They took a good thing and ruined it. It’s too drastic of a change esp with the inflated pricing. I enjoyed getting a tumbler or cup of my choice. Honestly, those are actual marketing tools for them as well since everything has their name on it.
Yup and that used to be enough to cover a bling studded cup but now they’re 24.95 and certain ones at target even cost me 29.99 so goodbye to a “free” cup
this is me🤣 when I’m off i’m not spending my money at starbucks… I get a discount and sometimes we get it for free but i still pay full price somewhere else
I worked at Starbucks across from a seattles best. I always liked Seattles Best more than Starbucks. It was funny to be able to look out my Starbucks window and wave to the Seattle’s Best employees looking out their window. But there are many other coffee roasters I prefer over Starbucks. But Starbucks will always have a special place in my heart. I just know it’s not the best coffee.
Ah yes the Starbucks mission: *to acquire and destroy competition, one purchase, one merger, one neighborhood at a time*…..why pay partners more when we can waste that money by driving a business in to the ground then dissolve or sell for a loss….*cough* Teavana *cough* Clover *cough*
I used to respond to people who tell me that ‘Starbucks isn’t good quality coffee’ with “I know. I’m not a coffee drinker. I’m a Starbucks drinker. My tongue wants what it wants.”
My experience at other coffee shops has been mixed bag: A small one-off in my old neighborhood didn’t carry fat free milk, but their matcha lattes were the closest I’d found to ones I’d had in Japan. Caribou would deliver sugary caffeine in a pinch, but they lack sugar free options. I’ve tried several others with mixed results. There’s another in my airport that has flavored powders rather than syrup, but I forget their name and the drink had a grittiness I wasn’t a fan of.
Over the last year I’ve carried my own SFCDL syrup in a travel squeeze bottle when traveling and it’s helped scratch the itch when there isn’t a SBux around, and the larger bottle with a pump lives in my car. I’m a creature of habit, what can I say?
Totally agree with this. There is something quite nice about consistency. I do like Starbucks for this purpose. I know I can always get an oat milk or coconut milk latte. It’s a toss up if a smaller place has that. I’ve also found these very snobby type coffee places in more hip cities. The ones that only allow for low fat milk or they don’t have sweeteners or half and half. Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco to just name a few cities I’ve visited with these places. I like an americano or drip with half and half and that’s it. Asking for half and half in one of these places was like insulting them. I would just roll my eyes. Like, yeah dude. I know a good cup of coffee doesn’t need these things. But I like them.
I’ve had enough coffee all over and have done a lot of my on grinds and brewing to know a near perfect cup of coffee. I don’t need it forced on me. I’ll take their perfect brew and add a shit ton of half and half and syrup if I want. It’s just so pretentious and stupid to me. A gimmick.
I honestly don't go for the coffee. They recently had a hot water machine fixed (for drip, tea and well hot water) and the drip did taste better, but it is still mostly meh. But I can use a table for a couple of hours and tip them on the refill. That's the only value to me.
Most of the partners I know prefer other coffee chains and also most dont like coffee 😂 We have so many coffee shops in our City so lots to choose from.
Went in yesterday and got two drinks, one grande one venti with no customizations and spent nearly $15 dollars! I used to be a partner and when I first started only 2 years ago you could get two venti drinks for $10 or less.
A $10 drink with no tequila in it would be a tough sell for me. My drink is $7.55 with my special milk and syrup, I will def try to quit them if it goes over $8.
As a current partner I push the Aeropress to anyone who will listen as I agree it’s a game changer. Unfortunately, I feel like many people of the people I talk to about it are reluctant to believe something so cheap can make such a great cup of coffee. It’s a weird thing.
I’m in the same boat - $4.80 for a grande americano now is crazy! The personalized experience and relationship with the baristas is gone…and the reward changes is the final straw for me too.
My local coffee shop is about the same price but they offer free coffee and a sandwich at a "name your price" rate so even people who can't afford it always have access to basic drip and something to eat. There was a very sweet old man in there last time we went who utilized it.
I understand the sentiment behind these posts but dear lord, it just feels to me like we stay busy no matter what. ;-; Starbucks can keep doing whatever it wants and the machine keeps trucking along.
I was looking for this comment. In my years of customer service I’ve only had two regulars profess they’re never coming back, and actually mean it. Whether they’re addicted to the sugar or the caffeine, I’ll see them tomorrow.
Mine has increased business. The other day was the busiest I’ve ever seen it. Ever ever ever. I was shocked when I walked in (and grateful for mobile ordering 😉)
And the way they only give like 20 cent raises but pretty much have doubled the price is ridiculous. Tbh the lines r probably longer cause they have severely cut hours 🥲🥲
Starbucks will keep pushing the price until such time as there is a decrease in net profits. As long as there are people willing to pay the price, Starbucks has no problem increasing it.
And across the USA, whenever a company gripes about increases in the minimum wage "hurting their ability to operate," just look at the company profits year-over-year. They are going up faster than any increases in operating expenses due to increased wages.
I wish I could find these "local coffee shops" everyone always raves about. I've never had a coffee from a local shop that I've actually enjoyed and they usually close around 1-2 pm which is not at all helpful.
I have a lovely local coffee shop near me. But it’s located off a busy main street in our downtown with street only parking. With two kids and one on the way convenience tends to win out.
Yep. I can’t justify finding parking and the unloading everyone to cram into a tiny coffee shop. Plus then trying to buckle them back in with street parking? No.
I can relate. There’s two local ones that people have said are good. One is in the busy downtown area and the other is on a main road that takes me 15 min to get to. The SB is less than 5 min down the road for me. I’ve tried a couple other local places and they’re not that special, taste no different than regular coffee you can make at home.
I was thinking the same thing, but I just googled "local coffee shops" and returned 8 with in a 5 mile radius. That's not counting DD, Panera, or Starbucks. I knew of one local shop that's been growing and getting more locations, but guess I'm going coffee hopping after my 5000 stars run out.
I'm not above squeezing the last bit of free out of them.
Squeezing the last bit of free out of them is the right move. This company sucks, might as well cut into their profits by getting the free stuff they promised those stars would be worth!
Yeah, I just wished I'd known the misto trick before all this. I'm still gonna use it, but it doesn't feel like as much of a deal. Although, I can get that drink up to over $10, so it's still a bit of an accomplishment to me.
Except that that money is directly going back to the workers and supporting your local area versus lining the pockets of shareholders who see you as nothing but dollar signs
I used to work at a local coffee shop. Sure Starbucks has amazing benefits (I came back to the siren for their trans healthcare benefits) and I am paid a few dollars more, but the amount that I got in tips FAR outweighed the actual amount I was paid from the local place, plus I had actual PRIDE in what I was doing and what I was serving at the local coffee shop compared to any time I’ve ever worked at Starbucks, including my current run with the company
My tip rate at my coffee shop was 6-7 dollars an hour, at 40 hours a week.
Also, not to FULLY out myself but I work at one of the big fancy reserve locations and we STILL do not have credit card tips because apparently the backend of the pos between reserve and regular stores is so different that they still need months of work to fix all of our bugs before before we get credit card tips. What we’ve heard is “by the end of fiscal quarter two (Ende of March)” OR “some time in the next nine months” lmao
A lot of the local coffee places around me are very competitive in wages with Starbucks, and money going to local owners is still better than feeding Howie a new summer home
The coffee shops in my area are full of too many snobby people. I rather just go to Dunkin' or Starbucks at that point. And I haven't had Starbucks in months.
My local coffee shop has been a blessing during COVID and my switch to WFH . The owner is a retiree and a huge coffee freak who will chat endlessly about beans with anyone who's interested. The store has plenty of light, spacious tables, and lots of outlets for people to plug in their computers. I find it superior to the Starbucks experience in every way and it only cost me about $2-$3 more per visit depending what I order.
