Nine (9) Failures in a Row! or Monrovia's Monster Mistake

This is so unbelievable its -- well its unbelievable. I have gone to nine Starbucks in a row since my last published Challenge with every single one an unmitigated FAILURE.

NINE!!!

And this includes my favorite stores and stores I have terrorized before, and stores that have passed before and even baristas who've passed before!!!

* Sigh. *

About 10 days ago, when I'd had a "run" of three Challenge failures, I vowed to wait until I had a success to brag about even if disappointed with the lack of awareness in some stores. But the loses mounted, and store after store had no clue at all about Fair Trade, about Starbucks posted policy or worse: Tried to pass off ordinary coffee as Fair Trade.

I went to stores in Pasadena (several) Monrovia, LaVerne (several) and various LA County locations in between. No joy. Here is a typical experience for this month, from Monrovia on January 13, at 3:40 PM, written in the store and saved as a draft entry via WiFi, so the memory was fresh.

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LOCATION: Monrovia

621 W. Huntington Drive
Monrovia CA, 91016 United States

It was nice day in the San Gabriel Valley, and, for me a rare event, I strode into the Starbucks without Miss Hannah, who was home with her mom. Thus unencumbered, I casually asked for my usual "Venti Fair Trade drip, please."

The tall Monrovia partner-boy looked puzzled, then scared. He rang up my sale, and poured me a cup of coffee.

"What's this?" I asked, knowing full well that FT Estima was on display out front but not on brew.

"Uh Guatemalan, uh mumble mumble, " said he.

"Is it Fair Trade?" asked I.

"Mumble mumble," said he. "Cough."

My inner Middle School Teacher took over.

"No. Its not," I said sharply. "Cafe Estima is your only certified Fair Trade blend. Please read the Scoop, ask your manager and your regional manager about the policy on fair trade."

I was curt, to say the least. The partner looked stunned.

"I'm sorry, but you are the fourth store in a row with this problem, and it is pretty discouraging. Just check out Fair Trade so you guys are up on it, ok? "

"Uhm, okay."

"Thanks. " Then, more, "Can I have a triple Grande Mocha, then? "

"Uh, okay."

"Whole milk, extra whip," I added sullenly, feeling suddenly depressed by the whole episode. Serve 'em right if I dropped dead of clogged arteries on the spot.

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Amused by the Starbucks Challenge? Me too. Now come see my real mission in the blogosphere: Easy Green and its companion journal, Observations, and such: Notes on the Kitchen Calendar

Estima Mystery Solved, But Make Mine A Cup of FAILED Trade

LOCATION: Colorado & Bonnie, Pasadena
1687 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena CA, 91106
United States 626-578-7244

Oh my. One big win, but now one bigger-than-big booboo, and utter SBX failure. Sigh.

"May I have a venti fair trade coffee please?"

"Sure," said the Barista and turned to pour the cup.

"Whoooo Hooo ... oops," I thought, as he pulled the tap on a cup of Christmas Blend.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Your coffee?"

"Uh, no. That looks like, uhm, Christmas Blend."

"Yes."

"That's not a Fair Trade blend."

"Oh." Blank stare.

The completely blank stare left even me unable to bring myself to educamate the completely clueless partner on his own product.

Mark: FAIL

To be charitible the partner -- tall male (about 6'4"), mid-20's dark hair, dark eyes, on shift about 7:15 am) took the "Say Yes" training a shade too far, saying "Yes" without a clue as to what he had agreed to do.

And as an aside, I think the Mystery of the Missing Estima is solved: The other partner on told me, when I asked, that she thought Cafe Estima as Coffee of the Week was optional with local managers, and that they had a ton of the Christmas Blend left over that had to be moved first (thus it was the COW). Now I don't know about what is optional and what is not, but maybe they would have sold more Christmas Blend if it had been Fair Trade . . .

And oh yeah, Starbucks -- why stop at Christmas? Why not have a Bodhi Blend available only on December 8; or a Kwanzaa Pack, with eight FT African coffees; etc, etc. Just kidding. Well, maybe.

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Amused by the Starbucks Challenge? Me too. Now come see my real mission in the blogosphere: Easy Green and its companion journal, Observations, and such: Notes on the Kitchen Calendar