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Tag: Starbucks

  • Dumb Starbucks: Entrepreneuring Spoof

    Dumb Starbucks: Entrepreneuring Spoof

    “I’d like a dumb venti mocha latte. And throw in one of those ‘Dumb Jazz Standards’ CDs. And some dumb mints, for my dumb coffee breath. ”

    So go the orders at a new coffee shop in Los Feliz, Calif.: Dumb Starbucks. The store opened Friday to great excitement, including a dumb line that took customers over an hour get through before the dumb store ran out of dumb supplies and had to close up.

    Here’s what you need to know: The store looks exactly like any other Starbucks you’ve ever seen, only all of the branding, including the corporate logo, has been modified to include the word “dumb” at the beginning (menu items such as “Dumb Iced Coffee,” etc.). Where did it come from? Why is it here? So far, nobody knows, but speculation as to whether it’s an artistic statement or a marketing ploy has run rampant.

    “I hope it’s an art thing vs. a business thing,” Jeffrey Eyster, 43, said, adding that he’d like to see “dumb” versions of similar chains like McDonald’s and Cheesecake Factory. Eyester, who had been waiting in line over an hour and still hadn’t made it near the front door was loathed to add, “They’re definitely not serving at Starbucks pace.”

    Inside, two baristas were doing their best to tend to curious customers, but inquiries went largely unanswered. Instead, they referred questions to an FAQ pamphlet that claimed that the store was a fully functioning business but had to pretend to be an artistic statement so as to use Starbucks’ trademarks legally under the fair use doctrine.

    It’s a legally dubious position, to be sure, and Starbucks’ attorneys are on the case. Megan Adams, a spokesperson for the company, said that they were aware of the situation and were “looking into it.”

    There’s certainly one thing that’s not dumb about the store: the prices. On opening day, all the coffee was free.

    Image via YouTube

  • Caffeine Use Disorder: Turns Out It’s a Thing

    With a Starbucks on every city street corner, Americans are well-aware of the fact that they like their coffee. With phrases like, “No coffee, no workey” and “I’m a zombie without my coffee” a part of the common vernacular, most Americans consume this socially accepted drug on a daily basis, be it through coffee, soda, or energy drinks. But a recent study released by Dr. Laura Juliano, a psychology professor who works at American University, suggests that caffeine addiction is no joke. In fact, Caffeine Use Disorder has been added to the DSM-5. The DSM-5 is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders in its newest and most up to date version. It is often used by mental health professionals to evaluate mental health disorders and dependencies. The American Psychiatric Association has stated that Caffein Use Disorder is a serious health concern; furthermore, it is in need of further study from the scientific community.

    So what exactly does “Caffeine Use Disorder” consist of? According to Dr. Juliano, “There is misconception among professionals and lay people alike that caffeine is not difficult to give up. However, in population-based studies, more than 50 percent of regular caffeine consumers report that they have had difficulty quitting or reducing caffeine use.” The effects of attempting to “dry up” for those who are over-caffeinated on a regular basis? Irritability, fatigue, and headaches, just to name a few. Not to mention the effects of consuming too much caffeine at once, such as the jitters and a racing heartbeat.

    So we are left to wonder, how much is too much? Dr. Juliano suggests limiting your daily caffeine intake to around 400 Mg per day. So what does that translate to in Starbucks terminology? One “Venti” sized coffee is a whopping 24oz, which would be the equivalent of about 400 Mg. That means that consumers who start their day with a Venti and then continue to drink caffeinated beverages or eat caffeinated foods, such as chocolate, are consuming more than the recommended daily dose of caffeine.

    But regulating your caffeine intake isn’t easy. “At this time, manufacturers are not required to label caffeine amounts and some products such as energy drinks do not have regulated limits on caffeine,” Says Dr. Juliano. Without proper labeling, it is difficult for those who are attempting to limit their caffeine intake, such as pregnant women, to truly understand how much caffeine they are consuming.

    While Starbucks and soda companies are thriving thanks to the widespread consumption of the world’s most popular drug, be sure to ask yourself if it’s at your own expense.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Woman Ate Only Starbucks for All of 2013

    Her name is Beautiful Existence. That is her real name. And for the entirety of 2013, she ate nothing that did not come from Starbucks. Yahoo News reports that she lost weight, and that she feels great.