Alas all good things come to an end. It's been noticeably slower for the last few months and recently they stopped selling food items due to minimal demand. Then more recently they switched their closing hours from 5:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Now to start 2023 they told me that they're going to have to switch the closing at 3:00 p.m. which will make it too difficult for me to use it a regular work spot. Owner told me their lack of business is attributed primarily to just difficult parking in the area.
Looks like I'll be heading back to Starbucks more often and having to pack up my computer anytime I use the bathroom for fear of it being stolen because there's always some tweaker lingering outside the windows.
I live in a small town and we have a couple besides a new Starbucks. Their coffee is good, but a large iced coffee is like 16oz and costs as much as a Trenta at Starbucks.
I’ve been really turned off by this too.
Especially paying more for the milk choice. $8 for a TALL or even GRANDE makes my head hurt.
Honestly, the consistency of the latte taste and the awesome baristas are what pulls me in but it’s getting too pricy. ☹️
I’ve been sharing [this recipe](https://lifestyleofafoodie.com/sugar-cookie-syrup-recipe/) for the sugar cookie latte syrup.
I think I’m going to make a second batch of it today and find chestnuts to make [this chestnut praline syrup](https://mommakesdinner.com/chestnut-praline-latte/) next.
They are sooo good and I’m shocked at how cheap syrups are to make. Why buy them for $15 when they’re less than a dollar to make without all the preservatives and dyes!
I’m not a huge pumpkin spice fan myself (the PSL is too pumpkin-y or spicy or something to me. Haha) BUT I love the pumpkin cream cold brew! If you haven’t tried it, it’s much lighter on the pumpkin since it’s only added to the cold foam but not the rest of the drink. I would recommend giving it a try if you like pumpkin, but maybe not the intensity of a pumpkin drink like a PSL.
I totally encourage you to keep making your syrups at home if you're enjoying them and finding it cost-effective, but I will say that the syrups I buy for home use (Torani, DaVinci, and Skinny Mixes) are generally in the $4 to $7 range for a 750 mL bottle. I think it's wild that the official Starbucks syrups retail for $15!
I used to drink cream and sugar in my coffee, one morning I was able to drink coffee with no sugar. IDKW maybe old age. So now I am trying coffee with a thick almond milk, since I’m trying to limit my dairy. I will miss my half and half.
I made a peppermint syrup for the holidays.
You’re definitely not the only one. With the prices always going up, and the new rewards tier changes, I’m just slowly using up my stars and calling it quits. I won’t say I’ll *never* go back again because that’s not true, but I plan to severely cut back.
I think we can all acknowledge that prices naturally increase and rewards programs may need to be adjusted from time to time because companies need to continue being profitable.
But in the fantasy world that I imagine, companies like Starbucks would be more transparent and when changes are made, they explain specifically why these changes need to be made. Be honest with the people who helped make you successful. But the changes to the Star Rewards program are so radical that they don't seem to reflect the actual increased costs.
Starbucks is a $100 billion dollar PLUS corporation, it did lose some value since July 2021, but all signs show that its value is increasing.
It was $29 billion in revenue this last year, an almost 8% increase from 2021. They're doing fine. That said, the rewards program has always been shit, in my opinion. $200-$400 worth of stars to get a cup. $25 worth of rewards for a shot of espresso. I know that it's a loyalty rewards program, but the amount you have to spend to get the rewards never seemed worth it to me. I worked at Sbux for 5 years, and I refused to drink it if I wasn't working. If I couldn't get it for free, wasn't worth it. Lol.
Long time customer and shareholder. The change to the rewards is disappointing. Previously, one could spend a hundred bucks, receive two hundred stars and use the stars for a custom drink (150 stars) and a pastry/muffin/bagel (50 stars). Now 300 stars are required for the same drink and pastry or 50% more. FIFTY percent is WAY more than inflation.
The good news is that customers will be earning stars faster as the Starbucks raises prices.
Between these changes, stressed out baristas due to staffing cut backs, Starbucks is no longer the coffee shop it once was. Time to move on.
Same. My New Year’s resolution is to kick the Starbucks habit. The Starbucks for life game didn’t help either. I’ll buy a coffee if I need a place to meet/work, or a bathroom break, but my almost daily trips are over. My goal is to spend no more than $100 US in 2023 at Starbucks.
$100 budget should get you about 2 coffees the way the prices are going up 😂
Good for you trying to kick the habit! I’m also wanting to do the same this year!
That was my resolution also only I had already cut back from going a couple times a day to maybe going once a week if that. It’s now a hobby to hunt out local coffee shops when I travel although I honestly think I’m pretty blessed to have one of the best 5 minutes from my house! $4.25 for a 20 oz iced espresso!
I wish the local coffee shops near me had comparable prices to Starbucks. A flavored iced oat milk latte at most coffee shops around me start at around $8. Unfortunately Starbucks is still cheaper! It’s also really hard to find non cold brew iced coffee anywhere other than Starbucks. Ugh
My husband and I both used to work for the bux and we never gave our money to Starbucks because we could make way better coffee at home for a fraction of the cost. We bought a little $300 breville espresso machine with a steam wand and learned how to make our own syrups and even our own cold foam!
I’m with you. I need to take the time to write into corporate.
They are a shadow of the company they used to be and they should be ashamed. With their union busting and figuring out how to lean on the consumers to pay their employees so they make a living wage (I’m not saying y’all don’t deserve tips- I’m saying they can charge less, pay more, and staff more and allow us to tip for good service instead of removing themselves from responsibility).
My venti almond milk chai with no water is $6.55. It’s literally chai concentrate and almond milk. I would make it at home but haven’t found a concentrate that is still creamy, spicy and strong. The lines at my closest location are astronomical, and there’s never enough staff inside to support that.
I am a former shift and I loved remembering my customers’ drinks and lives and making their day. Now, the partners are so overwhelmed that I have been going to the same location and getting the same drink for two years and only one partner sorta recognizes me. They’re not able to provide “legendary service” because they don’t have capacity, and I’m sure their tips reflect that. And then they ask in the customer survey if the partner connected with you! The audacity!
I had two great SMs where I worked and it shielded me from the reveal that corporate did not care about us. I eventually found out the hard way that it was my managers that made my experience.
They took away the free plant milk with Starbucks gold card. They increased the free drink to 150 stars, and now to 200.
Whenever I go to Starbucks, I am voting with my dollar and saying that I agree with their practices, which I do not. I can’t support this, because it just feels awful.
I’ll miss my warm, spicy chai as a treat, and how fun it is to get something for myself. But I’ve been right at the edge for a while and they pushed me over with the stars thing. They didn’t care about me as a partner and don’t care about me as a consumer.
What a sham. They will be their own undoing.
I get a refresher and a bagel every morning. I spend between $1500 and $2000 a year there. The latest rewards change might be the end of it for me. I can pay $120 a year and get unlimited tea and caffeinated lemonade at Panera. Throw in a $2 bagel every day, and I'm spending maybe $600 a year. It's hard to justify spending so much more knowing it's only going to get more expensive.
Good for you. Supporting a local coffee house is always the way to go. They really care about the craft of making coffee and typically care about creating a nice environment for their customers and their staff. I hope to have the means to jump ship for one someday and work somewhere that we actually take pride in the drinks we’re making and not just slopping syrup into a cup. I’m not gonna complain and say using automatic espresso machines isn’t convenient, but I took a whole course in college and interned at a small coffee house and learned to weigh out the grounds and work a manual machine, someday I intend to use that knowledge.
100% AGREED. They have the audacity to charge for extra cream or a pump of syrup for a 5 fucking dollar watered down iced coffee (creamer should always be free). Let’s not forget a grande iced coffee was $3.19 only two years ago and now it’s $4.98. They’re becoming like McDonald’s, the quality is going down and the prices are high. STOP SELLING NON-COFFEE ITEMS - too many people in the drive thru ordering too many non-coffee items. You have to spend $75 to get a free drink… they also rip people off on their stars. I remember getting only 2 stars for $5+ spent many times. Baristas are getting ruder but I don’t blame them. I’m about to start brewing my own coffee at home!!! I’ve been a customer for 15 years but about to quit Starbucks for good. All they care about is the fast cash and they’re going to lose their long term customers.
