Starbucks is shit, it has always been shit, it will always forever be shit.
There’s a reason it failed in Australia. There’s a reason it only exists still in Australia and that’s only to cater to tourists who don’t like coffee but like coffee-flayoured milk bevetages - you’ll never find Australians in there except maybe if working and forced to make shit drinks. Literally everywhere else is better, including fast food places.
I’ll give it some credit as a “third place” but literally every other coffee shop is too and they serve actual coffee.
It’s absolutely always been shit. I’ve hated it since it gained popularity. There was a time when people would treat you as a coffee snob for hating it, but that seems to have waned as more people realized that it’s shit, even by fast food standards. I’d rather drink local, but hell I’ll take McDonald’s coffee over sbux
It’s not a third place anymore. They changed that policy about a year ago.
I’d peg that as a bigger reason for failing then. That was the true selling point of starbucks. You buy an overpriced coffee/sugarsnotmix and then use it as a meeting joint or workspace for an hour or two. I hated the trend of just-out-of-college colleagues suggesting (and getting) starbucks as a meeting location. No, I don’t want to bring my laptop to starbucks and sit around a table talking about our work for an hour or two. I have to shut down at the office, drive or get a ride to the shitjoint, re-set up everything again, and then try to keep my voice low enough to not annoy others in the place and high enough to be heard over everything going on… grumble grumble.
Eh, it wasn’t always shit, but it has been for longer than most people have been of coffee-drinking age. Once upon a time, they were a small company, and finding a location was a rare treat, and the coffee was leaps and bounds better than anything else you could find at the time.
I can tell you exactly why people aren’t going to Starbucks anymore: the quality has declined from lack of training, it’s now overpriced coffee for what it is, and their shops aren’t even good “3rd places” anymore - their furniture isn’t comfortable and the space design implies “give us money, then gtfo”. Starbucks as just turned into an overpriced fast-food coffee company
I used to frequently go to a Starbucks in the town I went to uni in; To the point where the baristas knew me by name. I went a lot because it was that 3rd place I could go and study / get work done, with readily available snacks and beverages. However, they ended up closing that shop, even though it was one of the highest rated shops in either the town/province because: they couldn’t put a drive-through in at that location 🤦
It’s ironic how at that old location, they used to write / draw stuff on the cups for their loyal customers because there was an actual friendship between the employees and the regular customers. Now they write generic stuff on the cups as “corporate mandated fun”
The coffee has always been bad.
The coffee is burnt, the milk is thin and overcooked, and this has just been a constant part of the experience forever.
What’s really changed is there’s other places to compare with, and it’s now obvious what coffee can taste like and where to go if you want one that’s half way decent.
There are two mom and pop food trucks with pretty good coffee (bean grinding, not Folgers) within reasonable walking distance of my house. There are a bunch of both food trucks and sit down joints with coffee, breakfast pastries/sandwiches, and good branding within reasonable driving distance. Even my shitty hometown has a coffee shop now and that place is garbage.
Starbucks showed that there was an appetite for coffee that isn’t just white label drip diner coffee that will strip the paint off the walls. It normalized it so that it wasn’t as pretentious looking. They normalized coffee shops. But you’re absolutely right, it’s just terrible until they add 1000 calories of dessert to it.
Idk when it was ever good or a good value…
My friends always wanted to go after school around 2005 and it was overpriced and shitty then
The local shops in my area are making a huge comeback. Starbucks killed most of the local little independents around 15 years ago. They did it by providing consistent quality and reasonable pay to their employees.
Recently local chains/independents have made a resurgence. Their secret, heavily recruiting the experienced trained Starbucks employees full-time at better pay and benefits.
Starbucks traffic is plummetting while local companies are expanding rapidly.
This morning I went to the bank and gas station right next to a Starbucks that has been there for 20 years and a 4 month old local chain. Starbucks had one person in the drive-through and maybe half a dozen people in the store. The local chain had a 10 car line and a full parking lot.
The ‘not being a third place’ thing is particularly insane to me.
Once upon a time, I considered getting a job as what Starbucks calls something like a market/cultural data analyst.
Basically, if they’re going to expand into a new market, well they have people pour over qualitative and quantitative data about how coffee culture works in that new region or area, what kinds of drinks and foods they should offer, what the store layout should be, where it should be, etc, they send people to go actually get that data if they don’t have it.
A sort of corporate missionary, basically.
… This kind of thing was their whole magic secret sauce as to how they expanded largely very quickly and successfully.
They basically operated their own half-baked intelligence agency, before ‘Big Data’ was even a term, and it allowed them to sort of custom tailor their locations and menus.
Then they basically threw all of that out the window and turned into a fast food restaurant.
They literally sold out, abandoned their initial strategies that made them compelling, and homogenized into yet another drive-through that still has floor space for weirdos who enjoy sitting down in not a car, for some reason.
… its genuienly baffling to me, untill I think about how its not supposed to make sense, its supposed to make cents, make line go up as much as possible, as fast as possible, as long term unsustainable as possible, because we are ruled by corporate pedophiles who hate us and want us to die.
