Beached whale
The mighty Starbucks is falling fast. It announced 6700 layoffs today. On top of that, Starbucks says it can't afford to have fresh decaf coffee readily available after noon. If you ask for it, you'll have to wait four minutes while they make it.
| Posted at 7:45 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (21)
Slow and steady wins the day. A store on every corner(NYC) bites you in the butt. The reason I am so darn rich today is that I don't drink coffee :-)
Posted by mp97303 | January 28, 2009 8:01 PM
6700? That's what, just under one employee per outlet?
Posted by godfry | January 28, 2009 9:05 PM
Despite that news, or because of it, SBUX stock went up today. In fact, it's been going up steadily for the past couple of months.
Posted by Gil Johnson | January 28, 2009 9:30 PM
Starbucks won't have decaf ready? Starbucks??
I can't even think of any snark. That's just hard to believe.
Posted by Snards | January 28, 2009 10:30 PM
Peet's still has decaf on demand!
Posted by pdxjim | January 28, 2009 10:40 PM
Starbucks coffee isn't good anyway.
Vita in Seattle is much better.
Posted by disagreement | January 28, 2009 10:55 PM
Red Square Cafe on Belmont across from the Hore Brass and Common Grounds on SE Hawthorne and approx 44th are far better.
Posted by Mike | January 29, 2009 12:00 AM
Gil: Starbucks went UP yesterday because the market was UP 200 points on wednesday. So did almost every other major stock. We'll see how well their stock holds up in a DOWN market today.
Posted by Dave A. | January 29, 2009 6:20 AM
Hey, I think this is simple revenue enhancement. For those of us who drink decaf in the afternoon after the AM jolt, the choice of waiting four minutes for their usual swill or ordering a decaf Americano is obvious. The better shops will go ahead and deliver an Americano in that situation for no extra charge.
Posted by Mark | January 29, 2009 8:03 AM
Maybe these folks can be re-trained?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26009084@N02/3222660471/
:)
Posted by Dave | January 29, 2009 9:18 AM
There is better coffee at shops other than Starbucks. But before Starbucks, there wasn't, and without Starbucks, there wouldn't be.
Posted by Allan L. | January 29, 2009 9:29 AM
A cup of good Longbottom Coffee BlackGold or Morning Blend starts and ends my day. Regular in the morning and decaf in the afternoon.
Posted by Lee | January 29, 2009 9:48 AM
Starbucks' Union Blues - Starbucks' legal wrangles with a union ... is tarnishing the coffee chain's reputation for social responsibility, By Moira Herbst, The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc., December 31, 2008.
" The National Labor Relations Board found on Dec. 23 that Starbucks had illegally fired three New York City baristas as it tried to squelch the union organizing effort. The 88-page ruling also says the company broke the law by giving negative job evaluations to other union supporters and prohibiting employees from discussing union issues ...."
Posted by Tenskwatawa | January 29, 2009 10:07 AM
I've found better coffee at the Golden Arches.... Starbucks coffee tastes like is been filtered through dirty socks. Their quality has gone way down....
Posted by Fonzi | January 29, 2009 10:43 AM
or you can all be like me and not drink coffee. who's with me!?
Posted by geoff | January 29, 2009 11:02 AM
A cup of good Longbottom Coffee . . .ends my day[ ] . . . in the afternoon.
Lee, a double espresso might keep you awake at least until dinnertime.
Posted by Allan L. | January 29, 2009 11:41 AM
AllanL, is that a putdown? I'm even dense after a cup.
Posted by Lee | January 29, 2009 3:36 PM
No putdown intended, but sometimes I do it by accident. Just calling attention to the implication that your day ends in the afternoon.
Posted by Allan L. | January 29, 2009 5:04 PM
Yes, a day ends at sundown. An evening begins at sunset. Some people end their work near sundown. I'm winding down more after working four decades plus. I'm glad you think it is important to point out that my "day ends in the afternoon".
Posted by Lee | January 29, 2009 5:51 PM
I do not like Starbucks, but a world with Starbucks is better than a world without.
Posted by Todd Hawes | January 30, 2009 10:33 AM
Two days after the layoff announcements and Starbucks stock is still up 50 cents a share over what it was before those announcements.
I never go to Starbucks, preferring local joints like K&F Bella on Clinton or Blend on Burnside, but I do own stock in the company and it's been one of the bright spots in my portfolio over the past three months.
Posted by Gil Johnson | January 30, 2009 1:06 PM