    In what appears to be a Bizarro-World version of Supersize Me, the Seattle woman resolved at this time last year to spend her entire year eating only items from Starbucks. She has 2 children, who were exempt from the Starbucks-only rule.

    Beautiful Existence is getting considerable attention for completing her “challenge”, but it turns out this is not the first such endeavor she has undertaken, and it will not be the last.

    In 2011, she resolved to “to take on Parents magazine, the articles, suggestions, items and even advertisements”. Essentially she tried out every tip in Parents magazine, tried the products they reviewed and advertised, and blogged about the entire experience.

    In 2010, she bought all her clothing, and quite a few other household items, exclusively at Goodwill stores. Again, she blogged about the experience.

    Of course, she also has a plan for 2014. She will take on every recreational sport offered by Washington-based REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.). There are over 80 sports on her list to try.

    Naturally, the first thing that most people ask when they hear about her seemingly bizarre self-challenges is, “Why?” And she is well aware that this is the primary response she will get. So, she answers that on her website:

    WHY?

    Well, that’s just one of the questions I get from people … And then over the course of a conversation I see people start coming up with less questions about why and how I will complete this challenge but start suggesting and creating more and more ideas and content for my year with their own curiosities … those questions that leave you with more questions… those questions that eventually work your mind into breaking down the how and why of something and start becoming the “what if” and “what about that!” thoughts that I love about what I do!

    Image via ForOneYearOfMyLife

  • Starbucks Gets the F-Word from Local Brewery

    Starbucks owns the word “Frappuccino”. Like any big corporation, Starbucks has attorneys that defend against any infringement or unauthorized use of their property. For example, you could not open up a coffee shop – or any other kind of business, in fact – and call it “Starr Bux”. Try it and you’ll get a terse letter from Starbucks’ lawyers.

    That’s what happened to a small brewery in Missouri that served a brew they called “Frappicino”. The letter from Honigan Miller Schwarz and Colin, LLP (Attorneys and Counselors) informed the owners of Exit 6 Pub and Brewery in the St. Louis suburb of Cottleville that they were “likely to cause confusion, mistake or deception among consumers who may mistakenly believe that Exit 6 or this beer product is affiliated with or licensed by Starbucks Coffee Co., when they are not.”

    Jeff Britton, owner of Exit 6 Pub and Brewery, fired back at the attorneys, referring to their “frappuccino” trademark only as “The F-Word” in his written correspondence. He said, “We never thought that our beer drinking customers would have thought that the alcoholic beverage coming out of the tap would have actually been coffee from one of the many, many, many stores located a few blocks away.”

    He further assured the lawyers that Exit 6 would also “stop production of our ‘Starbuck-McDonalds-Coca Cola-Marlboro Honey Lager’ for fear of further repercussions.”

    To top things off, Britton voluntarily enclosed a check for the full amount of profit made from selling “Frappicino” beer. The check was for $6.

    Britton scanned the original cease-and-desist letter from the attorneys, his response letter, and the check he sent Starbucks, and posted the entire exchange on Exit 6’s Facebook page. As of his latest update:

    “So this Starbucks thing has gained some traction I guess. I just want to thank each and every one of you for the kind words, the messages, the phone calls and every thing else showing your support for Exit 6 Pub and Brewery and small businesses everywhere. Never thought it would get this crazy. Not only has it blown up on line but I will be on Fox and Friends Thursday morning to discuss it more. Wow. Thanks for the support.”

    Image via Facebook

  • Rare Christmas Card Sells for $6,800

    An 1843 Christmas card reading “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” sold for roughly $6,800 on Saturday at auction. An anonymous bidder paid £4,200 for the greeting card, equal to $6,846, at British auction house Henry Aldridge & Son. The black-and-white stationary is of a set of the world’s first Christmas cards, and depicts a Victorian-era family eating and drinking.

    Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneer Andrew Aldridge commented, “It’s a documented fact that the first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, a great Victorian pioneer who also had the idea for the Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp. In 1843 he had a bright idea of creating a Christmas card, creating 1,000 copies and selling them, while also sending ones to his friends and family.”

    The first run of Christmas cards commissioned by Cole were illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in London on the May 1, 1843. The image of the family drinking wine together was a bit scandalous at the time, and two sets of 1,025 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each.

