I have done one of these before but stuff has changed since then and I have seen a couple starbucks topics so here comes round 2
When I last visited a Starbucks, in July, I stepped up to the counter, smiled and said: “Hi. Tall latte, please.” The barista looked at me as if I had landed from another planet. What did I do wrong? Was my order too simple?
Are you under penalty of death if you divulge any of the secret recipes? I’ve been trying to figure out how to make an (iced) White Chocolate Mocha.
“Barista”?
Oh my…
I cannot stand the smell of coffee, so I have been spared the sight of people paying (how much?) for warter which has been contaminated by cooked beans and its varients.
Do you think Starbucks will still be around din 5 years, or will it flame out?
Could think they thought you were patronizing them if the tone of your voice sounded like you were. A lot of customers think they are “cute” when they give someone a “hard time” or maybe he had a bad day i dont know cant explain that one.
Well the thing is you cant buy our white mocha in stores. You can probably find some online that a barista stole and decided to sell. Our white mocha syrup is “special” so only we have it. Its not like our caramel which anyone can buy
Um yeah im sure we will be around for 5 years…More stores may close and they may restructure the company.
How difficult is it to make a Caramel latte? I’m getting an espresso machine soon and wanna make.
Speaking of lattes, I love them unless they are bitter, what is the best way to tell them I don’t want it bitter? I was told that if I tell them I want it upside down that means they’ll put the espresso in last (?) or something and that will cause it to blend it in more.
Do you still have the policy of leaving a tap running continuously in each of your outlets? I remember reading a newspaper article a couple of months ago that criticised this Starbucks policy for being incredibly wasteful. Or was it all a press beat up?
All I really want to know is why you monsters got me hooked on Chantico (the drinking chocolate – Mmmmmm… drinking chocolate…) and then pulled it off the menu? I’m not at all a coffee person, but I sure do likes me some chocolate.
Ok well a caramel latte is (in this order) caramel in the cup, espresso shots, milk. Saying upside down would in theory mean the shots go on top however this does not make sense. A Caramel macchiato has its shots on top and people usually order that upside down so the shots go in first and mix with the milk to make it less bitter. A latte has foam and putting the shots on top will make it less mixed since the foam holds them together and doenst allow them to mix with the milk.
If they are bitter it means that they let the shots die. After you pull shots they will “die” in about 10 seconds and that is where the bitterness comes from they should have added them to your drink quicker
Well starbucks is “looking into it”. The whole thing was kinda over played in my opinion. Each store has this little well by the bar that we a couple spoons in and leave the tap on. The water constantly overflows so everytime we use a spoon to scope off foam or whip or whatever we put it back in the well. Since its constantly overflowing it keeps it clean. Its not like we turn EVERYTHING on and let it run all day. The faucet is not even a full sized one but a little one. I dont see how else we could do this other then washing the spoon off in the sink after each use which would take forever espically when making many drinks at once.
Starbucks just seems to randomly try out things and take them away. I see the same thing happening with our Vivanno although our signiture hot choclate is similar to the Chantico
Ok, so the drink I want is an upside-down Caramel Macchiato. If, when I get it, it’s bitter, what do I do? Have them make it again? Add more caramel? Or do I just tell them at the beginning that need to be careful with mine?
And I know you work at Starbucks, but if I say, “Upside-down Caramel Macchiato” at any other coffee joints, would they know what I’m talking about?
Interesting. Whether the practice makes sense or not, it was certainly very bad publicity for Starbucks here in Australia where we’re always facing water restrictions.
A Carmel Macciato is actually made with Vanialla syrup instead of caramel and it has caramel on top. Saying caramel latte should be good enough if they are doing their job correctly. If its bitter you can ask them to add more caramel or to make it again. They should make it again with no problem. Putting the shots on top will actually make it more bitter. If i had to guess i would think that the reason its bitter is cause
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Sometimes when you pump in syrup if you do it really fast you get a lot of air. So those 4 pumps may have been mostly air meaning its really like two pumps that you actually got.
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They let the shots die. It happens, they SHOULD throw them out and repull them. This doesnt always happen and I am guilty of putting dead shots in a drink as well.
As to how to order it at other places saying caramel latte should suffice. From my understanding our “macchiato” is not a true macchiato by strict definition of the term so what we give you may not be what they give you.
Yea i don’t expect it to get fixed anytime soon. That would mean changing a piece of equipment in EVERY store. And honestly I do not know the numbers and all the energy involved, etc but we waste way more stuff then little old water. I mean at the rate that people drop cups and throw them away and things like that we waste way more then a little old water which just gets recycled eventually anyways and not stay in a landfill like a cup would.
With all due respect, your hot chocolate is nothing like the Chantico. The hot chocolate is good; the Chantico was orgasmically good.
I miss Chantico. 
We have a new one i dont know if you tried it. Its differerent then our regular hot chocolate and you can get this in any size!
I usually order just plain espresso, and have never noticed it to be bitter. I didn’t know about this 10-second thing - since there is nothing to add it to, how come plain espresso isn’t bitter?
I certainly wasn’t being patronizing, nor was I trying to give them a hard time - quite the opposite, as I was trying to be as quick and efficient as possible. I don’t know. Everybody ahead of me in line had been making these, long, professional-sounding orders, often involving the word “frappuchinno” (whatever the hell that is), so maybe he was expecting me to go on a bit and was caught off-guard when I finished.
I despise coffee, but somebody gave me a Starbucks gift card so last Saturday my husband and I went in and got hot chocolate and bagels. The bagels weren’t even bagels, they were just circular pieces of bread. But I had such a bad migraine I threw it all up anyway, including the hot chocolate which I did like. Do you have an excuse for the bagels?
Have the recent economic woes hurt your business. Your store specifically, not the whole company. Or are people going to have their coffee no matter what?
If I walk up to the counter and order ‘The most caffeine you can legally serve in one drink’, what will I get? And how much will it be?
Are the folks working the drive-thru window required to ask me every morning if I want to try the (insert seasonal/new drink name here>? I assume they are told to, but drive-thrus are supposed to be about convenience and efficiency, and waiting patiently while they recite the drink du jour, well, isn’t. Otherwise, no complaints.
Happy Starbucks Addict
(Iced Venti Americano (extra ice, light water) or Venti Red Eye)