Starbucks

What a great place to be on this rainy Wednesday so warm and cozy inside. This passion tango tea is shaken just right for my palate. Included was warm Toffeedoodle cookie that just made my heart sing I’ve always loved Starbucks coffee and when I started trying the desserts they offered I fell in love all over again. The staff is so amazing and helpful in assisting you in making a good choice in whatever your palate likes. I recommend Starbucks!

Used to really love this location because they had such awesome staff and consistent service. We frequented a few days a week for the past several years, but I fear I no longer have feelings for them. I am breaking up with this Starbucks.
I purchased several items today, along with a lb. of coffee that needed to be ground. They forgot to hand it to me and I forgot about it. So we are both at fault I suppose. However, it was paid for and they really should have handed it to me. Came back to pick it up a half hour later. Asked the barista (loosely titled) could she please check for my coffee. She said she just got there and I would have to wait in line to get it. Wait… what?
I told her she actually made our lattes, how could she forget us so quickly? This is Starbucks, not the L.A. Airport. She was not the cashier, but she did make our coffees. She denied it. which is like calling me a liar.

Another employee came out and handed me my coffee. He too was just short of calling me a liar… never apologized… because apparently, as is common with Starbucks employees anyway, it is not cool. Or maybe it is in the Starbucks handbook. Never apologize, it makes you look weaker than you already are. And be sure to treat your customers, especially the regulars, like sh*t. Because, we are so ginormous. who cares if we lose a few.
There are a few great employees but it’s a crap shoot. And I don’t gamble.
P. S. ~ The person who said she didn’t make our lattes, actually makes a great latte. But don’t tell her because she’ll deny it… since she didn’t actually make them. Mind blown!
P. S.S. ~ The coffees are rarely consistent. We don’t even order them when certain employees are making them.

UPDATE 8÷13÷14: There has been a morning crew change recently, and the «new» morning crew is much improved, so I’m raising my rating a couple of stars. So far, they have been open on time (even a few min. early!), friendly, and attentive. The store appears to be generally cleaner as well.
By far the worst Starbucks I’ve ever been to. Unfortunately it’s also the closest and most convenient to me, so I end up patronizing them more then I’d prefer. However, this does give me plenty of opportunities to observe the late-​arriving employees (just change the opening to 6am and save the embarrassment of opening late all the time), the filthy patio and overflowing trash cans, rancid milk, and stale pastries. Some of the staff do manage to eke out a smile now and then, so I give them credit for that. But beyond that occasional bright spot there’s not much to recommend at this location.

No. Don’t come here. The service is horrible. I vowed not to go back after my first experience. It was a busy weekday morning. Ordered a chai latte. Waited, waited. Watched people who were behind in line leave with their drinks. Waited. Asked if my order had gotten lost. Rude barista told me it was coming. How did I fall behind everyone else? Waited, waited. Was late to work :(
Went back this morning thinking, well maybe that was an off day. Just ordered hot tea to avoid the wait. The cashier was pretty unpleasant. When I got into work and talked to coworkers, I found out that they try to avoid the Charles St location because the service is known to be awful. Next time I’ll try York Rd – their service is supposed to be great. I don’t need special treatment, but there’s no reason to be rude and unpleasant.

StarBazzaro!
The absolute worst SB I have ever visited; Quite possibly the worst starbucks in the country. I travel a ton, and I have visited starbucks in virtually every major city, in every state in the country multiple times. Usually, no matter the location, the SB «template» is the same; (top 3) good friendly service, consistent product, smart design, (interiors have a smart use of space, ingress/​egress can be challenging, but they usually maximize the locations configuration)
This starbucks has none of the above:
1. Service — Whats up! Didn’t these employees attend the SB Barista School?! Or did they just get out of the pokey! Is this Starbucks located in «Bazzaro World»? Smile and be friendly. No offence, but the Baristas’ at this location seem to be a mix of individuals from; the Star Wars bar scene meets «The Wire». They are surly, raw and not very cleaver in their pursuit of individuality, it’s all just weird. I am sure if they were friendly, their glaring aesthetic missteps would be nothing more than a head scratcher; however, due to their unprofessional attitudes, customer’s attention and focus falls to product and NOT the experience.
My Experience: 5 Employees, 2 customers, took me 20 minutes to get out with a tall coffee. Every employee in there was talking to one another and outright ignoring the customers.
2. Product– One thing a «normal» SB does really well is sell experience, that withstanding, product and QC is also their specialty. No matter the location, QC is at the top of their list. This location has none of the above.
My Experience: First let me say I have visited this SB many times, it is less than a mile from my home. Every time I go into this location the product has been either: too cool, had so many grinds at the bottom of the cup that I had to «strain» or they do not have any brewed product. I have gone in many times to order a decaf only to hear «we don’t have any» I am sorry, but is that English you are speaking or some strange mix of Huttese and Urban Ewok.
3. Architectural layout/​Parking– This must be a systemic problem with this SB. It is absolutely the worst design and the absolute worst use of space I have ever seen in a national Corp. owned chain. This layout and design has to be one of the biggest contributors to this locations shortcomings. The location and size of the front door (and the lack of «staging» on the sidewalk creates a bottle neck at the front door location. This forces everyone to stand outside when more than 6 people are in line. This, all due to the way the counters are «stacked» in the front of the store. There is a large «Bar» area with only a few tables for sitting in the back of the store. There is plenty of space in the «footprint» it needs to be re-​configured.
My Experience: when visiting this location just today, it was raining, 6 people were in line, one regester opened I was forced to stand in the threshold of the front door. Please note I counted 6 employees (that’s a customer employee ratio of 1:1, are you telling me you couldn’t even open another cash register!?)
btw-​Parking: Ok, parking i soetimes give a pass becasue many SB’s have no parking at all and they cant always control this element. However, this place is rediculous! Who designed the ingress/​egress? a 5^th grader? Tip: Park between 7 – 11 and the store, enter through Eddies parking lot, you wont get a ticket, it is private property.
**Bottom line; Go somewhere else unless you want to visit a shrine to a bad experience.

This is a convenient place to get a cup of joe, however the parking lot is horrible (small leading to accidents). The store is small and does not have enough seating. Especially in the winter when there is no outside seating. In the summer the outside seating is extremely loud due to being directly on a 4 lane road, so it is not good for sitting out and relaxing while reading. The waiting zone (where you stand and wait for your drink) is small and often leads to bumping into people.