    The traditional English greeting featured on the card auctioned, “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” has since been translated into several other languages. Here’s how to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in varied tongues:

    Albanian: Gëzuar Krishtlindjet dhe Vitin e Ri
    Basque: Gabon Zoriontsuak eta urte berri on
    Catalan: Bon Nadal i Feliç Any Nou
    Chinese Traditional: 聖誔快樂，新年進步
    Croatian – Hrvatski: Čestit Božić i sretna Nova Godina
    Czech: Veselé vánoce a šťastný nový rok.
    Danish: Glædelig jul og godt nytår! or simply God jul
    French: Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
    Georgian: გილოცავთ შობა-ახალ წელს
    German: Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches/gutes Neues Jahr
    Greek: Καλά Χριστούγεννα και ευτυχισμένος ο Καινούριος Χρόνος
    Icelandic: Gleðileg jól og farsælt nýtt ár
    Irish: Nollaig Shona Duit
    Italian: Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
    Japanese: メリー・クリスマス
    Norwegian: God jul og godt nyttår
    Persian: کریسمس و سال نو مبارک
    Polish: Wesołych Świąt i Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
    Romanian: Crăciun Fericit și La mulți ani
    Russian: С Новым Годом и Рождеством
    Spanish: Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo
    Swedish: God Jul och Gott Nytt År
    Vietnamese: Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh và chúc mừng năm mơi (acute accent over ơ in “mơi”)
    Urdu:آپکو بڑا دن اور نیا سال مبارک ہو

    With the holiday season upon us, retailers like Hallmark, Amazon and Walgreen’s will be moving loads of greeting cards. Starbucks Corp. reported Thursday that it expects record purchases and activations of its own Starbucks Cards. Last holiday season Starbucks sold over 2 million cards in the U.S. and Canada on the Thursday before Christmas.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Charbucks Wins Battle Against Starbucks, Again

    After a tedious 12-year trial, coffee empire Starbucks lost its case against a small, family-owned New Hampshire-based coffee roaster. The issue? The use of the name “Charbucks.”

    http://youtu.be/m72Xn11WFE8

    Black Bear Micro Roastery sells coffee labeled “Mr. Charbucks,” “Charbucks Blend,” and “Mister Charbucks,” which doesn’t go over too well with the Seattle coffee giant. However, according to Circuit Judge Raymond Lohier, who ruled in a family appeals court, the prosecution failed to prove that customers would be confused through a blurring of the brand.

    Litigation began in 2001, when the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stated that roastery could continue to sell its Charbucks coffee. Then in 2011, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain ruled in favor of the small company again, stating that Charbucks was only weakly similar to the Starbucks brand name.

    And now recently, the ruling is upheld again.

    The coffee company isn’t the first to react to another company that resembles its name; in fact, many retailers go through litigation when they believe another brand steps on its toes, for fear they will lose profit.

    A large portion of Starbucks’ argument that Charbucks was infringing on its name comes from a phone survey, in which 600 people polled allegedly agreed that “Charbucks” brought “Starbucks” to mind, but according to the latest ruling, Starbucks will just have to deal.

    However, many Starbucks drinkers have long referred to the company as “Charbucks,” because they feel it has a burnt taste to it, which could be another reason why Starbucks isn’t a fan of the name.

    Starbucks began selling its signature brews in 1971, out of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. It has now become the world’s largest coffee chain, with more than 14.8 billion in annual revenue.

    Black Bear Micro Roastery began selling its “Charbucks Blend” in 1997 out of Tuftonboro, New Hampshire.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Starbucks Kraft Lawsuit Settles: Coffee Chain to Pay $2.76 Billion

    After a grueling three-year legal entanglement, the Starbucks-Kraft lawsuit has finally come to an end. Earlier today, an arbitrator determined that Starbucks will pay a total of approximately $2.76 billion as a monetary settlement to diffuse their legal dispute with Kraft.

    On Tuesday, the Starbucks Corporation and Mondelez International both released statements explaining how the staggering cost were determined. Both companies explained that $2.23 billion would cover damages and the other $527 million would serve as compensation for attorney fees.