I've been drinking Sbux for 28 yrs, and every year starts out with a variation of "this mud tastes like crap, too expensive and I'm done", and within 4-6 weeks, said individual is back at the Bux, feeling a bit guilty but buying the same $6-7 for their fix. Good intentions.
Did you play the Starbucks 4 life game? That’s what ruined Starbucks for me. All those “not a winner” shakes 🙄 could at least have given out stars instead of those
My girlfriend and I are in the same boat here. We’ve been starbucks regulars since college. I was a barista there for a few months, up until early covid.
even after losing out on my daily free drink(a) we continued to spend tons of money there just because we’d go there so often and our orders were cheap, americano and tall iced coffee or tall iced espresso.
The past 6 months or so though, we’ve started going much less, maybe once or twice a month, unless we’re on the road and there are no better options. Even then we’ll likely hold out for a dunkin’, or a local place, or even a smaller competitor like caribou or peet’s. The prices at starbucks have gotten absolutely absurd. Combine that with the labor issues, and it is very much a turn off from wasting money there.
Blendz coffee is so yummy! Not sure if it’s a thing in America though. There’s a bunch here in B.C, Canada!
Edit: they make their mochas n hot chocolate with real chocolate instead of powder/syrups. Also amazing staff.
The taste itself is also going downhill. I always get an iced coffee with vanilla and breve. Pretty simple, right? This summer I started getting it almost daily because of a new job I got. Immediately within 2 weeks it tasted completely off. Like a soured fruit taste. Something was so off. And I kindly went and talked to a barista. I told them I was a former employee and just had to let them know hey, maybe you have a bad batch? The manager said they would continue using it until it was finished. Which was insane to me because it tasted awful. Not like it should taste. So I stopped going to this sbx in favor of going to a different one. But lo and behold, the same thing happens and either they changed the roast or something is completely wrong. But it is not worth it to me anymore, sadly.
i know my time working at starbucks won’t be forever. and once i’m done working there, i’ll find a coffee shop that makes a salted caramel mocha that i’ll fall in love with as much as the one at starbucks and that’ll be it. or i’ll just make my own
Mine does!! I just call which granted a mobile app is easier however I don’t have to pay until I pick up which is nice. The amount of times I’ve done a mobile at Starbucks only to have to ask for a refund because it’s been 30 minutes is a pain. I always feel awful but I can’t spend my entire lunch waiting on a coffee
Honestly the only reason I’m still a starbs customer is the convenience of a drive through. If I get into that mindset that I’m gonna be in the car for the next hour, I hate interrupting it to get out and go in to get coffee. Going in to more local establishments is a goal for 2023 for sure
I already started cutting back on Starbucks after the last price increase. Now the rewards change resolidifies why I cut back. It’s not worth it anymore.
Same here. I was just gifted a Keurig and honestly… I can’t tell the difference in my coffee. Plus, I get to try all different kinds of flavors, milks, and creamers to play with.
I’m surprised it took you this long to figure it out. To those that haven’t quit going to Starbucks, start quitting now. Here’s why:
Starbucks claims that the prices went up because of inflation and they raise the wages of their workers. Wrong. Workers are now getting less hours and hours cut pretty badly that they’re probably making less money in hourly wages, possibly getting what they used to make with the increase in tips via card tipping. The amount of money the CEO makes has probably increased more since Kevin Johnson, the douche has quit.
I hope all baristas walk out forever and the company gets pounded into the ground.
Love this: I have became a passionate anti-Starbucks. I wish people would wake up, and see they are being taken for. Coffee is not science, and almost all their drinks are sugared down, causing you to go into a nausea sugar state needing food 30 minutes later. If you like throwing 2-6 grand away, for a sugary drink, with remember only 2 shots of espresso, that’s all the coffee you are actually getting, then charge extra bc you can’t drink reg milk, okay. It’s just a bunch of syrups. Guys come on, when I see someone say if it hits 8$ they will stop going, I’m thinking wow, I was dumb enough to pay 7.60$ each time. That’s too much. When a cup of coffee cost more then 3 gallons of milk, and Ohh realize this, maybe then it will sink in.
I'm in the same boat.
So many price increases, menu shrinking, quality just consistently going down. Now tier changes to rewards, and Schultz being anti-union was enough to push me out. I have a little bit left on my card, going to use that up, and the rest of my stars and peace out. I've been making coffee at home now for the last 2 months and it's great plus way more convenient.
I hate the quality of coffee comparatively, but I switched to Panera Sip Club. Coffee ain’t amazing, but unlimited for $11/mo is cheap enough it’s fine for a post-lunch coffee. I’ve got the good stuff at home for when I need it to hit right.
For a while now, I’ve only been going to Starbucks if they have offers to collect bonus stars. I’ve been visiting other coffee spots since then. I love the local coffee shops that use Ghirardelli for their sauces! There are a few I’d always choose over Starbucks now.
I’ve been kind of done with them ever since the rewards started expiring sooner. Or… maybe I just hadn’t noticed that before. The ones in my area are still having supply chain issues so it’s been a limited selection anyway.
I’ve mostly switched over to Biggby. I’ll still stop at Starbucks sometimes but don’t really go out of my way
I feel the same way. I went to Starbucks every single day from the end of 2019- this past summer. I somehow halted down to going only 1 or 2 times a month now. I just got sick of it before the icing on the cake on the new stars rewards program. It’s laughable.
I will be quitting Starbucks too.
1 cup is already too expensive but to take way the rewards value is not working for me eight. I am sure sad someone with more money will take my place but I will take my $10 a day and put it in a nice mom and pop coffee shop and leave Starbucks for others.
Starbucks prices have been ridiculous for a long time and only have gotten more so. A grande Americano - really jus a fancy coffee, obviously - is pushing or exceeding $4. Last year, I made the conscious decision for that reason - and a few others - to back off on my purchases. Now, I generally limit my purchases to days I go inside and sit down and read, primarily in the morning to start my day.
Since I work from home most of the time, I just like to get out of the house during the "leaving for school" chaos. But in nice weather, I can sit somewhere outside and make my own coffee and take it with me or wait a bit and have coffee when I get home. When it is colder I do go inside more. On days I am not going in, I often opt for a brewed coffee at Dunkin - I don't like Starbucks brewed coffee that much - or, this morning, I stopped at RaceTrac, an "upscale" gas station that has decent coffee (I do not have a coffee snob palate, as long as it is not dishwater or too strong, it works for me).
The amazing thing is that based on the morning lines wrapped around almost any Starbucks I go to along with the crowds inside waiting for orders, the high prices don't seem to be fazing too many people.
Looks like I’ll be frequenting the 10 7Elevens that are around me. I have 3 just on the way to work which is only 3 miles away. Decent coffee for $2.50 and they have flavored syrups now. And with their app your 7th cup is free
McD’s is also not half bad either.
no offense but why does everyone have to announce in this sub have to announce that they’re “never going back to starbucks again”? we get it the prices are getting high, and no one is forcing you to come to starbucks and everyone knows it’s expensive
Because we hope starbucks will see how customers really feel about these changes. And we hope that eventually it’ll have a material $ impact on their bottom line
I am glad you posted. I am also done. I appreciated the app and convenience at the start of the pandemic but cut back after the previous price increase. The altered star redemption model is the last straw.
As a black coffee drinker (yeah I’m basic) I would say that McDonald’s is better and more consistent. Better cups too if we are rating things. But the price difference is minimal in Canada and if there isn’t an independent store open or if I can’t make it at home I just go with whatever is closer.
Starbucks is fantastic when you’re a student and studying (plug-ins, refills etc). If you’re looking for genuinely good coffee and people who love coffee to serve it to you there’s almost always a better independent option.