I’m certain they’ve changed their recipes. The PSL was weak af this season. I admittedly treat myself to at least one a season because they used to be tasty. They are no longer tasty. I tried twice in different cities/states. Same weak flavor from both stores.
Good. Who wants to drink burnt coffee from a megacorp when I can drink coffee that’s actually good from a local business?
I don’t drink coffee, but I hear you can make it yourself.
People can cook for themselves, too, but sometimes they like to go out for food. Same with coffee. It can be nice to get out of the house and go for a cup of coffee, or grab a cup when you happen to be out. Every tried making a cup of coffee on a road trip? Not impossible, but not super practical for most people. If you want a latte but you don’t own an espresso machine you’re kind of out of luck (unless you want to get an Aeropress). Anyway, there’s lots of reasons why you’d go to a coffee shop.
Shit, I’m a four star chef, and most of what I eat is Taco Bell. Why? Because cooking for one person is a damn PITA, and I like Taco Bell.
I don’t drink the zombie bean though. I will say that Starbucks smells slightly burnt, compared to the local coffee shops.
Because cooking for one person is a damn PITA
The secret is to cook for 6, then put 5 portions in the fridge for later.
I’m a four star chef
However, doing your job at home too can be a big annoyance. That a certainly get. I’m a programmer, and damn do I not have any desire to program at home.
Former coder here, and yes, absolutely no desire to code in my spare time.
I am not a four star chef. And I would never eat at taco bell.
And then you have to do the dishes too, of which you would need multiple if you are adding in all the same ingredients as taco bell menu items and getting it done in 10 minutes.
a can o’ re-fried beans, shredded cheese in a bag, brown some meat? all goes in the dishwasher…
I just made quesadillas tonight, one pan to wipe out and that was about it.
Taco bell is pretty low effort.
If you want better, sure: cook your own beans, shred your own cheese, make some real salsa. but Taco bell level? just slop on a tortilla.
But he’s been cooking all day. I know several cooks and chefs, and the last thing any of them want to do after a day of constant cooking is to go home and cook some more, even if it takes 10 min. Now are there better (healthier) options than Taco Bell? Sure, but maybe they just enjoy Taco Bell, and maybe it’s an occasional treat.
Yeah I replied to him that way too. Like a mechanic that doesn’t maintain their own car.
I get it.
On the other hand it would take me longer to go to taco bell and buy something than just making the slop they serve, which ws kind of my point.
I totally get that. I was just saying that I can see why someone would not want to cook.
If I’ve done the hours of prep, pre-cooking, par-cooking, and cleanup that’s required to have those ingredients ready to go, yes everything at Taco Bell takes less than 5 minutes to get ready. If I’m hosting or catering a party that effort is worth it. If I’m the only one eating it, it isn’t as all I’m tasting are the mistakes I may have made.
For taco bell? Those ingredients are all basically canned. That’s why it tastes so bad. Nearly zero prep or effort.
At home I make things fresh, maybe not the tortillas. Maybe.
I’ve always been afraid to cook for my chef friends because I’m always scared they’ll tell me that my food isn’t good enough. You give me hope that they could eat some of my food.
We didn’t cook it? That is the best food we.have had in a while.
Do it like me and make awful coffee right at home 🚀
How are you making it? It could be good coffee. I use an Aeropress occasionally and it’s a decent sub for espresso.
It could be good coffee. I use an Aeropress occasionally
Ah! Found the problem!
You’re making coffee? It’s going to be awful. Drink tea like a real human.
I also drink tea! My wife is Indian and introduced me to the joy of afternoon tea.
Americans are pretty fucking disgusted that the CEO of Starbucks takes a private jet to work in Seattle from his home in California. Eat the rich.
Honestly, that’s unlikely the reason why. They may be broke or found better coffee places but if Americans voted with their morals than Walmart, Nestle products, and most top brands would also see a dip in revenue
Yeah. Cause Starbucks over roasts their coffee to ensure consistency across the brand. It tastes like shit. Gas station coffee is better. You go to Starbucks for the milk shakes made in a coffee shop. You get coffee somewhere else.
Dunkin is literally better, unless things have changed, their policy was to always have a < 15 minute pot of coffee ready. Any longer and it starts to spoil. Freshly grinded beans and a freshly brewed is probably the single most important part of coffee, inexpensive beans can taste good.
This is true at Starbucks too, the freshness of the brew is not why their coffee is bad. This is the company that sold charcoal as French roast for years before anyone noticed it was is overroasted it tasted like bad fish and ash. (I’ve never had a more difficult roast to find a pairing for - Smore’s is the answer, if anyone cares, to make starbucks french roast not taste awful)
I never understood why they roast it so hard. Who is asking for that?
Dunkin uses a blend of arabica and robusta beans so it is milder. Starbucks is 100% arabica and roast them more.
I prefer Dunkin by a long ways.
Food at Dunkin is shot tho imo. They always pull it before it’s actually hot at least at the one near me. Pretty much guaranteed I have to throw it in the microwave or toaster oven at home after buying it.
