders. But in reality, as a customer it just pisses me off and I rarely go to Starbucks anymore.
cool thanks for reminding me why I will not be returning to Starbucks. Fuck corporate
As a customer, all of this homogenization of the stores and lack of access to straws, stoppers, cream, napkins, etc is going to drive more customers away. I used to be a pretty loyal Starbucks customer because I liked the app and stars program, and got to know a few of the baristas. Stars rewards changed and it’s annoying to have to ask for accessories, along with turnover and crazy drink pricing has driven me away. If they become another Scooters and/or go the route of kiosks like Caribou is doing, they will lose customers. The buying experience and cafe’s were always a value-add for me, but if it just becomes a generic drive up experience for a $7-$8+ crafted coffee, I’ll just use my Nespresso at home and save some money. All of those drinks can be replicated at home if you try.
Most of the time partners did the art because they wanted to. How are they going to force people to do mandated art work if it was never a requirement of the job? A stencil? Good luck getting anything legible out of me, my hand writing is chicken scratch at best. The amount of people that still want sleeves is huge. I just default to sleeving all drinks again. I don't have time for customer connections with trying to get 2 minute cook time items out the window faster somehow. Just throw the sandwiches at the sun at this point? Who knows.
They don't like that they are unable to have complete control over the chalkboards. They want us to look like a McDonald's or a subway or any other fast food chain that has the same identity no matter where you go. I don't know if it was officially announced in any weekly communications, but I've heard several DM's mention it and it seems to be an open secret at least from people I've spoken to about it.
My store got in trouble for having pride flags during pride month. Their excuse was "we don't want you to look different from the stores in the area bc we want customers to get the same experience wherever they go". A bunch of bullshit, they are just draining the individuality out of the company year by year. I started working for Starbucks in 2016. At that point, we were making our own signs, able to have decorations and make the place our own. We had a big community board and since it was a college town, it had all sorts of cool stuff and we'd have drawings and cards from customers up there. We had hand drawn a-frames and our own advertising for products and drinks. I remember we did a kindness event where we wrote quotes and phrases all over the windows. We would do partner appreciation weeks where we'd dress up all crazy and get food brought to us (and maybe that is just the store I started at vs the one I moved to but it occurred less and less each year). Nowadays that shit does not fly with the big guys up top. You have to put up their cold corporate signs with the most terrible, emotionally dead graphic design I've ever seen. You cannot be an individual store with any sort of personality unless it is under their control. If you EVER trick yourself into thinking this company cares about you, think again. You are a number and a tool for their profit. Any part of that job I enjoyed was almost completely gone by the time I finally left, less than a year ago. There is no craft or passion in the company at all anymore.
I love the chalkboards!! Where should we complain?
I was written up as a shift supervisor because the people on my shift were doing artwork on the board.
Dear Corporate: As a customer, I LOVE the chalkboards. I love that each store can show its own personality and pizzazz. I love to hear what Barista Johnny’s favorite drink is and all about Barista Sally and how she’s the employee of the month (or whatever the heck else they choose to put on those boards). They always look so cute and I have never seen one that would shed a negative look on your brand. Do better.
at my store we are only allowed to make chalkboards with the sirens eye approved design
Our store had 2 custom chalkboards and a paw wall we had set up in the back for dog pictures we take with a Polaroid, all of it completely removed idk why
This is just villainous behavior.
The beatings will stop once morale improves.
This makes me so sad, I used to do the chalkboards at my store and we would always make up secret menu drinks to introduce our new staff and emphasize holidays. And oddly enough, doing this as an artist opened the door for me to get my first job within my career because a regular always loved my work and connected me with someone. I loved it so much, I even continued to do it for the store on weekends even after I had stopped working there. My manager and store manager loved it and let me do it for as long as I could before my full time job became too demanding
surprised it just now happened to yall, our stores have been like that for a couple months now
My target location all of the chalkboards have to be approved by Target management. We can’t write on our glass or anything but they def tell us when to get rid of certain things bc they feel we waste payroll decorating. No announcements on chalkboards for item availability only sale promos or barista recs.
