Archive for the ‘food and wine’ Category

Soviet Starbucks?

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

Having an iced coffee with my friend Gideon at Aroma, a coffee chain in Israel, a few weeks ago, I remarked that you couldn’t buy Iced Coffee at Starbucks. He was incredulous, but I opined that I hoped this was one of the changes that Howard Schultz would institute upon returning as CEO.

A few days ago, Gideon and I met for coffee at the Sharon Heights Starbucks in Menlo Park, so I took the opportunity to demonstrate. The barista told me that she could not serve me an iced decaf, but I could have an Americano. I asked if they had decaf coffee; yes was the reply. I then asked if they had ice; another affirmative reply. Then I asked if they could put ice in a cup and pour decaf coffee into it; “No we’re not allowed to do that,” was the answer.

All I could say was “This is why Schultz just closed 600 Starbucks locations.” It’s a shame that Sharon Heights wasn’t one of them.