Over the past six months or so, I've noticed a significant drop in both the quality of a cup of coffee at Starbucks as well as the service I receive. What used to be a fairly reliable cup of "joe" is now often either too weak or too strong. Their employees aren't as nice or as aware of trash/dirt buildup in the stores either. I've noticed this while patronizing several of their shops in the DC/VA/MD area\ on a regular basis.

Yeah, when I make my own coffee, it tastes perfect, but I don't always have that convenience. Enter Starbucks..... but maybe not so much anymore.

Any similar observations, or am I simply a bigger coffee snob than I'm aware?

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

That's because Starbuck's stopped making coffee that was supposed to last for 20+ years, and is now trying to offer low-cost brands to consumers that couldn't afford the flagship line of coffees that Starbuck's is known for.

Unfortunately, the efforts to produce the low-cost brands has caused quality in all of their products to suffer as whole. Part of the demise is that Starbuck's now manufactures some of their coffee products in Alabama, and customers have been returning those products with all sorts of complaints!

Also, consumers have been demanding coffee with all of the latest technology, and thus Starbuck's coffee has become much too complicated to service and maintain!

Experts attribute the demise to Starbuck's latest merger with Folgers, whose failing products have tarnished the marque.

They are also under pressure by a budding crop of Asian coffee manufacturers that can produce a great reliable cup of Joe at low cost!

Personally, I'm fed up with the new Starbuck-Folgers line of coffees, and have reverted to only consider the simpler versions of old.

I only buy used Starbuck's coffee now!

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

G-Benz,

Try replacing the word 'Starbucks' with 'Mercedes-Benz'....and 'coffee' with 'auto'.....familiar complaints

"We were fortunate nobody was killed," said Rick Arthur, Starbucks' vice president for facilities.

After the Nisqually earthquake in Seattle about a 2 years ago, Starbucks had to do some major remodeling of their world wide headquarters at the "SODO" center. They converted a concrete building into a brick building. As if that would be more stable in the next quake Anyway, they have to pay for the work somehow...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/48431_quake28.shtml

__________________
...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

That is a most excellent bit of ironic writing.

Tip o' the hat, Lebenz.

Put it this way......not only MB is dropping in quality!

__________________
99 C43
98 S420
99 C230K
01 C240

The "gasket" issue only plague the "Barista" configurations...the different expansion coefficients between acrylic and aluminum, ya know...

The Starbuck's mugs only require filter changes, but the French Compressor versions are known to have harness and harmonic balancer issues...

...I've tried to get my '02 Tazo fixed under warranty but Starbuck's denies any problems exist.

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

I've had problems with the Barista configurations, too, but the problems had nothing to do with acrylic or aluminum..

__________________
...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

I work at an independant coffee shop, so I dont taste starbuck's coffee very much.

But ironically, just last night, I got a capacino from a 'Bucks near a movie theatre. The foam was very airy -- not tasty micro-foam. The espresso was very burned and dark, as if they were using a french roast as an espresso blend. The service was poor, not saying hello, spelling my name totally wrong on the cup, etc.

I was happy ... because this means more business for the indys!

So Starbucks' "Verona" blend, one of my favorites, is no longer really the genuine Verona of old? What replaced it?

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

I had to go to downtown Chicago today, and da boss wanted to get something from Starbucks before we left town, so he asked what I wanted-----never been there before. What I kinda like (now don't start gagging all you coffee snobs) is the Cappucino at Mickey D's, so I asked for a Cappucino. The girl behind the counter was nice enough, blabbed something about the Frappucino, yeah yeah, sounds good, boss wants to go......
Bleahhh!!!! I drank it, but when you're expecting something really pretty sweet, wasn't what I expected at all, but I drank it all.
If I end up there again, do they have anything like a sweet coffee kinda drink, or jsut ask the boss to stop by Mickey D's next time?
I probably would have been happier with a regular coffee from McD's with about 5 creams in it.....

Gilly

The frapuccino is pretty sweet, but it's a cold drink made with blended ice. Too sweet for me, maybe it'll be fine for you.

Otherwise, just load up on the sugar!

Better yet, walk up to a beautiful girl and say, "Excuse me, they seem to be out of sugar, would you be so kind as to stir my coffee with your pinky to sweeten it up a bit?"

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

Nah, this was hot. Maybe I did just need to give it a little cream and sugar or something.....

Gilly

Heck, I usually order a small latte with an extra shot of espresso, then put only a teaspoon of sugar in! But now I'm just rambling.......

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

Hi...I'm G-Benz and I'm a Starbucksaholic!

(Hi G-Benz)

I've not had a mocha for six months to this day...

...but now the holiday lineup is back, and I've been sloshing gingerbread lattes daily! I'm so ashamed!

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car