    Mondelez International, Inc., which comprises the food brands of the former Kraft Foods, will receive the monetary award for the compiled damages. The company, which is also houses the Cadbury and Oreo brands, stated that the appropriated funds will be used for stock acquisition purposes. Mondelez has plans to buy back it’s stock once priority expenses and taxes have been covered.

    The stock numbers also depicted the companies intentions in after-hour trading. Mondelez shares rose approximately 97 cents, while Starbucks stock suffered a 1.5 percent decline of $1.20 per share, As a result, the stock price fell to $79.41.

    In 1998, Kraft Foods established a marketing merger with Starbucks to exclusively distribute the company’s coffee brand in stores. That contract was renegotiated in 2004, and reinstated for another 10 years, set to expire in 2014. However, in November of 2010, Starbucks opted to sever the agreement with Kraft. Kraft sought to challenge the termination of the contract through arbitration proceedings, stating breach of contract. The two food and beverage conglomerates officially severed ties in March of 2011.

    According to the Huffington Post, Starbucks refuted the company’s claims, stating that Kraft had not met all of the requirements mandated under the contract. Kraft Foods was accused of failing to include the company when making executive decisions in reference to marketing and consumer relations. The nationwide coffee chain also stated that the decision to separate from Kraft was consistent with the terms of the initial contract. On Tuesday, Starbucks released a brief statement expressing their sentiments on the arbitration conclusion.

    “We believe Kraft did not deliver on the responsibilities to our brand under the agreement, the performance of the business suffered as a result and that we had a right to terminate the agreement without payment to Kraft,” Starbucks said.

    “We’re glad to put this issue behind us,” said Gerd Pleuhs, executive vice president of legal affairs and general counsel of Mondelez International, said in a statement. “We can now fully focus on growing our global snacks business.”
    Image(s) via Wikimedia Commons | Mondelez International, Inc.   Wikimedia Commons | Starbucks
    Wikipedia | Starbucks

  • Starbucks Lets You Gift Coffee with a Tweet

    There’s nothing like a fresh cup of coffee to turn someone’s day around. Now, you can bestow the gift of coffee with a single tweet.

    Starbucks has just announced Tweet-a-Coffee, a partnership with Twitter that will allow anyone to tweet a free cup of coffee to any other Twitter user.

    Of course, it’s not free to the generous soul doing to gifting. In order for it to work, you have to link your Starbucks account to a credit card. Once you do that, all you have to do is send a tweet @tweetacoffee to whomever you want to give the gift of java.

    It’ll look something like this:

    The recipient will receive a $5 eGift-card, which will allow them to buy one coffee, pretty much.

    “What’s so exciting about extending our eGifitng platform to Twitter is the open and real time nature of the platform. Tweet-a-coffee allows us to do something quite different in eGifting in that people can now give the gift of Starbucks to anyone on Twitter in the moment. This can be between the closest of friends, the most distant of colleagues, or even between people who have not even had the chance to meet yet in person, but have connected in some way on Twitter,” said Adam Brotman, chief digital officer, Starbucks. “We love the possibilities that the Twitter community can unlock to share acts of kindness with one another. Tweet-a-coffee is a key next step as we innovate our social digital gifting offering.”

    The Tweet-a-Coffee service is only open to people in the US, and officially kicks off today. If you’re on of the first 100,000 people to Tweet-a-Coffee by November 6th and use a VISA card, you’ll get your own $5 gift card too.

    “Starbucks is really breaking ground here,” said Joel Lunenfeld, Twitter’s VP of brand strategy. “Shared experiences, such as a television show, a sporting event, or someone sharing a gift, are at the heart of the Twitter experience. It’s also central to what it means to be a modern brand.”

    Image via Marco Paköeningrat, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Starbucks Asks Patrons to Leave Guns at Home

    Starbucks, whose website is presently down, has entered the American gun debate by asking customers to leave their firearms at home. As more a gesture than anything, Starbucks employees won’t say anything to customers who don’t abide by the gun request, and no signs will be posted concerning the new stance.

    “We are going to serve them (gun-toting customers) as we would serve anyone else,” Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said, adding that “there are going to be people on both sides who will be disappointed or angry, but we’re making a decision we think is in the best interests of our customers, employees and the company.” The majority of domestic Starbucks stores lie in states with open carry laws, and pro-firearm activists have long used the coffee huts as “a political stage for media events misleadingly called ‘Starbucks Appreciation Days’ that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of open carry,” according to Schultz.