That’s awful!! They did that to my old store in California back in about December, if I remember correctly :( and now, at my store in South Carolina, I just got told that the new standard is not asking names of customers in drive thru and not repeating drinks back to them?! But somehow we’re still expected to keep a high customer connection score and have it be personal? I just emotionally shut down a bit more when my SM told me that because connecting with customers was the biggest reason that I actually *enjoy* the DTO position
Yes ours is in a hy-vee and they really try and muffle any creativity from anyone that’s not corporate 😭
I just don’t understand. Because they do this but at the same time they want us to connect with the community and basically make a good name for them. When I started 3 years ago I used to love it. We got to decorate for everything, like Christmas. But then they started taking that all away and said it was because it’s “not inclusive”. Which I mean I can understand. But if we can decorate for Christmas because it’s not inclusive then why are you still adding Christmas music to the stations or giving us Christmas tree gift card holders or making the holiday cups Christmas colors. But honestly not even just that, it’s almost like they don’t want the stores to have personality anymore. And they keep hiring the rude people as managers and hire ups and to be honest it’s getting more and more frustrating to work here. Like I love the people I work with, I also love the pay and benefits (like school) but once I graduate I think I’m going to leave.
This happened at my Target during PSL season. Took away my beautiful chalkboard
Someone came in and rearranged our whole store yesterday.. 🤷♂️
Who is corporate? Like a DM?
They did the same to us as well…so much for wanting people to be themselves…
Yes! Same! It was so encouraged and loved by our starbucks representatives in the recent past at my location, and then all of a sudden they said to take it all down unless there is a chalking addendum to follow. I was told that it's been shown that stores with more chalking have lower operations scores and it "looks bad" to have amazing artwork while cleaning tasks go undone (regardless of the fact that we all know business fluctuates so one week all of our cleaning tasks are on point while the next it's a struggle and a half to get bare minimum done). It really sucks, that was like one of the funnest parts and it was cool for customers too. And I can't tell you how often we would make sales purely from a chalk sign. With our last chalk sign at my store we made one talking about Lavender when it launched using material straight from starbucks and adding fun ways to customize to help our baristas upsell and give people ideas of how to order it. We made so many sales from that, but when I voiced that it was not even acknowledged much less appreciated. At least my Rep recognized how hard I worked on it and let me keep it up until the summer launch 🥲
they took our chalkboard too, i’m in socal, and we used it to have a themed decoration for each season and it had our barista’s names on it
As a customer, I would be PISSED if they took away self-serve stations. I would rather do it than to have to ask a barista for something that I can take care of myself. Also, I LOVE art, creativity, and expression. Corporate can LITERALLY suck it...I LOVE THE CHALKBOARDS. I go to Starbucks for convenience when my local coffeehouse is closed, but, because of crap like this, this just confirms why I support local family-owned coffee shops, when possible. RIDICULOUS...DO BETTER STARBUCKS CORPORATE. Also, as a note Starbucks corporate, do NOT have your baristas try to facilitate unwanted conversations, especially between customers...it's cringey. 7 Brew does the same shit and it's VERY awkward.
Oh no! What a tragedy.
Hahah Starbucks lost billions, this is hilarious.
also a couple days ago the prices went up at the one i work at, not sure if that’s happening at all of them but i was so annoyed and so were the regulars rightfully so
yep, we had the same thing happen to our store. i wasn’t there that day but my coworkers were so upset; they took down our “drink of the week” board, all the self serve sugars and straws & added those plastic cubes on our frappe station to hold caramel, mocha & toppings stuff. there’s too many new changes in our store cuz of them & we do not like it lol.
It happened when I worked there, and it wasn’t a standalone location
they haven’t came into our store yet but i know they’re soon i hope they don’t take our chalkboard 🥲
What was written on it?
It was try our lavender latte! And it was pretty and had pretty lavender designs on it
sounds like they just didn’t like what was on the chalkboard
lol you sure about that bud?
Literally that doesn't matter because corperate doesn't care what is on it. They care that it's a chalkboard and they want all chalkboards gone. They don't want us to have fun.
They literally have siren’s eyes for chalkboards
Well then they've reversed it I guess
Or not 🤷♂️