After standing over them with a stopwatch for decades, Starbucks made headlines around the world
last week for telling baristas to slow down. Now they aren't to make
more than two drinks at a time, and they're to steam pitchers of milk
and grind batches of coffee as needed instead of all at once. This is
all meant to improve the quality of drinks, which customers are rating
as both "average" and inconsistent, as well as to ratchet up the
"romance" and "theater" of the coffee experience.
While Starbucks baristas (aka "partners") are debating whether the new coffeemaking rules will actually improve things, gum up the works, or be adopted at all, I'm curious whether the new rules will give them an opportunity to push another cultural change. I have an upcoming feature story on Starbucks' struggle to meet its goal of placing storefront recycling in all stores they own, plus serving 25% of beverages in reusable cups, by 2015.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Starbucks Wants Baristas to Slow Down, Can Caffeine-Craving Customers Wait? | Fast Company
Author: Anya Kamenetz