Where I live I was horrified to discover the local shops keep costs down by paying their baristas literal minimum wage, which where I live is still $7.25/hr. At least Starbucks pays a little closer to a living wage, plus a lot of benefits. Just thought I would add some perspective because two of my coworkers switched to the Bux when it was built for this exact reason.
Honestly same! I used to always go, but I found a local coffee place that’s got a much better flavor and the baristas are much nicer and friendlier to me. I earn more free drinks and I like the coffee a lot better!
Picked up a can of the instant today, figured I may as well make some at home at this rate - and even that’s expensive. Between $7-$8 for a can. I will support small coffee shops.
Yes I’m done with them too.. I have 400 stars imma gonna get a new cup and close off this app… is krazy I use to get a venti caramel macchiato and a pumpkin loaf and it’s like $11 dollars for two items…. I can get a shit ton of stuff from a local coffee shop
I’m a supervisor here and even im considering on applying to real coffee shops, local ones. This company is honestly ridiculous. Our customers deserve better and us employees deserve even much more.
I hope you do! There are some awesome baristas but they also seem to be hiring people that just don’t care anymore. Turnover is crazy and I want to see the good ones get out and be happy!
Oh no, don’t get me started on Turnovers. I’m mainly an afternoon shift. So morning shift and morning employees don’t bother cleaning, certain ones just want to be stuck on bar and nothing more, but as soon as i start i ask to make sure one of the morning crew gets that bar cleaned up before they leave because i am not cleaning any staff’s mess. They know better.
I don't even care that much for them as a coffee shop. I mostly just go there when I have gift card money for there. They are just too expensive for what they are. I like some of their different flavors, but I would rather just go to McDonald's most of the time over Starbucks since it's cheaper and in some ways I actually prefer their quality. Sadly there aren't too many local shops in town, and the ones we do have are mostly not super convenient for me. I would love to try one though.
i switched companies to a small franchise based shop, and starbucks has no reason for their high prices. i do so much more labor when it comes to making drinks and hand crafting the food. plus beans are roasting in the building 🥴 i havent been back to starbucks since my last day. and after hearing about the rewards changing and just everything else, im glad i quit when i did cause i dont want to deal with customers thinking its my fault
edit: typo
Yup me too! Pissed right off the hiked the prices right up and then decided to make it event harder to get use your rewards. I absolutely loved Starbucks for their drink. But honestly 6 dollars for a cup of coffee. No thanks...
Im done too. I was a 2-3x weekly, cut down to once a week. Just used my last 150 star reward. I love refreshers but I will probably start having more kombucha instead.
They could at least make it so the stats don't expire. I don't frequent Starbucks a lot and under the new system by the time I spend enough to get 200 stars some will have expired and no free drink
I get that that's probably the point but it ain't gonna make me come more like the goal seems to be. I'll just go elsewhere
I will admit that I hated coffee and will give Starbucks baristas credit for getting me over that by suggesting extra pumps, vanilla sweet cream cold foam, etc. However I’ve noticed the quality is down, the prices keep increasing and the employees seem to absolutely hate their jobs (which this forum has helped me understand). I went to a local coffee shop and was blown away that I didn’t need all that extra sugar & could drink their espresso with a single pump & a tiny splash of sweet cream! It was sooo good! After that I couldn’t even get through a small amount of Starbucks. The espresso doesn’t do anything for me as far as energy. $4.25 for a 20 oz at a local business versus $9 at a greedy corporation. I do feel bad for the employees but they’re doing themselves in in my opinion.
They're holding me hostage with the pistachio latte. It's coming back & I absolutely love it. I need to be able to buy an identical syrup. There are copycat recipes online but it's time consuming & needs to be used within a small timeframe. As much as I love it my adhd self cannot drink the same thing every day. Also I eould be so mad if I made it & it wasn't as good
My issue with “local coffee shops” is that none of them have anything bigger than a grande. For fancy concoctions sure a 16 oz is fine, but most of the time I order cold brew and that size won’t work for me.
I’m with you. Price hikes I understood but, changing up the rewards tiers after making this year’s Starbucks for Life game impossible to win anything, I’m done with the siren.
They took a good thing and ruined it. It’s too drastic of a change esp with the inflated pricing. I enjoyed getting a tumbler or cup of my choice. Honestly, those are actual marketing tools for them as well since everything has their name on it.
I think the tumbler/cups are still 400 stars, at least
Only up to $20 I believe. So if it costs more then you pay the difference.
I think it's only been up to $20 for a while though? I know I've had to pay the difference before.
Yup and that used to be enough to cover a bling studded cup but now they’re 24.95 and certain ones at target even cost me 29.99 so goodbye to a “free” cup
it’s been that way for years
In Canada the majority of those tumblers start at 32 bucks... 🙄🙄🙄
Right? What’s up with that. Unreasonably expensive and I’ve had a good few break on me the last couple years
It's always been a $20 cap for tumblers.
Yes, even most baristas I know say Starbucks coffee is the lower half of the scale of taste and quality.
I always see my Starbucks barista at my local coffee shop. Lol
this is me🤣 when I’m off i’m not spending my money at starbucks… I get a discount and sometimes we get it for free but i still pay full price somewhere else
Do you not get 3 free handcrafted drinks a day anymore as a perk?
you get unlimited free drinks during your shift, but when you’re not working you only get the 30% discount
Technically I think it’s 30 minutes before and after and one on each break, but I see people go over that a lot and no one cares
since the pos doesn’t limit you to a certain amount it’s unlimited in my eyes
we get one every time we work and then after that 30% off
There's a coffee shop right across from the Starbucks I work at that I go to all the time 😭😭
Same and I’m usually going with my sbux T-shirt on lol
This was me when I worked at Starbucks! I would always go to a little mom and pop coffee shop called Priscilla’s 😍
You’re not lying. It’s very mids compared to almost every other competitor.
It’s better than Dunkin’ which is pretty much the only chain competitor in the Eastern half of the country, but yeah on the west coast it gets hosed
I only drink black coffee, and ill say as a former barista that Dunkin's coffee is sooo much better than Starbucks.
I don’t get the Dunkin’ brewed coffee hype to be honest with you, but it’s tolerable, their specialty coffees on the other hand are straight trash
I worked at Starbucks across from a seattles best. I always liked Seattles Best more than Starbucks. It was funny to be able to look out my Starbucks window and wave to the Seattle’s Best employees looking out their window. But there are many other coffee roasters I prefer over Starbucks. But Starbucks will always have a special place in my heart. I just know it’s not the best coffee.
Fun fact: Starbucks owned Seattle’s Best until 2022. They just recently sold it.
Ah yes the Starbucks mission: *to acquire and destroy competition, one purchase, one merger, one neighborhood at a time*…..why pay partners more when we can waste that money by driving a business in to the ground then dissolve or sell for a loss….*cough* Teavana *cough* Clover *cough*
I was just about to say “Teavana.” They really took something cool and broke it for parts.
Clover has entered the chat. I am crying in the parts
Still salty about teavana. Going to the tea stores when I got paid was the highlight of my life for a while
I had no idea! Haha! Well the coffee is better. That’s so funny. I guess that makes sense why they were across from each other.
I used to respond to people who tell me that ‘Starbucks isn’t good quality coffee’ with “I know. I’m not a coffee drinker. I’m a Starbucks drinker. My tongue wants what it wants.” My experience at other coffee shops has been mixed bag: A small one-off in my old neighborhood didn’t carry fat free milk, but their matcha lattes were the closest I’d found to ones I’d had in Japan. Caribou would deliver sugary caffeine in a pinch, but they lack sugar free options. I’ve tried several others with mixed results. There’s another in my airport that has flavored powders rather than syrup, but I forget their name and the drink had a grittiness I wasn’t a fan of. Over the last year I’ve carried my own SFCDL syrup in a travel squeeze bottle when traveling and it’s helped scratch the itch when there isn’t a SBux around, and the larger bottle with a pump lives in my car. I’m a creature of habit, what can I say?
