Once every year, Starbucks gives away a free cup of coffee and this year, the day is Thursday, March 15, from 10 to noon. So if you want a free tall cup of coffee, head on out to your nearest Starbucks.
Where’s your nearest Starbucks? Use your cell phone to find out.
An interesting opinion that Starbucks has grown too big for its own good. With SBUX stores popping up all over the place, the experience of going to a Starbucks has been getting diluted.
I first noticed something like this when going to a Starbucks at an airport (forget which one though). After a long plane ride (is there such a thing as a short plane ride?), I was glad to see the familiar green logo in the airport. When ordering though, instead of grinding the beans and packing it in the espresso maker, the barista simply pushed a button on an automatic espresso machine that started dispensing espresso for my drink. Speedy yes, but not quite the same you know what I mean?
It feels like the automatic machine takes away the expertise of the barista allowing anyone to make espresso shots. A barista out sick today? Go grab the janitor, stick a green apron on him, and have him push the “make espresso” button. I don’t know what kind of training Starbucks baristas get, but I’m sure it’s more than simply pushing a button.
If you’re having a tough time like me winning a free customized Starbucks tee shirt, you do have the option of bidding for shirts designed for celebrities. Through the Clothes Off Our Back auctions, movie stars are auctioning off their Starbucks shirts for charity.
So if you can’t win a shirt by the end of this month, you can bid $100 for Jessica Biel’s women’s small shirt or $160 for Heroes’ Masi Oka XL. Several Lost actors are also participating in the auction.
If you’re lucky, you can get a free customized Starbucks tee shirt. Each day until the end of February, Starbucks.com is giving away a limited number of shirts at 10am (PST) that you can personalize with your favorite drink. Here’s my design that I would pick out if I manage to get a shirt. It’s for an iced grande, non-fat, no whip, caramel macchiato.
If you don’t get a free shirt, you can still get a free desktop wallpaper with your design.
Noticing some price changes to coffee drinks in the new year. Starbucks’ Cinnamon Dolce Latte is now the priciest coffee drink they offer. For whatever reason, the cost of the caramel macchiatto, the former high price champ, has come down from its recent price of $4.11 to $3.93 (I think – where’s that receipt?). It’s good to give a $5 bill and actually get back a bill as change instead of just getting back coins. Still though, the reduced Hawaii price can’t compare to the $3.45 price tag in the Armpit of Cali.
While the price of Starbucks drinks went down, the cost of Ito-en/Royal Mills canned coffee drinks have gone up. Looking at this week’s Longs and Holiday Mart Daiei Don Quijote ads, the Royal Mills drinks are now $0.55 a can. Previously when on sale, these drinks went for two for $1. Wonder if the recycling fee has something to do with the price change? Still though, these drinks are a bargain compared to other canned/bottled coffee drinks and taste good enough.
Looks like the Starbucks/Apple relationship will be getting serious in ’07. While a rumor in 2006, this recently announced venture will let you buy downloadable music at Starbucks stores sometime this year and load them directly to your music player (most likely an iPod).
Starbucks already has an exclusive Starbucks Entertainment section on the iTunes Store. This partnership will transform this on-line arrangement into a physical one at the brick-and-mortar Starbucks stores. I wonder if I’d be able to buy a Cinnamon Dolce Latte with an iTunes gift card?
A reason why Coke Blak is doomed is because Coca-Cola Co. has plans to introduce a new iced drink in partnership with Caribou Coffee Co. as well as a “coffee-and-chocolate flavored Godiva Belgian Blends” drink.
In line from Starbucks are hot vending machines which will dispense Starbucks coffee cans!
Read more about the $1 billion packaged-coffee market here. Damn addicts…
With the yummy Peppermint Mocha and other Holiday drinks exiting Starbucks in Hawaii, the Cinnamon Dolce Latte is the newest drink addition for 2007. This drink is smooth with the right amount of cinnamon – not overwhelming and more than just an aftertaste.
Starbucks describes this drink as, “The beverage of beautiful, buttery bliss is back.” Back? Yes, back for mainland Starbuckeroos anyways. This is the first time the Cinnamon Dolce Latte is available in the Islands as I complained about last year.
The drink is worth the wait. No hard feelings. $4.24 for a grande with Hawaii’s newly-increased excise tax.
With a new coffee grinder and several Starbucks gift cards, I headed to Starbucks to see what kinds of whole beans they had. I picked up their Christmas Blend which “features mellow, smooth Indonesian coffees, lively Central American coffees and aged Indonesian arabicas for a delightfully distinct taste.”
I also splurged and got one of their Black Apron Exclusives from the Ethiopia Gemadro Estate. The Black Apron Exclusives are supposed to be Starbucks’ best, rarest, and “most intriguing coffees.” The Ethiopia Gemadro Estate coffee is described as “wonderfully complex layers of flavours – herbal, cocoa powder-like spice and pungent citrus – accented by the slightest hint of eucalyptus.” Sounds fancy.
I’m no coffee expert and can’t tell what makes a good coffee, but the freshly-ground Ethiopian coffee does taste good and is very smooth.
How many Starbucks do you need in the Ward area? My last count was four on Auahi Street! There’s one at the Ward Gateway Center by Wahoo’s and Sports Authority. There’s one downstairs from the movie theaters. I recently saw one near the new PF Changs, and just today, I just found out that the coffee bar in Borders switched over to Starbucks.
So that’s four, count’em four Starbucks on this one small strip of shops. Of course, I need to try out all of them. Two down, two to go.
According to a small blurb in the Classifieds section of the Honolulu Advertiser (11/15/06), here are the top ten brand names.
| 1) | Apple |  |
| 2) | BlackBerry |  |
| 3) |  |
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| 4) | Amazon |  |
| 5) | Yahoo |  |
| 6) | Ebay |  |
| 7) | Red Bull |  |
| 8) | Starbucks |  |
| 9) | Pixar |  |
| 10) | Coach |  |
These companies’ sales “have increased the most within their industries within the past four years.” Where’s Nike?
