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Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,335
2,448
Hypernormality
This sort of "reporting" is so weak. Google shouldn't list this site as a 'news' source.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-bzstar275593057feb27,0,432413.story

Matt McComb drove his cream-colored Cadillac DeVille right past the Starbucks in a strip mall on Route 110 in Melville, and parked in the lot at the Dunkin' Donuts three doors down for his fix.

It was 7:30 p.m. and the upstate resident said he needed a cup of coffee, and he knew he had to change his language and driving pattern somewhat to do that after Starbucks announced nearly 7,100 of its outlets would be closed to retrain its baristas.

McComb said he was willing to make slight adjustments in his routine as his favorite coffee shop made its own.

"I think it's great what they're doing," McComb said as he rushed past steady raindrops into Dunkin' Donuts to order a "small" black coffee rather than the "tall" version that he would have asked for at Starbucks. "They've slipped a little bit, but I think they're going to come back."

That's what Starbucks executives hope.

The world's largest chain of coffee shops closed almost all of its U.S. stores for more than three hours last night, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., to train its employees in a bid to stem a downward trend in customer visits.

While some of Starbucks' would-be customers flocked to its equally well-known, if less expensive competitor, the stores were far from empty.

Dozes of baristas, sans green aprons and logo-emblazoned caps, carried clipboards, took notes, watched videos and listened to presenters under the soft lighting that creates the chain's ambience at the Farmingdale and Melville stores, among others.

But the Starbucks counter inside the Target store on Route 110 was open for business.

Starbucks chairman and chief executive Howard Schultz, who built a local Seattle coffee chain into a corporation with almost 16,000 cafes, is using the training session to try to improve sales after ousting James Donald as chief executive last month and returning to the helm.

Part back-to-basics tutorial, part pep rally, the session aimed to reacquaint baristas with the art of pulling the perfect shot of espresso and steaming milk to add a subtle hint of sweetness to a latte and give the velvety foam on top just the right thickness.
www.press-releases-are-us.com

:bonk:
 

JohnE

filthy rascist
May 13, 2005
13,430
1,949
Front Range, dude...
Unless they were getting boob jobs and training in free massage, I will stick with Dunikin or 7-11 coffee. FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD, ITS COFFEE...I dont need all the hubris and other bs. Just gimme coffee...
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
agreed, blantly knob-jobbin'.

Also

DD > Starbucks
McD's > Starbucks
7-11 > Starbucks

However...

Starbucks > Einstein's
Starbucks > Brugger's
 

r464

Turbo Monkey
Oct 17, 2006
2,604
4
Earth
They broadcast this on the television news. It's been so long since I have seen a real news broadcast, I forget what it's like...
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
anyone go to Starbucks this morning? Is the coffee better than yesterday? You know, with the training and all
 

Arkayne

I come bearing GIFs
May 10, 2005
3,738
15
SoCal
are you saying you hate Starbucks huge they're a monster chain? Hence, "Fight the power"?
I suppose I'm dwelling on, as Eaterofdog says, the 1995 yuppies.

I'm a Mac user as well. Still a PC person at heart, but know a few guys who use the mac as jewelry and flaunt it as that.