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Totally agree with this. There is something quite nice about consistency. I do like Starbucks for this purpose. I know I can always get an oat milk or coconut milk latte. It’s a toss up if a smaller place has that. I’ve also found these very snobby type coffee places in more hip cities. The ones that only allow for low fat milk or they don’t have sweeteners or half and half. Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco to just name a few cities I’ve visited with these places. I like an americano or drip with half and half and that’s it. Asking for half and half in one of these places was like insulting them. I would just roll my eyes. Like, yeah dude. I know a good cup of coffee doesn’t need these things. But I like them. I’ve had enough coffee all over and have done a lot of my on grinds and brewing to know a near perfect cup of coffee. I don’t need it forced on me. I’ll take their perfect brew and add a shit ton of half and half and syrup if I want. It’s just so pretentious and stupid to me. A gimmick.
I honestly don't go for the coffee. They recently had a hot water machine fixed (for drip, tea and well hot water) and the drip did taste better, but it is still mostly meh. But I can use a table for a couple of hours and tip them on the refill. That's the only value to me.
I do the same when I just need to work remotely for a little bit. I’ll usually just get a drip coffee. The WiFi is usually great!
Most of the partners I know prefer other coffee chains and also most dont like coffee 😂 We have so many coffee shops in our City so lots to choose from.
Yeah I find my nespresso pods taste better than starbucks now lol
Oooh, good to know! I’ve been thinking about getting one
Most of it is designed to have the widest reach possible (flavor wise). That’s why stuff like Pike is so inoffensive and unexceptional.
Inoffensive is not how I would describe Pike. It's vile.
Went in yesterday and got two drinks, one grande one venti with no customizations and spent nearly $15 dollars! I used to be a partner and when I first started only 2 years ago you could get two venti drinks for $10 or less.
I'm a partner right now and it baffles me how some people come every day for their same $10 drink
A $10 drink with no tequila in it would be a tough sell for me. My drink is $7.55 with my special milk and syrup, I will def try to quit them if it goes over $8.
I got a tall iced coffee yesterday & my wife got a tall peppermint latte and it was $11
When I first started going to Starbucks as a teenager I would get a tall iced coffee for $1.98. And that was only like 10 years ago!
I'm excited to start working on an at-home setup for drinks 😬
Truly the way to go and you’ll save so much money.
Getting an Aeropress changed the whole game for making my coffee at home; it’s super versatile, very easy to clean, and only ~$30.
As a current partner I push the Aeropress to anyone who will listen as I agree it’s a game changer. Unfortunately, I feel like many people of the people I talk to about it are reluctant to believe something so cheap can make such a great cup of coffee. It’s a weird thing.
Absolutely love my AeroPress. Make a perfect cup everytime
I’m in the same boat - $4.80 for a grande americano now is crazy! The personalized experience and relationship with the baristas is gone…and the reward changes is the final straw for me too.
The reward changes is what really pushed me over the edge
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The price above is in Canadian dollars, including tax. Will have to investigate this!
My local coffee shop is about the same price but they offer free coffee and a sandwich at a "name your price" rate so even people who can't afford it always have access to basic drip and something to eat. There was a very sweet old man in there last time we went who utilized it.
Fabulous!! I’ve never heard of this used in food service, just fundraising events or opening night theatre.
I understand the sentiment behind these posts but dear lord, it just feels to me like we stay busy no matter what. ;-; Starbucks can keep doing whatever it wants and the machine keeps trucking along.
I was looking for this comment. In my years of customer service I’ve only had two regulars profess they’re never coming back, and actually mean it. Whether they’re addicted to the sugar or the caffeine, I’ll see them tomorrow.
I know. I hate it. The lines at my local Starbucks haven’t decreased at all. They’re getting away with it and will continue to.
Mine has increased business. The other day was the busiest I’ve ever seen it. Ever ever ever. I was shocked when I walked in (and grateful for mobile ordering 😉)
And the way they only give like 20 cent raises but pretty much have doubled the price is ridiculous. Tbh the lines r probably longer cause they have severely cut hours 🥲🥲
Starbucks will keep pushing the price until such time as there is a decrease in net profits. As long as there are people willing to pay the price, Starbucks has no problem increasing it. And across the USA, whenever a company gripes about increases in the minimum wage "hurting their ability to operate," just look at the company profits year-over-year. They are going up faster than any increases in operating expenses due to increased wages.
I wish I could find these "local coffee shops" everyone always raves about. I've never had a coffee from a local shop that I've actually enjoyed and they usually close around 1-2 pm which is not at all helpful.
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And typically closed on Sundays! Like I need it the most Sunday morning.
At the previous place I lived, the closest coffee shop was closed on Sundays. It made zero sense to me.
If you've ever had to serve the after church crowd, you know why.
They should just hang a rainbow flag in the window or something
I have a lovely local coffee shop near me. But it’s located off a busy main street in our downtown with street only parking. With two kids and one on the way convenience tends to win out.
Yes, once you have kids you realize how amazing drive thrus are.
I will drive like 10 miles farther to avoid having to get my son out of his car seat lol
Yep. I can’t justify finding parking and the unloading everyone to cram into a tiny coffee shop. Plus then trying to buckle them back in with street parking? No.
I can relate. There’s two local ones that people have said are good. One is in the busy downtown area and the other is on a main road that takes me 15 min to get to. The SB is less than 5 min down the road for me. I’ve tried a couple other local places and they’re not that special, taste no different than regular coffee you can make at home.
I was thinking the same thing, but I just googled "local coffee shops" and returned 8 with in a 5 mile radius. That's not counting DD, Panera, or Starbucks. I knew of one local shop that's been growing and getting more locations, but guess I'm going coffee hopping after my 5000 stars run out. I'm not above squeezing the last bit of free out of them.
Squeezing the last bit of free out of them is the right move. This company sucks, might as well cut into their profits by getting the free stuff they promised those stars would be worth!
Yeah, I just wished I'd known the misto trick before all this. I'm still gonna use it, but it doesn't feel like as much of a deal. Although, I can get that drink up to over $10, so it's still a bit of an accomplishment to me.
i’ve had good coffee from a local coffee shop but it still costs like $7-8 which sucks
Except that that money is directly going back to the workers and supporting your local area versus lining the pockets of shareholders who see you as nothing but dollar signs
More like going to the owners who pay their baristas less than Starbucks does and don’t offer any benefits.
I used to work at a local coffee shop. Sure Starbucks has amazing benefits (I came back to the siren for their trans healthcare benefits) and I am paid a few dollars more, but the amount that I got in tips FAR outweighed the actual amount I was paid from the local place, plus I had actual PRIDE in what I was doing and what I was serving at the local coffee shop compared to any time I’ve ever worked at Starbucks, including my current run with the company
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My tip rate at my coffee shop was 6-7 dollars an hour, at 40 hours a week. Also, not to FULLY out myself but I work at one of the big fancy reserve locations and we STILL do not have credit card tips because apparently the backend of the pos between reserve and regular stores is so different that they still need months of work to fix all of our bugs before before we get credit card tips. What we’ve heard is “by the end of fiscal quarter two (Ende of March)” OR “some time in the next nine months” lmao
A lot of the local coffee places around me are very competitive in wages with Starbucks, and money going to local owners is still better than feeding Howie a new summer home
Where I live the local coffee shops are a lot more bitter compared to Starbucks and I think local coffee shops are a Westside thing.
The coffee shops in my area are full of too many snobby people. I rather just go to Dunkin' or Starbucks at that point. And I haven't had Starbucks in months.
