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The Coffee Eliteby Alina RubezhovaThe potent aroma of espresso beans fills the air. Mellow jazz, kept at a soothing volume, plays in the background, while students and business professionals all consumed by work, type away on their laptops. Employees swiftly work but still find time to enjoy the after-morning rush by joking around with each other. It’s holiday season, which means an array of limited seasonal drinks have arrived, including the Gingerbread Latte and the popular Pumpkin Spice. On a warm November afternoon, customers line up one-by-one as they skillfully order their favorite drinks. “Iced triple grande sugar-free vanilla soy latte, please.” Or for those in the holiday spirit: “A venti skim peppermint mocha.” This isn’t a generic coffee shop. This is Starbucks. The place where tall means small, skinny isn’t talking about waist size, the customer is always right and the regulars basically speak their own language. Starbucks has seemingly taken over – along Fashion Avenue in New York City, there is a shop at nearly every corner; Boston’s Commonwealth Avenue has four locations (soon to be five) within a ten-minute walk of each other; and a majority of Target and Barnes and Nobles locations nationwide have Starbucks shops within their stores. And it doesn’t end there. Starbucks Coffee, which planted its seed in Seattle in 1971, now franchises out 17,651 locations worldwide, according to its website. The brand has managed to create a niche for itself within the coffee universe. Although the coffee is more expensive than its rivals’, it has created a devoted following. Whether yuppie or soccer mom, the place to meet for a cup of coffee somehow becomes the daytime chardonnay – especially when ordering a fabulous white mocha latte with skim milk, and of course, don’t hold the whipped cream. The coffee enterprise even endeavors to conquer the tea world. It bought Tazo tea in 1999 and most recently made a deal with Teavana, a self-proclaimed “heaven of tea.” Starbucks plans to pay $620 million to buy Teavana Holdings Inc. by the end of the year. The Atlanta-based retailer sells specialty teas with health benefits. “Teavana’s world-class tea authority, coupled with the romance and theater of the retail experience that is the heart and soul of the Starbucks image, will create a differentiated customer experience,” notes Howard Shultz, the Starbucks’ CEO, in a press release.While Starbucks is an innovator in its highly competitive market, it is also more expensive than its competitors. So, what exactly is it about the Seattle-based company that makes so many consumers walk past the closer and cheaper coffee houses, towards the green bold letters and through the big glass doors? Some may say the brand has succeeded in the way it has marketed itself throughout the years. “Starbucks has taken care to maintain an experiential consistency in both the quality of its products as well as a consistency in the physical environment that it also provides,” says Boston University marketing communication professor, Rob Schmidt. The brand prides itself on having high quality products while also remaining conscious of the responsible and ethical production/purchasing of those products. Starbucks also values the notion of giving back to the communities it serves – through participation in community service, being “green” and providing the customers with healthier options. These have certainly contributed to a devoted customer base. One can’t just walk into any coffee shop and order a “skinny” Mocha latte (which has fewer calories than a traditional mocha) from a recycle friendly cup.As for the physical environment, each location is set up similarly – providing a familiar haven regardless of locale. Customers are aware of where to enter the line, how to order, where to pay and finally, where to pick up their delicious fresh brewed hot or cold beverage. Although many coffee chains aside from Starbucks are set up similarly across the nation, Starbucks has managed to maintain a comfortable ambiance that brings people back. To add on to that coziness, customers know they will always receive the same quality drinks nation and worldwide, as each employee is trained in making the drink “just right” each and every time.Another factor that contributes to the environment Starbucks creates is the ability to virtually customize a drink order. The 30 blends of coffee are just the beginning of what customers can order - a plethora of espresso and espresso-free options give customers full control. One can order soymilk, whole milk, sugar-free syrup, hot or cold. The options are almost limitless. “We all know what a physical Starbucks location looks like: the architecture, colors, furniture, countertops, music and amenities. These are all critical and consistent experiential elements that, coupled with their