    While nothing specific was mentioned regarding what might have prompted an actual stance on the open carry matter, it’s a good business practice to disassociate a product with gun violence, especially with the recent Navy Yard shooting.

    Schultz adds, “I want to make it very clear that Starbucks is not a policy maker and as a company we are not pro- or anti-gun. However, there have been a number of episodes over the course of the last few months that have put us in a position to take a big step back and assess the issue of open carry.”

    In related Starbucks news, it was recently found that a shop in Hong Kong was using toilet water to brew its coffee. A spokesperson for Starbucks explained that the particular Starbucks location used the toilet water because it was the closest source.

    Starbucks is based in Seattle, and presently operates 20,891 stores in 62 countries

    Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

  • Minimum Wage Debate Strikes a Date

    Minimum Wage Debate Strikes a Date

    August 29 is the day you may want to pack a lunch.  Fast food workers are joining the social media stampede calling for a nationwide strike on August 29, four days before Labor Day.  Demands are for an hourly wage of $15 and, “the right to form a union without retaliation,” posts organizer Low Pay Is Not Ok.  The group also sponsors a petition on their site along with a robust Facebook and Twitter campaign.

    Employee walkouts over the last few months were spurred by these demands for a living wage—proposed to be $15 an hour—over the standard fast food salary based on the US minimum wage—$7.25 an hour.  This activity in turn, is cooking up a spectrum of responses across the political sphere.

    CEO’s are balancing on either side of the minimum wage solution. Along with select other CEO’s, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has landed in favor of minimum wage hikes, though not necessarily to $15/hour. Denny’s CEO John Miller explains an industry problem reporting higher salaries among employees when industry turnover rates are so high. “The benefit of this industry is we’re one of the largest employers of those who don’t have a good start otherwise,” Miller says during a Breakout interview last month.

    President Barack Obama has made increasing the minimum wage a long-standing administration goal that has failed to gain traction in Congress.

    A 9 August Bureau of Labor Statistics Study adds the cost of benefits into the combo meal. The study compares compensation costs across 33 countries, placing the United States 12th behind Sweden, Brazil, and Estonia in total compensation (wages and employer expenditures such as health insurance).

    The debate promises to remain as heated as fast food wars.

  • Starbucks Partners With Google For Faster Wi-Fi

    Starbucks Partners With Google For Faster Wi-Fi

    Starbucks recently made a deal with Google to offer their customers Wi-Fi connections that are considerably faster then they are today. Starbucks has been a long-time hang out spot and trendy temporary workspace for many around the world. However, those that choose this workspace option have been faced with limited connectivity speeds. From my personal experience in many of the different Starbucks stores, the current Wi-Fi seems to be noticeably unreliable and considerably slow. This change is going to most likely end up being a profitable business move for Starbucks to keep customers in their store longer which entices them to buy more coffee and food.

    The new Wi-Fi service will start to make its entrance to more than 7,000 of its Starbucks locations within the next 18 months. The transition to this service will begin this month. The Wi-Fi service has been said to enable customers to surf the internet 10 times faster than the current service. So, if you are looking to download that movie, while streaming audio and sending a massive Excel spread sheet to your boss, you are in luck! Starbucks improvements will impact their clientele greatly and give a much better experience to all who visit and use their Wi-Fi network. Students and remote business entrepreneurs all have reacted very positively about this change.

    So you are probably wondering. how do I know if my Starbucks has been upgraded? Kevin Lo, General Manager for Google Access says “We appreciate your patience if it’s still a little while before we get to your favorite Starbucks—you’ll know your new network is ready to go when you can log in to the ‘Google Starbucks’ SSID [service set identifier].”

    Starbucks has always been an innovative company so this change comes as no surprise. By teaming with Google to offer a higher speed Wi-Fi they are securing their place as not just a place to get coffee, but a place to hang out and stay a while. This puts them head and shoulders above their competition and reinforces them as an American staple.

  • Starbucks Bans Smoking Outside Of Its Stores Across The Country

    Do you like smoking outside of Starbucks after grabbing a coffee and pastry? Sorry to say, you can’t do that anymore.