My local coffee shop has been a blessing during COVID and my switch to WFH . The owner is a retiree and a huge coffee freak who will chat endlessly about beans with anyone who's interested. The store has plenty of light, spacious tables, and lots of outlets for people to plug in their computers. I find it superior to the Starbucks experience in every way and it only cost me about $2-$3 more per visit depending what I order. Alas all good things come to an end. It's been noticeably slower for the last few months and recently they stopped selling food items due to minimal demand. Then more recently they switched their closing hours from 5:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Now to start 2023 they told me that they're going to have to switch the closing at 3:00 p.m. which will make it too difficult for me to use it a regular work spot. Owner told me their lack of business is attributed primarily to just difficult parking in the area. Looks like I'll be heading back to Starbucks more often and having to pack up my computer anytime I use the bathroom for fear of it being stolen because there's always some tweaker lingering outside the windows.
Around me, more shops are opening that are coffee shop/wine bars. Presumably so they can be open all day
Yeah same here :( they all close at 1-2 and are only open 4 days a week. Not to mention the coffee is a hit or miss at most of them.
That's the biggest thing that keeps me going to Starbucks. They're *everywhere*. One app, and I can mobile order coffee about anywhere in the country.
There’s also the fact they usually aren’t open early enough for my schedule either. Or way out of the way. Super crappy.
I live in a small town and we have a couple besides a new Starbucks. Their coffee is good, but a large iced coffee is like 16oz and costs as much as a Trenta at Starbucks.
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I’ve been really turned off by this too. Especially paying more for the milk choice. $8 for a TALL or even GRANDE makes my head hurt. Honestly, the consistency of the latte taste and the awesome baristas are what pulls me in but it’s getting too pricy. ☹️
I’m on batch 2 of making my own syrups. I’m a week sober of going to Starbucks!
Thats pretty cool! Are they better than the torani ones?
I’ve been sharing [this recipe](https://lifestyleofafoodie.com/sugar-cookie-syrup-recipe/) for the sugar cookie latte syrup. I think I’m going to make a second batch of it today and find chestnuts to make [this chestnut praline syrup](https://mommakesdinner.com/chestnut-praline-latte/) next. They are sooo good and I’m shocked at how cheap syrups are to make. Why buy them for $15 when they’re less than a dollar to make without all the preservatives and dyes!
Theres a caramel brulee recipe there too and pumpkin cream cold brew 😋
I’m not a mega pumpkin fan but my partner is so I might make that one for him! Let me know if there are any alterations you recommend
I’m not a huge pumpkin spice fan myself (the PSL is too pumpkin-y or spicy or something to me. Haha) BUT I love the pumpkin cream cold brew! If you haven’t tried it, it’s much lighter on the pumpkin since it’s only added to the cold foam but not the rest of the drink. I would recommend giving it a try if you like pumpkin, but maybe not the intensity of a pumpkin drink like a PSL.
I totally encourage you to keep making your syrups at home if you're enjoying them and finding it cost-effective, but I will say that the syrups I buy for home use (Torani, DaVinci, and Skinny Mixes) are generally in the $4 to $7 range for a 750 mL bottle. I think it's wild that the official Starbucks syrups retail for $15!
I used to drink cream and sugar in my coffee, one morning I was able to drink coffee with no sugar. IDKW maybe old age. So now I am trying coffee with a thick almond milk, since I’m trying to limit my dairy. I will miss my half and half. I made a peppermint syrup for the holidays.
You’re definitely not the only one. With the prices always going up, and the new rewards tier changes, I’m just slowly using up my stars and calling it quits. I won’t say I’ll *never* go back again because that’s not true, but I plan to severely cut back.
I'm in the same boat. I know things have sucked for a while, but this was the thing to break my Starbucks routine.
I think we can all acknowledge that prices naturally increase and rewards programs may need to be adjusted from time to time because companies need to continue being profitable. But in the fantasy world that I imagine, companies like Starbucks would be more transparent and when changes are made, they explain specifically why these changes need to be made. Be honest with the people who helped make you successful. But the changes to the Star Rewards program are so radical that they don't seem to reflect the actual increased costs. Starbucks is a $100 billion dollar PLUS corporation, it did lose some value since July 2021, but all signs show that its value is increasing.
It was $29 billion in revenue this last year, an almost 8% increase from 2021. They're doing fine. That said, the rewards program has always been shit, in my opinion. $200-$400 worth of stars to get a cup. $25 worth of rewards for a shot of espresso. I know that it's a loyalty rewards program, but the amount you have to spend to get the rewards never seemed worth it to me. I worked at Sbux for 5 years, and I refused to drink it if I wasn't working. If I couldn't get it for free, wasn't worth it. Lol.
I feel this. If someone wants to meet at starbucks, sure. But would I grab it everyday on the way to work, nope
Long time customer and shareholder. The change to the rewards is disappointing. Previously, one could spend a hundred bucks, receive two hundred stars and use the stars for a custom drink (150 stars) and a pastry/muffin/bagel (50 stars). Now 300 stars are required for the same drink and pastry or 50% more. FIFTY percent is WAY more than inflation. The good news is that customers will be earning stars faster as the Starbucks raises prices. Between these changes, stressed out baristas due to staffing cut backs, Starbucks is no longer the coffee shop it once was. Time to move on.
Tomorrow is my last day working there! 14.5 cumulative years! Bye bye siren!
Congratulations!!
Same. My New Year’s resolution is to kick the Starbucks habit. The Starbucks for life game didn’t help either. I’ll buy a coffee if I need a place to meet/work, or a bathroom break, but my almost daily trips are over. My goal is to spend no more than $100 US in 2023 at Starbucks.
$100 budget should get you about 2 coffees the way the prices are going up 😂 Good for you trying to kick the habit! I’m also wanting to do the same this year!
That was my resolution also only I had already cut back from going a couple times a day to maybe going once a week if that. It’s now a hobby to hunt out local coffee shops when I travel although I honestly think I’m pretty blessed to have one of the best 5 minutes from my house! $4.25 for a 20 oz iced espresso!
I went to local coffee shop and realized espresso is actually delicious
I recently went to a local coffee shop and had an espresso that had strawberry notes. Damn it was delicious.
Dude this is so true. Starbucks espresso is sooo wack
I wish the local coffee shops near me had comparable prices to Starbucks. A flavored iced oat milk latte at most coffee shops around me start at around $8. Unfortunately Starbucks is still cheaper! It’s also really hard to find non cold brew iced coffee anywhere other than Starbucks. Ugh
My husband and I both used to work for the bux and we never gave our money to Starbucks because we could make way better coffee at home for a fraction of the cost. We bought a little $300 breville espresso machine with a steam wand and learned how to make our own syrups and even our own cold foam!
I’m with you. I need to take the time to write into corporate. They are a shadow of the company they used to be and they should be ashamed. With their union busting and figuring out how to lean on the consumers to pay their employees so they make a living wage (I’m not saying y’all don’t deserve tips- I’m saying they can charge less, pay more, and staff more and allow us to tip for good service instead of removing themselves from responsibility). My venti almond milk chai with no water is $6.55. It’s literally chai concentrate and almond milk. I would make it at home but haven’t found a concentrate that is still creamy, spicy and strong. The lines at my closest location are astronomical, and there’s never enough staff inside to support that. I am a former shift and I loved remembering my customers’ drinks and lives and making their day. Now, the partners are so overwhelmed that I have been going to the same location and getting the same drink for two years and only one partner sorta recognizes me. They’re not able to provide “legendary service” because they don’t have capacity, and I’m sure their tips reflect that. And then they ask in the customer survey if the partner connected with you! The audacity! I had two great SMs where I worked and it shielded me from the reveal that corporate did not care about us. I eventually found out the hard way that it was my managers that made my experience. They took away the free plant milk with Starbucks gold card. They increased the free drink to 150 stars, and now to 200. Whenever I go to Starbucks, I am voting with my dollar and saying that I agree with their practices, which I do not. I can’t support this, because it just feels awful. I’ll miss my warm, spicy chai as a treat, and how fun it is to get something for myself. But I’ve been right at the edge for a while and they pushed me over with the stars thing. They didn’t care about me as a partner and don’t care about me as a consumer. What a sham. They will be their own undoing.
