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| - As someone who once upon a time was employed by Starbucks, frequents Starbucks to the point of owning a Gold Card which is frequently used, and can list off their new products by quarters, I have a pretty solid grasp of the company, their standard, and some of the finer details that the company keeps.
Service here is generally pretty decent in terms of drink turn around time, well-trained, friendly baristas, and I frankly love the location and appearance of this particular Starbucks: The Pagoda style roof/building is charming.
The GM is super cute and friendly, super chatty about the company, and has done some pretty awesome things such as helped me condense and transfer all of my funds around from one gift card, an old Gold Card that would store but not "Read" money, and my new Gold Card and put it all into one card. Horray!
Not only that, but the crowd here is fun. Since it's in China Town, it only stands to reason that you would have a lot of Asians: Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and even Vietnamese. So it's a great spot to go and people watch. (I drive a Honda and parked in the middle of a 7-long row of Honda vehicles in the parking lot, hahahaha.) And an occasional drag queen pops up here, to boot. Yeah, interesting crowd!
So anyway, my main issue with this place is the fact that over the last four years that I've been dropping by, the DM or someone has been a little too overzealous with the state of employment in this store. Every time my co-workers and I get to know a barista at this location, they're GONE! They've been transferred off, or just "let go" at the drop of a hat, with no warning or notice to us. As a company that just dreams of becoming a frequent habit in your lifestyle, it's a little offputting for this to happen not just once or twice but ALL the time! One of the reasons why I love the Starbucks by me at Tenaya/Crag is because the individuals who are up there have been there for some time and haven't been transferred out - I know them, they know my drink preferences, and so on.
So yeah, it's a decent Starbucks but don't get too attached to any of the staff, they never seem to be there more than year. :|
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