Starbucks - Cleveland Heights, Ohio (Cedar and Fairmount)

Okay, this has got to be the very best Starbucks Coffee Shop that I've ever visited.  I decided to spend my afternoon in this Starbucks simply because I liked the picture that I saw of the building while googling Cleveland area Starbucks.  Upon arrival, I realized that I would have to use metered parking on the street in front of Starbucks.  Now maybe there was free parking available, but being unfamiliar with the area I just wasn't sure and didn't want to drive around looking for it. After I paid the meter, quarter/30 minutes, I headed in with my low expectations in hand.  Low expectations that were directly related to the fact that I had to pay for parking.  I hate paying for parking, it just sorta puts me in a bad frame of mind.  Spoiled child of the burbs, I guess. Or just one of my "they tax us to death" pet peeves. 

Cleveland Heights
Cedar and Fairmount

Once I was inside of the shop all of my bad feelings dissolved.  I felt like I had entered a ski lodge.  On my right was a fireplace with seating all around it.  Of course, I headed straight away for one of the over-stuffed leather chairs facing the fire.  Once settled in with my Tazo Venti China Green Tips tea, I started checking out the rest of the shop.  The place was packed with people reading or working on their laptops.  Most people were alone.  I started to feel like I was in a college student center.  Matter-of-fact, I was probably within a mile or two of Case Western Reserve University.  I'm sure that that must account for the "student" feel of the shop.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself inside this Starbucks Coffee Shop.  Prior to coming, I had been ice skating, so I was a bit chilled from that and it was a cold Cleveland day.  There is nothing like a fire to warm one, even if it is all just a mental pleasure. 

COMFORT COMMENTS:  This has to be one of the most comfortable Starbucks that I've visited.  The choice of seating was pretty amazing.  There were over-stuffed cloth chairs, over-stuffed leather chairs, leather couch, bench couch along one wall with tables, window bar with bar stools, and tables with regular dining chairs.  The main seating area was carpeted, which I loved.  As mentioned above, there was a fireplace with fire burning that was on a raised ceramic tile platform.  Several people seated around the fireplace had their feet propped up on the platform.  People were so comfortable that one man had taken his shoes off to gain more comfort.  Because I had parked in the one hour limit metered parking, I had to leave way before I felt like leaving.  I will definitely visit this Starbucks again and again once I reside in Cleveland.

SHOP CRITIQUE:  Very clean, even the carpet in the main dining area was clean.  Plenty of room for customer comfort and for the service area.  I really liked the service area, which had a glass shelving wall displaying coffee products and Starbucks products.  The restroom was clean.  I hope that the Cherry Hill Starbucks has put in one of the user friendly trashcans that all the other Starbucks seem to have in their restrooms.  I noticed that employees cleaned the condiments bar while I was in the shop.

EMPLOYEE COMMENTS:  I was seated in such a way that I could not observe the employees nor hear their conversations. 

HELPFUL/INTERESTING WEB-SITES:
www.starbucks.com
www.case.edu
www.tazo.com
www.clevelandheights.com

Starbucks - Cleveland Heights, Ohio



Rockefeller Center Building
Built 1930 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

This has to be one of the most interesting buildings to house a Starbucks Coffee.  At least I can say that I have never been in a Starbucks located in a more beautiful building.  Well that is if you leave out the Forbidden City Starbucks in China, which no longer exisit.  I just love the outside of this building.  You can just see the Starbucks logo and the green window awnings.  I had walked over to the shop after spending an hour or so on the ice at the Cleveland Heights Recreational Center just a block away.  It was such a cold day, my hands were freezing by the time I reached the shop and was certainly looking forward to my hot green tea.  Before I entered, I noticed that the windows of this Starbucks were not for the customers to use to gaze upon the foot and auto traffic, but for the foot traffic to gaze upon the art of local school children.  Very interesting and different.

Once settled into the purple, yes, purple over-stuffed chair, I used my the heat coming off my Venti Tazo China Green Tips tea to warm my hands.  Something about sitting in a royal purple chair just made me feel happy.  After a quick warm up, I started my soldier's letter.  While writing, I noticed a mural on the wall that featured the face of Michael Jordan.  Now, I've never seen a mural in any Starbucks Coffee or any pictures  that feature sports stars or celebrities.  My curiousity getting the better of me, I sought out one of the employees hoping to solve the mystery.  I was told that at one time Michael Jordan and Starbucks had worked together to promote urban coffee houses, which was also the reason for the display of children's art in the front windows.  However, Jordan and Starbucks no longer are working together.

COMFORT COMMENTS:  How could you not enjoy PURPLE over-stuffed chairs?  This shop is small with limited "comfy" seating.  There were at least four tables with chairs, which were never all occupied at one time.

SHOP CRITIQUE:  The shop was clean.  Employees cleaned the condiments during my visit.  The uni-sex bathroom was clean with working soap dispenser.

EMPLOYEE COMMENTS:  The employees were always busy.  At one point one of the employees was singing with the music, which I enjoyed.   Singing employee - a happy employee,  happy employee - happy shop, happy shop - happy customers!

STARBUCKS SINGLE OF THE WEEK:  "Where Not to Look for Freedom" - The Belle Brigade