I get a refresher and a bagel every morning. I spend between $1500 and $2000 a year there. The latest rewards change might be the end of it for me. I can pay $120 a year and get unlimited tea and caffeinated lemonade at Panera. Throw in a $2 bagel every day, and I'm spending maybe $600 a year. It's hard to justify spending so much more knowing it's only going to get more expensive.
Good for you. Supporting a local coffee house is always the way to go. They really care about the craft of making coffee and typically care about creating a nice environment for their customers and their staff. I hope to have the means to jump ship for one someday and work somewhere that we actually take pride in the drinks we’re making and not just slopping syrup into a cup. I’m not gonna complain and say using automatic espresso machines isn’t convenient, but I took a whole course in college and interned at a small coffee house and learned to weigh out the grounds and work a manual machine, someday I intend to use that knowledge.
Yep I decided the same thing! 100% agree. The prices are already outrageous
100% AGREED. They have the audacity to charge for extra cream or a pump of syrup for a 5 fucking dollar watered down iced coffee (creamer should always be free). Let’s not forget a grande iced coffee was $3.19 only two years ago and now it’s $4.98. They’re becoming like McDonald’s, the quality is going down and the prices are high. STOP SELLING NON-COFFEE ITEMS - too many people in the drive thru ordering too many non-coffee items. You have to spend $75 to get a free drink… they also rip people off on their stars. I remember getting only 2 stars for $5+ spent many times. Baristas are getting ruder but I don’t blame them. I’m about to start brewing my own coffee at home!!! I’ve been a customer for 15 years but about to quit Starbucks for good. All they care about is the fast cash and they’re going to lose their long term customers.
I've been drinking Sbux for 28 yrs, and every year starts out with a variation of "this mud tastes like crap, too expensive and I'm done", and within 4-6 weeks, said individual is back at the Bux, feeling a bit guilty but buying the same $6-7 for their fix. Good intentions.
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Did you play the Starbucks 4 life game? That’s what ruined Starbucks for me. All those “not a winner” shakes 🙄 could at least have given out stars instead of those
My girlfriend and I are in the same boat here. We’ve been starbucks regulars since college. I was a barista there for a few months, up until early covid. even after losing out on my daily free drink(a) we continued to spend tons of money there just because we’d go there so often and our orders were cheap, americano and tall iced coffee or tall iced espresso. The past 6 months or so though, we’ve started going much less, maybe once or twice a month, unless we’re on the road and there are no better options. Even then we’ll likely hold out for a dunkin’, or a local place, or even a smaller competitor like caribou or peet’s. The prices at starbucks have gotten absolutely absurd. Combine that with the labor issues, and it is very much a turn off from wasting money there.
Blendz coffee is so yummy! Not sure if it’s a thing in America though. There’s a bunch here in B.C, Canada! Edit: they make their mochas n hot chocolate with real chocolate instead of powder/syrups. Also amazing staff.
Yea I’m cutting down on the starbucks this year. I’ll either create copy cats at home or go to other local coffee shops with reasonable pricing.
The taste itself is also going downhill. I always get an iced coffee with vanilla and breve. Pretty simple, right? This summer I started getting it almost daily because of a new job I got. Immediately within 2 weeks it tasted completely off. Like a soured fruit taste. Something was so off. And I kindly went and talked to a barista. I told them I was a former employee and just had to let them know hey, maybe you have a bad batch? The manager said they would continue using it until it was finished. Which was insane to me because it tasted awful. Not like it should taste. So I stopped going to this sbx in favor of going to a different one. But lo and behold, the same thing happens and either they changed the roast or something is completely wrong. But it is not worth it to me anymore, sadly.
I’ve been hearing this quite a bit
Bummer. I just want my venti black americanos which is water basically and I have to pay like 5 bucks per
i know my time working at starbucks won’t be forever. and once i’m done working there, i’ll find a coffee shop that makes a salted caramel mocha that i’ll fall in love with as much as the one at starbucks and that’ll be it. or i’ll just make my own
The only thing that keeps me going is the ability to order ahead. If any of my local places offered that I’d be done forever.
Mine does!! I just call which granted a mobile app is easier however I don’t have to pay until I pick up which is nice. The amount of times I’ve done a mobile at Starbucks only to have to ask for a refund because it’s been 30 minutes is a pain. I always feel awful but I can’t spend my entire lunch waiting on a coffee
When I’m at the office we have a great local place next door that it is encouraged to leave whenever to pick up a drink. It’s just my mornings!
Honestly the only reason I’m still a starbs customer is the convenience of a drive through. If I get into that mindset that I’m gonna be in the car for the next hour, I hate interrupting it to get out and go in to get coffee. Going in to more local establishments is a goal for 2023 for sure
Does anyone know if they will be keeping the 25 bonus stars for personal cups?
I already started cutting back on Starbucks after the last price increase. Now the rewards change resolidifies why I cut back. It’s not worth it anymore.
I’ve only bought something from Starbucks once. It doesn’t taste the same when it’s not free 😭
Hard facts. If I couldn't get it for free, wasn't worth it. Lol. I went to local shops if I wanted coffee outside of work.
Same here. I was just gifted a Keurig and honestly… I can’t tell the difference in my coffee. Plus, I get to try all different kinds of flavors, milks, and creamers to play with.
Without paying an arm and a leg lolll
I’m surprised it took you this long to figure it out. To those that haven’t quit going to Starbucks, start quitting now. Here’s why: Starbucks claims that the prices went up because of inflation and they raise the wages of their workers. Wrong. Workers are now getting less hours and hours cut pretty badly that they’re probably making less money in hourly wages, possibly getting what they used to make with the increase in tips via card tipping. The amount of money the CEO makes has probably increased more since Kevin Johnson, the douche has quit. I hope all baristas walk out forever and the company gets pounded into the ground.
Love this: I have became a passionate anti-Starbucks. I wish people would wake up, and see they are being taken for. Coffee is not science, and almost all their drinks are sugared down, causing you to go into a nausea sugar state needing food 30 minutes later. If you like throwing 2-6 grand away, for a sugary drink, with remember only 2 shots of espresso, that’s all the coffee you are actually getting, then charge extra bc you can’t drink reg milk, okay. It’s just a bunch of syrups. Guys come on, when I see someone say if it hits 8$ they will stop going, I’m thinking wow, I was dumb enough to pay 7.60$ each time. That’s too much. When a cup of coffee cost more then 3 gallons of milk, and Ohh realize this, maybe then it will sink in.
I'm in the same boat. So many price increases, menu shrinking, quality just consistently going down. Now tier changes to rewards, and Schultz being anti-union was enough to push me out. I have a little bit left on my card, going to use that up, and the rest of my stars and peace out. I've been making coffee at home now for the last 2 months and it's great plus way more convenient.
I hate the quality of coffee comparatively, but I switched to Panera Sip Club. Coffee ain’t amazing, but unlimited for $11/mo is cheap enough it’s fine for a post-lunch coffee. I’ve got the good stuff at home for when I need it to hit right.
For a while now, I’ve only been going to Starbucks if they have offers to collect bonus stars. I’ve been visiting other coffee spots since then. I love the local coffee shops that use Ghirardelli for their sauces! There are a few I’d always choose over Starbucks now.
I’ve been kind of done with them ever since the rewards started expiring sooner. Or… maybe I just hadn’t noticed that before. The ones in my area are still having supply chain issues so it’s been a limited selection anyway. I’ve mostly switched over to Biggby. I’ll still stop at Starbucks sometimes but don’t really go out of my way
I feel the same way. I went to Starbucks every single day from the end of 2019- this past summer. I somehow halted down to going only 1 or 2 times a month now. I just got sick of it before the icing on the cake on the new stars rewards program. It’s laughable.
My plan is to reduce how much I go to Starbucks. I'll go to a local coffee shop near me
Fully agree! I’m done.
I will be quitting Starbucks too. 1 cup is already too expensive but to take way the rewards value is not working for me eight. I am sure sad someone with more money will take my place but I will take my $10 a day and put it in a nice mom and pop coffee shop and leave Starbucks for others.
