I’ve been following Starbucks’ attempt at a turnaround ever since founder Howard Schultz returned to lead the company a year ago. The company was facing competition from Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s, as well as independent coffee shops, and it needed some fresh ideas.
Schultz introduced a new daily brew, Pike Place Roast, which can now be found on any day, at any Starbucks around the country. But one of his biggest moves was a promise to reduce the size of the espresso machine, so customers could feel as though they were having a more personal interaction with their baristas. That was generally the first change mentioned in any story about the company’s “turnaround.”
To me, that showed a basic lack of understanding of what was truly wrong. A coffee shop should be a nice place to hang out. Starbucks was always dirty, the coffee was mediocre, the food was terrible, and the employees were crabby. In other words, it was just like any other fast food joint, but with higher prices and more stylish decor. I never left a Starbucks thinking, “Man, I like that place, but I wish the darn espresso machine was smaller.”
Replacing the espresso machines was probably a huge waste of shareholder funds. However, in my opinion, the Pike Place Roast has been more or less a success. It’s reliably decent. Unlike most Starbucks coffee, it doesn’t taste burnt. Though I’ve had a few terrible cups of Pike Place Roast, I enjoy it approximately 85 percent of the time, and it makes me feel as though buying a brew at Starbucks is not a terrible risk. I also applaud the fact that Starbucks is putting the Clover coffee machine in a handful of stores. My favorite coffee shop uses a Clover, and the coffee is amazing. Unfortunately, Starbucks will still be putting its own over-roasted beans in the Clover, which is a major handicap … but still, the coffee that comes out of it has to be an improvement.
So yesterday, when I walked into a Starbucks on 6th avenue, I was feeling pretty positive about the company’s “turnaround.” Good music was playing, the customers were cheerful, and the vibe was “coffeeshop” rather than “McDonald’s.” Then I walked into the bathroom. It was filthy, and it was cold. The dirtiness wasn’t a huge surprise; many Starbucks bathrooms, I’ve found, offer little more than a standard fast food joint when it comes to comfort or cleanliness. But why, in a winter of record cold weather, would the bathroom be unheated? When I’m enjoying a relaxing afternoon at a coffeeshop, and I go to the bathroom, and I don’t want to feel as though I’m camping.
If Howard Schultz wants to revive the fortunes of Starbucks, he should think about what really makes customers comfortable in a cafe. More armchairs, cheerful baristas, and a clean, heated bathroom would be a good start.
