Starbucks pouring free coffee Tuesday!

SEATTLE (AP) -- Starbucks Corp. is hosting a nationwide coffee-tasting to celebrate the launch of its new “everyday” brew, a key ingredient in its drive to boost slumping sales.

Customers who line up at most of the coffee retailer’s U.S. stores Tuesday morning will get a free 8 oz. cup of Pike Place Roast from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Chairman and Chief Executive Howard Schultz says Pike Place Roast has a bold flavor, smooth finish and “subtle, rich flavors of cocoa and toasted nuts.”

It will be freshly roasted, hand-scooped, freshly ground and brewed in small batches that sit for no longer than 30 minutes.
Starbucks will sell it -- both regular and decaf -- alongside rotating coffees of the week.

They are gonna be roasting this every thirty minutes?

So that's what that cryptic ad I saw in the Times on Saturday was about. Personally I abhor their regular coffee, so I'll be sticking with Dunkin' Donuts and 7-11.

With most starbucks it sits until the pot is out. Prior to this they didn't want to waist coffee. But, now it looks as if they are going to go with the more fresh route rather then not letting anything go to waist.

The problem I see with this is the turnaround factor. If you come in just when the half hour mark is up, it may mean that you have to wait for the new coffee to be ready before you can get it.

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We don't roast it every 30 minutes, but it will be freshly brewed every 30 minutes. And it's also not true that the urns sat until we ran out--they were dumped every hour regardless of how much coffee was left. We're changing the way we freshly ground and brew the coffee to ensure premium freshness and flavor. And it really isn't any more labor; my store started the new brewing method last week, and if anything it's easier.

Plus if the store is brewing correctly, you shouldn't have to wait for more coffee. It's not hard to space it out so that everything doesn't go off at the same time. Even if you do come in when the coffee runs out, it'll be ready in 5 minutes--easily how much time you'd spend standing in line in NYC any way.

PS--I seriously suggest trying the new Pike Place Roast. It's an extremely well balanced coffee that will easily appeal to at least 95% of coffee drinkers.

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That was beautiful Joe.

I for one am not a fan of the new Starbucks culture that they have invented. My brother was a barista and he hated more then anything having to go to the coffee tastings and whatnot just to serve a cup of friggen coffee or to make a latte.


It was interesting going to the store he was working in. I always got free drinks because he was my brother and he was working there. But, no one working there believed in the whole starbucks philosophy. They worked there because it was a good place to work while they were all looking for other jobs. They could never understand why someone would bend to serve a mass company and follow their way of thinking.

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You mean burn a batch! Starbucks burns their beans and their regular coffee tastes like feces!

Have you tasted enough feces to make an accurate comparison?

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Updated On: 4/7/08 at 09:42 PM

Skittles, LOL!

I for one will take advantage of the free coffee tomorrow. Since I buy one almost every night on the way in to work, I might as well!

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I heard they burn them on purpose.

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Actually, they are focusing heavily on improving customer service. If you have crappy baristas, it's probably because they don't buy into the company "philosophy." Apathy breeds mediocrity and all that.

If you're ever in Kansas I'll gladly give you a perfectly made whatever with a smile. Although I truly hope you never have to come to Kansas.

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Starbucks is the illustration of how a company can get "too big too fast." It's astounding that their customer services isn't worse when they are adding so many stores every week. Training is a huge problem. They even closed all the stores and re-trained the entire staff a few weeks back.

And Starbucks is apparently MUCH better to it's employees than most retailers. At least they offer benefits and a decent salary.

It's astounding that their customer services isn't worse when they are adding so many stores every week.

And don't think the company doesn't know this. When Howard Schultz came back as CEO, a memo went out that basically said that we're not opening additional stores until the standards are back to where he wants them and that the company will be closing stores that are under performing.

As far as how they treat employees, I'm just thrilled to have a job that offers me health insurance, 401K, and stock options at part time. Makes my up-coming job search that much easier. Unlike all my friends who graduated school and got cut from their parents' insurance while looking for a job, I can have insurance through Starbucks while I'm looking.

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