premium variety of customized and signature coffees, drinks and foods, keeps up coming back for more,” Schmidt notes.The Starbucks environment Because of its customizability, pricier drinks and appealing pastry options, Starbucks may seem a lavish indulgence, but to some it has become a daily habit, much like a chic martini or wine bar. The brand has created its own “coffee-shop elite.” From the energetic work environment to the warm-inviting physical setting, Starbucks has managed to create a cultural microcosm – a familiar place and a privileged lifestyle associated with merely walking through the doors. “If you look at the prices, Starbucks should be a luxury, but instead it’s become a necessity and a routine. People feel entitled to their drinks,” says Staci Morrison, a part-time Starbucks employee. Morrison, a third semester Communication graduate student at Boston University, has worked at Starbucks for nearly her entire graduate program. Her decision to apply at Starbucks was based on the fact that it was the only company she found that offers benefits packages to part-time employees. The company provides a variety of benefit packages, each customized towards what the employee has determined he or she wants. This program, referred to as “Your Special Blend,” can include: health insurance (medical, dental and vision), a 401K, a stock equity reward program, as well as education benefits, tuition assistance and of course…free coffee. Once an employee, full or part time, has worked 160 hours over a consecutive two-month period he/she is eligible for these benefits. Starbucks also has a unique management style that keeps its employees – who are referred to as “partners” in the handbook and “baristas” on the floor – happy, and they in turn keep the customers joyful through smooth and quick transactions. The managers and supervisors take great care to provide coffee tastings and a detailed training program for new hires. Proper training is essential to making the perfect drink – from the weight of the drink (particularly when making cappuccinos) to the flavor. A great deal of meticulousness goes into the process of making sure the customer always walks out in a satisfied and uplifted mood.Aside from keeping the customers and employees happy, Starbucks also stresses teamwork. “You have to learn to work well with others,” Morrison says, also mentioning that each employee knows his or her duties, ensuring an efficient work environment. There is always a shift manager, usually a long-time barista, running the floor. Each employee is assigned a station (for example, one makes Frappuccino drinks while another makes espresso beverages). The number of employees is pre-determined based on the peak hours of the location, with more on the floor during the busy morning and after-work periods. These teamwork and communication skills will also be an asset in much of the “real life” jobs these young baristas will proceed into.Matt Hartl, 23, can attest to that. He worked at Starbucks for six years before becoming an auditor a Deloitte, an accounting firm. “[Starbucks] helped me develop a good work ethic and helped me become a team player in my current job,” Hartl says. The company has created an experience he has yet to forget. At 16, when he began his journey as a barista, the job may have seemed like a way to make some extra money, pass time and drink (a copious amount of) free coffee. However, Hartl mentions that being a barista was his favorite job to date. “There was a good community of people to work with as well as good benefits,” he adds.The corporation has clearly shown that it values its employees. Conversely, those employees don’t have much to complain about other than the occasional rude customer. Because Starbucks’ mentality is that the ‘customer is always right,’ employees will often do anything to satisfy said customers. If a customer says she ordered an extra shot of espresso in her latte – even if she didn’t – a barista will gladly remake the drink to the customer’s standard, no if’s and’s or but’s. But, even with the fast paced work environment, the excessive customer focus, the teamwork and the occasional impolite patron, Starbuck’s employees remain relatively carefree.