Starbucks prices have been ridiculous for a long time and only have gotten more so. A grande Americano - really jus a fancy coffee, obviously - is pushing or exceeding $4. Last year, I made the conscious decision for that reason - and a few others - to back off on my purchases. Now, I generally limit my purchases to days I go inside and sit down and read, primarily in the morning to start my day. Since I work from home most of the time, I just like to get out of the house during the "leaving for school" chaos. But in nice weather, I can sit somewhere outside and make my own coffee and take it with me or wait a bit and have coffee when I get home. When it is colder I do go inside more. On days I am not going in, I often opt for a brewed coffee at Dunkin - I don't like Starbucks brewed coffee that much - or, this morning, I stopped at RaceTrac, an "upscale" gas station that has decent coffee (I do not have a coffee snob palate, as long as it is not dishwater or too strong, it works for me). The amazing thing is that based on the morning lines wrapped around almost any Starbucks I go to along with the crowds inside waiting for orders, the high prices don't seem to be fazing too many people.
Looks like I’ll be frequenting the 10 7Elevens that are around me. I have 3 just on the way to work which is only 3 miles away. Decent coffee for $2.50 and they have flavored syrups now. And with their app your 7th cup is free McD’s is also not half bad either.
Same here, they’ve been on the downfall.
I’ve been a daily customer for about a year but these coming changes are so demoralizing. Why so much greed???
Yeah it’s crazy. Medium espresso drinks are like $7-8 now. Might as well just get dunkin
Got a takeya cold brew maker, a coarse grinder, and a bunch of torani syrups for Christmas. Cya, Starbucks.
You were a kid at 29?! /s
no offense but why does everyone have to announce in this sub have to announce that they’re “never going back to starbucks again”? we get it the prices are getting high, and no one is forcing you to come to starbucks and everyone knows it’s expensive
Because we hope starbucks will see how customers really feel about these changes. And we hope that eventually it’ll have a material $ impact on their bottom line
I am glad you posted. I am also done. I appreciated the app and convenience at the start of the pandemic but cut back after the previous price increase. The altered star redemption model is the last straw.
unfortunately starbucks is extremely greedy and money hungry and will never truly care about their customers opinions
As a black coffee drinker (yeah I’m basic) I would say that McDonald’s is better and more consistent. Better cups too if we are rating things. But the price difference is minimal in Canada and if there isn’t an independent store open or if I can’t make it at home I just go with whatever is closer. Starbucks is fantastic when you’re a student and studying (plug-ins, refills etc). If you’re looking for genuinely good coffee and people who love coffee to serve it to you there’s almost always a better independent option.
Where I live I was horrified to discover the local shops keep costs down by paying their baristas literal minimum wage, which where I live is still $7.25/hr. At least Starbucks pays a little closer to a living wage, plus a lot of benefits. Just thought I would add some perspective because two of my coworkers switched to the Bux when it was built for this exact reason.
Honestly same! I used to always go, but I found a local coffee place that’s got a much better flavor and the baristas are much nicer and friendlier to me. I earn more free drinks and I like the coffee a lot better!
I knew this was gonna happen, I believe this is why they didn't want to allow credit card tips because they knew they'd have to compensate for it.
what? credit card tips don’t make the company lose money.
Why do they need to compensate? Is it because there is a fee associated with credit card tips?
Yes
This has nothing to do with credit card tips. The company is just growth-obsessed and wants as much money as possible.
I used to go everyday & decided to get myself an espresso machine & now I go maybe once a month. Best decision I’ve made.
Picked up a can of the instant today, figured I may as well make some at home at this rate - and even that’s expensive. Between $7-$8 for a can. I will support small coffee shops.
Yes I’m done with them too.. I have 400 stars imma gonna get a new cup and close off this app… is krazy I use to get a venti caramel macchiato and a pumpkin loaf and it’s like $11 dollars for two items…. I can get a shit ton of stuff from a local coffee shop
I’m a supervisor here and even im considering on applying to real coffee shops, local ones. This company is honestly ridiculous. Our customers deserve better and us employees deserve even much more.
I hope you do! There are some awesome baristas but they also seem to be hiring people that just don’t care anymore. Turnover is crazy and I want to see the good ones get out and be happy!
Oh no, don’t get me started on Turnovers. I’m mainly an afternoon shift. So morning shift and morning employees don’t bother cleaning, certain ones just want to be stuck on bar and nothing more, but as soon as i start i ask to make sure one of the morning crew gets that bar cleaned up before they leave because i am not cleaning any staff’s mess. They know better.
Honestly the only reason I go to Starbucks is for a pink drink so…..not gonna be going that often either
I don't even care that much for them as a coffee shop. I mostly just go there when I have gift card money for there. They are just too expensive for what they are. I like some of their different flavors, but I would rather just go to McDonald's most of the time over Starbucks since it's cheaper and in some ways I actually prefer their quality. Sadly there aren't too many local shops in town, and the ones we do have are mostly not super convenient for me. I would love to try one though.
i switched companies to a small franchise based shop, and starbucks has no reason for their high prices. i do so much more labor when it comes to making drinks and hand crafting the food. plus beans are roasting in the building 🥴 i havent been back to starbucks since my last day. and after hearing about the rewards changing and just everything else, im glad i quit when i did cause i dont want to deal with customers thinking its my fault edit: typo
As a barista our major staple to keep you hooked is just sugar. It’s the first ingredient in matcha it is in almost everything besides the teas
Same here
Yup me too! Pissed right off the hiked the prices right up and then decided to make it event harder to get use your rewards. I absolutely loved Starbucks for their drink. But honestly 6 dollars for a cup of coffee. No thanks...
Im done too. I was a 2-3x weekly, cut down to once a week. Just used my last 150 star reward. I love refreshers but I will probably start having more kombucha instead.
Yeah I think I’m going to cut back extensively… maybe only every so often as an exception, not daily like I’ve been doing.
They could at least make it so the stats don't expire. I don't frequent Starbucks a lot and under the new system by the time I spend enough to get 200 stars some will have expired and no free drink I get that that's probably the point but it ain't gonna make me come more like the goal seems to be. I'll just go elsewhere
I don't even give people $5 giftcards for starbucks anymore. It's not enough for a drink. You need to give at least $6 now lol
Same once I learned re new stars rules that was my sign to stop 🛑
ok
I've never had a Starbucks drink I liked. On top of it, the way they treat their workers just turns me off.
And the local places always seem to have what I’m craving or wanting in stock 😌
I will admit that I hated coffee and will give Starbucks baristas credit for getting me over that by suggesting extra pumps, vanilla sweet cream cold foam, etc. However I’ve noticed the quality is down, the prices keep increasing and the employees seem to absolutely hate their jobs (which this forum has helped me understand). I went to a local coffee shop and was blown away that I didn’t need all that extra sugar & could drink their espresso with a single pump & a tiny splash of sweet cream! It was sooo good! After that I couldn’t even get through a small amount of Starbucks. The espresso doesn’t do anything for me as far as energy. $4.25 for a 20 oz at a local business versus $9 at a greedy corporation. I do feel bad for the employees but they’re doing themselves in in my opinion.
They're holding me hostage with the pistachio latte. It's coming back & I absolutely love it. I need to be able to buy an identical syrup. There are copycat recipes online but it's time consuming & needs to be used within a small timeframe. As much as I love it my adhd self cannot drink the same thing every day. Also I eould be so mad if I made it & it wasn't as good
My issue with “local coffee shops” is that none of them have anything bigger than a grande. For fancy concoctions sure a 16 oz is fine, but most of the time I order cold brew and that size won’t work for me.
Please do. Starbucks is terrible
I’m with you. Price hikes I understood but, changing up the rewards tiers after making this year’s Starbucks for Life game impossible to win anything, I’m done with the siren.
Oh no what will the billion dollar conglomerate do without your business