    Starbucks introduced a new policy on Saturday that bans smoking within 25 feet of its stores. It’s a country-wide policy so those looking to smoke will have to do it elsewhere now.

    According to Tulsa, Oregon-based KJRH News, the policy hasn’t met with much resistance in the state. Of course, the state already has a law that bans smoking within 10 feet of any business or public building. Citizens seem pretty happy about Starbucks pushing for even larger distances in its smoking bans.

    For those who have a problem with the new policy, food cart owner Katie Culver says smokers should just “accept [it] and move on down the road.”

    Of course, this is a national policy that isn’t restricted to its Oregon locations. Smokers across the nation who were particularly infatuated with Starbucks will have to find a new haunting place. It shouldn’t be that hard as there is still plenty of places to smoke in every city. Maybe even the local coffee shops can advertise that they don’t mind smokers outside their shop as long as they stay 10, instead of 25, feet away.

    [Image: Postdlf]

  • ‘Toilet Water’ Coffee Used by Hong Kong Starbucks

    An investigative report has angered Hong Kong coffee drinkers this week after it was revealed that a local Starbucks was using water from a bathroom spout to brew its coffee.

    According to an HK Magazine translation of an Apple Daily report, the Starbucks located in the Bank of China Tower was using “toilet water” from a spout just feet away from a bathroom urinal. Employees allegedly wheeled a cart behind the coffee house to the bathroom dozens of times each day, filling the cart with the bathroom water. The water was then filtered and then used to prepare Starbucks drinks.

    A spokesperson for Starbucks in Hong Kong told HK Magazine that the particular Starbucks location used the bathroom water because it was the closest source of water. The spokesperson emphasized that the water had passed certification in the past, and that it “adheres strictly” to regulatory standards.

    Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has stated that the restaurant’s practice was not up to regulations. The department has issued a warning to Starbucks.

    A public health professor at the University of Hong Kong told HK Magazine that filtering the water should be good enough to remove harmful bacteria, but that smaller pathogens, such as viruses, would require a purifier.

  • Starbucks Tip Jar The Subject Of New York High Court Case

    Who gets the money from the Starbucks tip jar? That’s the question currently up for debate in a New York courtroom this week.

    CBS News reports that New York’s labor laws are currently being tested in the Court of Appeals. Baristas argue that only they are allowed to take money from the tip jar as they are the ones directly interacting with customers. Assistant managers don’t necessarily work directly with customers, but they feel that they are entitled to the money in the tip jar as well.

    So, what’s the big deal? The big deal is that the courts now have to decide whether or not shift managers qualify as “agents” under New York labor laws. If the court rules that they are agents, then assistant managers would be barred by law from taking money out of the tip jar.

    On the side of the baristas, they argue that Starbucks has not “seriously disputed that its shift supervisors are supervisors.” In other words, Starbucks has never explicitly told assistant managers that they are not supervisors. It should be noted that shift supervisors share in the tip pool with baristas while assistant managers are arguing in court to share in the tip pool.

    As for the assistant managers, they argue that their inability to hire of fire employees makes them less of an agent and more of a low-level employee. They also argue that they do frequently interact with customers thus entitling them to tips.

    What do the higher ups at Starbucks think about all of this? They argue that assistant managers shouldn’t get access to the tip jar because they are full-time, salaried employees. In other words, they get paid enough as it is. The tip jar is for the part-time baristas and shift supervisors to make a little more on top of their meager wages.

    One federal judge has already ruled that shift supervisors aren’t agents, but she also said that New York’s labor laws don’t require companies to allow every eligible employee to collect tips. Now the Appeals Court must decide if assistant managers can share in the tips with everybody else.

    As you would expect, the ruling from the Appeals Court would have wide ranging consequences beyond Starbucks and other coffee shops. If the court rules in favor of the assistant managers, tips will be spread across more people in service industries. It may be fair, but it would also force restaurants that practice mandatory tipping to charge more for tips so that everybody gets a fair share.

    [Image: Gingerblokey]

  • New York Times Lets Starbucks Customers Inside the Paywall

    In what sounds like a completely sensible partnership, The New York Times has announced that readers will have free access to content that’s normally behind the paywall, as long as they’re reading it at Starbucks.