Starbucks feels like the Blockbuster of the quick-stimulation market. Once there were no alternatives, now there are loads, often cheaper and better. Without constant customer flow, it’s suddenly just vast amounts of premium real estate that need paying for. And unlike smaller competitors, it doesn’t have much room to pivot. Watching how that unwinds will be interesting.
In my area the local shops are completely destroying Starbucks. This morning I went to 8
I don’t like coffee that tastes burned.
I got news for you… it’s all burned
False. It’s all “cooked”, but to varying degrees, just like steak can be cooked blue, rare, and so on all the way past well-done.
It doesn’t all taste like it though.
Likely you’ve become accustomed to it and I’m a little jealous. As a non-coffee drinker, when I have rarely needed it, it’s always a burnt flavor, no matter how mild the roast.
Because it is. They burn the beans. Some more than others though
They roast the beans. You wouldn’t call cooking “burning the food” either. You can burn food too but then it tastes like shit - just like burnt coffee beans.
I encourage you to eat a bean straight and report back on the flavor
Why do people even go to starbucks? I’ve been there once. The coffee is sugarry slop, the atmosphere is the same fastfood atmosphere as anywhere.
If I want to go out and have a coffee on my day off, I 'd much rather go to some local coffeshop somewhere and experience their unique atmosphere, sight, sounds, smells, tastes and everything they have to offer. It’s probably cheaper as well, except that I’m usually inclined to buy a bite as well and mayne some more.
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Sbux credit is better spent on hot chocolate than coffee tbh
Surely America doesn’t have just one coffee chain?
It’s not the only one but it’s by far the most pervasive. So if you live in a small town there’s a good chance it will be your only option for espresso drinks.
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I see, that’s pretty sad
The other big one is Dunkin Donuts, but they’re even worse. The coffee tastes like dishwater and the donuts taste like plastic.
Sometimes I just crave an OrangeMoccaFrappucino.
My best friends had one once and then they perished in a freak gasoline fight afterward. I’m still haunted by the events to this day.
sugary slop
That’s why people go there.
It’s what’s available within walking distance of my office. That’s the only reason I ever go there–to pick up a sandwich and a coffee over lunch.
It’s sugary if you order sugary stuff. I drink black coffee, and I do enjoy their espressos and americanos. They are definitely expensive, but within a reasonable margin compared to competing quality from other shops in my area. I try to go local when I can.
Starbucks has moderately tasty food, and disgustingly bad coffee. If they put enough sugar into it, it’s fine… But going elsewhere yields better results.
I haven’t had a single good Starbucks experience. The biggest thing for me is that they aren’t even cheaper than a local shop. I’m sacrificing quality for what, the “convenience” of using an app to order?
The only food item I moderately liked there was the sous vide egg bites, and even those have gone through enshittification now, costing more and tasting worse.
In perhaps undue fairness to Starbucks:
There was a point in time where their breakfast egg muffin sandwich type things were imo, pretty darn tasty, and reasonably priced.
… That was around a decade ago, iirc.
I’ve not been to an SBUX in a long time, but that decade ago, they were actually making them or at least heating them in a toaster oven, not microwave, at least when I was physically inside the store.
Dude I live in an armpit of a city and even I can find a small mom and pop shop that sells better food than Starbucks, prepackaged microwaved slopass shit. You gotta have been stuck in the woods chewing on bark to think that shit is tasty.
The food is gross
Yeah I’ve seen a few messages about their food being okay over time and I’m wondering which Starbucks these guys go to …
I mean their cookies and brownies are meh, but their breakfast items and other things were not great. At least not to the places I’ve been.
It’s all just microwaved
Anti-union strike-breakers are losing business? Say it ain’t so.
As someone from the PNW, I’ve ever understood why there were lines at Starbucks here. We have great local coffee stands on basically every block, and they’re typically way better and much cheaper.
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People like being part of trends
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People like milkshakes they can deny are milkshakes
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Right? Even the hit-or-miss family friendly drive thru coffee stands are better most of the time. Hell, if you’re like me and only want a mug of tar, the stripper coffee stands are still better than Starbucks.
Starbucks coffee tastes burned, not worth their price.
Starbucks was an amusing rise and fall.
- Put one on every street-corner, possibly across the street from each other.
- Run all the other coffee shops out of business
- Let your stores fail because they can’t sustain themselves
- Competitors notice this, and move in with drive-through-only stores
Of course the competitors are small chains and the original shops were indie, but that’s just the free hand of the market fisting some folks without lube
Wait, you’re telling me that when the economy basically collapses, people can’t afford their regular coffee flavored morning milkshake?
Starbucks doesn’t even have coffee so this is stating the obvious. They only serve brown water with milk and syrups
There’s a comment on that website that says “you sholdn’t drink coffee, because sugar is bad for you” . WhichI thought a weird statement ti make, until I read your comment and remembered what starbucks was.
Starbucks has plenty of unsweetened options. They’re not good, but the do have them…
So they serve unsweetened brown water. It has nothing to do with coffee, don’t you dare give an Italien a heart attack. I’m not Italian, but I appreciate the Italians for their coffee.
We’re broke lol