“Working at Starbucks is a lot like working with your friends,” is on the forefront of the Starbucks career website and both Hartl and Morrison can vouch for that. Hartl notes that his favorite part of the job was his co-workers, while Morrison too mentions she has managed to create a bond with many of hers – whom she refers to as truly laid back. Morrison also adds that she will miss them when she leaves Boston after completion of her graduate program. Because a majority of the employees attend schools scattered throughout Boston, Morrison says she would most likely not have been able meet them if she did not work at Starbucks. The “corner coffee shop” that has allowed her to have much needed funds for her education has enriched her life, even socially. One thing Morrison most values most about her job is the friendships she has made throughout the experience.Coffee-shop culture and the self proclaimed hipsterThe success of Starbucks can be attributed to the burgeoning phenomena of coffee shops both in the United States and abroad. In a college environment, in particular, “home” is no longer the go-to place to sit down and study – instead students flock to coffee shops. They venture out early to stake out the best possible table or couch, and they sprawl out for hours at a time. It seems being surrounded by others with the same scholarly purpose in mind makes for a more productive study environment. Or perhaps simply being around other like-minded people is the foundation of this deep-rooted culture.“As humans, we naturally seek companionship and social interaction on a day-to-day basis,” Professor Schmidt notes, adding that the “coffee house” can fulfill this human need. A 24/7 always-connected media environment amplifies this need for interaction. The wisdom of the Starbucks management to maintain all of their shops/franchises as Wi-Fi accessible is another bit of the model that has helped make Starbucks on the cutting edge of successful. With the world at one’s fingertips, people can constantly share tidbits of their lives with friends through new media. Thus, it is no surprise that they feel entitled to leave the traditional work environment and traverse to the coffee shop and other social environments.The typical coffee shop patron paints a picture of a modern-day “hipster” – who Time magazine once described as “the friends who sneer when you cop to liking Coldplay. They’re the people who wear t-shirts silk-screened with quotes from movies you’ve never heard of and the only ones in America who still think Pabst Blue Ribbon is a good beer.” And ironically, one coffee shop in San Francisco, Four Barrel Coffee, has even addressed this crowd by incorporating them into a comical set of rules. After “keeping voices at a reasonable level,” the rules state: “Please be respectful of our Caledonia neighbors by not talking about annoying hipster topics.” And although management was joking, it was still an acknowledgement of the crowd that usually permeates this scene.Starbucks may not deviate too far from this atmosphere of hipster college students, but it does spark a portrait of a more educated student or a business professional – one who appreciates quality and consistency. “I love their staff and the warming atmosphere,” says Krystyn McIntyre, a graduate student at Northeastern University. “As a grad student, it is difficult to have a chance to sit down and relax with my coffee, but I do meet a lot of friends there. It is a good place to just sit and-chit chat,” she adds. McIntyre might say she’s addicted to Starbucks. She gets her favorite, a “Venti Hazelnut Pike Place Roast” topped with half and half, daily. Her addiction has even gotten her to go a longer distance than usual to satisfy the craving. At one point she was at a conference where the closest Starbucks was a half hour drive. “Yeah, I drove to get it,” she admits.Although the quality brings customers back, the habit of buying a daily coffee or latte can get expensive. Because of the eagerness to spend $5 on a drink, there may be a misconception of the Starbucks fanatic. Some may view them as self-entitled snobs who can afford to spend their money on expensive overly complicated drinks. But those who do splurge on this luxury, much like McIntyre, certainly beg to differ.“I’m not snobby,” says Ryan Wilson, a 24-year old Northeastern University graduate. “We all have preferred tastes, but every cup of Dunkin disappoints me…I will forever spend the extra six cents for a cup of good coffee,” he adds. Wilson finds himself frequenting Starbucks with the mission of searching and applying for jobs. He lauds the quality of the products Starbucks sells. “I like my coffee strong, and simple. I know when I go in to a Starbucks and ask for a ‘Grande bold [roast],’ that I will get a great cup of coffee, brewed within the last hour, not within the last three,” he says. Wilson sits casually perched on one of Starbuck’s sofas wearing a light blue polo, blue jeans and Sperry’s and is holding a signature Starbucks red holiday cup full of black coffee. His white MacBook rests on his lap, with the Internet browser open to a job-search website. He currently bartends at a restaurant/bar in Boston, but plans on heading back home to New York in search of other job opportunities…and more Starbucks shops.“I know that anywhere I go, I can find coffee that suits my palette at the closest Starbucks,” Wilson says. “Plus, the employees act like they care about coffee, and it really shows.” ................
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