    Starbucks customers who are logged in to the Starbucks Digital Network can now access up to 15 articles per day.

    It’s a bit more complicated than that, however. Customers are forced into three articles per day from each of these four categories: Top News, Business, Technology and Most E-Mailed. The final three articles per day comes from a rotating section that changes every day:

    Sports (Monday); Science (Tuesday); Dining (Wednesday); Styles (Thursday); Weekend (Friday); The Magazine (Saturday); and Sunday Review (Sunday)

    Anyone can log into the Starbucks Digital Network via Starbucks’ free Wi-Fi. But the NYT access is only applicable to U.S. stores that offer AT&T Wi-Fi.

    Starbucks first launched SDN back in 2010, and has continued to add content to it every year. Starbucks Digital Network features content from ESPN, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, USA Today, and Yahoo.

    “Starbucks is the ideal setting for The Times to offer enhanced digital access,” said Yasmin Namini, senior vice president, marketing and circulation, The New York Times. “Customers on SDN will discover a diverse selection of Times content updated in real-time, from the day’s top stories to more in-depth features and opinion.”

    So, next time you’re grabbing a caramel macchiato, you can catch up on what the New York Times has to offer – for free.

  • Facebook Suggests Starbucks Gifts Inside Birthday Reminders

    Facebook may be getting a little more specific with their suggestions for how to properly celebrate your friend’s birthday.

    Soon after launching their new ecommerce platform Facebook Gifts, the social network began suggesting that you send friends a gift when it’s their birthday. Suddenly, a cheesy Timeline post ceased to be enough. Facebook wanted to promote the new Gifts platform by attaching it to birthdays – which is understandable.

    Now, it looks like they’re taking it a step further by suggesting that you gift friends with a Starbucks e-gift, specifically.

    Facebook told Business Insider that this is an “experiment.”

    We’ve noticed that if the birthday boy or girl “likes” Starbucks, that information will show up alongside the Starbucks logo. That way, you’ll know that getting him/her a Starbucks gift card would be a good idea. You know, because they “like” it.

    It’s unclear what the arrangement is here, and whether Starbucks (and presumably any other Facebook Gifts partner) would pay for the birthday suggestions placement in the future. As with all Facebook “tests” or “experiments,” there’s always the chance that it will never reach a large audience. But something about this one makes me feel like we’ll be seeing more and more of it as Facebook looks to further promote and monetize Gifts.

  • Starbucks to Sell Square’s Mobile Card Readers in Store

    Would you like a mobile payments processing unit with your caramel macchiato?

    Square and Starbucks are further bolstering their relationship, building on one that already includes millions in investment and a payment option deal. Starting soon, Starbucks customers will be able to purchase Square mobile card readers at their coffee giant’s 7,000 stores.

    The Square card reader normally sells for $10, but the company offers a full rebate for new Square-using businesses.

    Last August, Square and Starbucks entered into a (slightly more important) partnership that saw Starbucks’ 7,000 stores offer Square as a payment option. Square now processes Starbucks’ credit and debit transactions, and customers can also use their Square Wallet (cardless app) to buy their morning cup of coffee.

    Starbucks’ further investment in helping Square become the top mobile payments option in major stores around the country is no surprise considering Starbucks is a major investor in Square. Last September, Square closed a round of funding that included $25 million from Starbucks.

    Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz also joined Square’s Board.

    At the time, Square boasted that it was now processing over $8 billion in payments annually. To keep that growth, more small businesses will need to start using Square as their mobiel payments option. And getting their card readers in 7,000 of the most popular retail stores around is a pretty good start.

    [via TechCrunch]

  • Square Closes New Round Of Funding From Starbucks And Co.

    Square announced today that it has closed a Series D round of funding from Citi Ventures, Rizvi Traverse Management, and Starbucks Coffee Company.

    The company said in its announcement:

    One year ago, Square had approximately 150 employees and processed over $1 billion in payments on an annualized basis. Today, Square has over 400 employees and is processing over $8 billion in payments on an annualized basis.

    Square’s growing revenue and workforce precedes the company’s plans for international expansion later this year.

    Last month, Square announced that Starbucks had signed up for Square, but also that the company would invest $25 million in Square. Additionally, Starbucks Chairman, President and CEO, Howard Schultz, joined the company’s board. More on the Starbucks deal here.

    Square also recently announced a flat monthly fee for small businesses, who can pay $275 a month with 0% processing fees and no additional costs or contracts.

  • LivingSocial’s Starbucks Deal is the Best-Selling Daily Deal of All Time

    I didn’t buy LivingSocial’s Starbucks deal yesterday. That makes me a weirdo because apparently, everyone else did.

    According to daily deals aggregator Yipit, we have a new king of the daily deals. Wednesday’s $5 for $10 worth of Starbucks offer shattered records, selling 1.5 million gift cards in sum. That means that LivingSocial’s Starbucks deal is now officially the most popular daily deal in the daily deal era.

    By 11pm ET last night, the offer was completely sold out. People truly love their Starbucks coffee, and they love getting it on the cheap even more.

    Wednesday’s LivingSocial deal was the first (second, Google Offers back in April) deal that Starbucks has ever authorized through a daily deals provider, so that explains a lot of the excitement. According to Yipit, the previous record holder for top daily deal belonged to another LivingSocial deal – a $10 for $20 gift card from Amazon.com. That deal sold a little over 1.1 million.

    Out of the top 10 best-selling daily deals according to Yipit, LivingSocial has 6 of them.

    And for today, Starbucks is king. I’m sure those gift cards will be used to purchase many a Pumpkin Spice Latte in the near future.

    starbucks living social deal

    [via Mashable]

  • Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte Challenge Starts Today on Facebook

    Every year, people count down the days until Starbucks unveils one of their most-popular offerings, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. The espresso-based concoction of pumpkin flavorings, spices, and sweet cream signals the coming of fall, and to some, there is a McRib-like fascination that only comes with products that aren’t available year-round.

    And you can help make sure that the Pumpkin Spice Latte debuts in your city first. All you have to do is interact with Starbucks on Facebook.

    For the second year in a row, Starbucks is holding the Pumpkin Spice Latte Challenge on Facebook. Beginning today, the challenge sees Starbucks fans competing to earn points for their city through shares on Facebook and Twitter, and various mini-games including word searches, trivia, and artistic contests.

    Starbucks currently has over 31.4 million likes on Facebook.

    The city with the most points will be the first to receive Starbucks’ famous beverage. The company picks one U.S. and one Canadian city as winners. Last year Chicago and Calgary were the lucky locations, with Chicago garnering 7.3% of all the points in the U.S. and Calgary taking 16% of the Canadian points.

  • Square Deal With Starbucks Could Be Huge For Mobile Payments In General

    As previously reported, Square and Starbucks have entered a major partnership, which will see 7,000 Starbucks locations start offering Square as a payment option. Customers will be able to pay at Starbucks using Square’s payer application, from participating stores in the U.S. later this fall.

    Square will process Starbucks’ U.S. credit and debit card transactions, which Square says will significantly expand its own scale and “accelerate the benefits to businesses on the Square platform, especially small businesses, while reducing Starbucks payment processing costs.”

    It will be interesting to see if the deal leads to more major chains jumping on the Square bandwagon.

    “It’s certainly a good validation for Square that there’s mainstream corp interest,” Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg tells WebProNews. “Landing a major chain is a big win.”

    While there are certainly a few, it’s hard to imagine too many potential partners that could have the kind of impact on Square’s future success that Starbucks could.

    “It’s not about one partner or another but making the service valuable in as many places as possible where consumers shop,” says Gartenberg, who notes that if the fruits of the partnership take off, the number of stores where Square is available as a payment option will likely spread.

    “We’ll see, 7,000 is a good place to start,” he says.

    It will be really interesting to see what the partnership means for Square’s competitors (not to mention Starbucks’).

    “Obviously [it] puts more pressure on others to do deals of significant size to gain traction and mindshare,” says Gartenberg. “The real issue is the need to convince the consumers that this system is somehow better/easier/more valuable than just taking out the plastic card they already carry that’s used EVERYWHERE and transition that function to their phones.”

    Starbucks does already accept PayPal.

    In addition to getting Square into thousands of Starbucks locations, Square is also getting a hefty sum of money – $25 million – from Starbucks as part of a Series D round of financing. Starbucks Chairman, President and CEO Howard Schulz is also joining Square’s Board of Directors.