Starbucks - Medford, New Jersey

This is my local Starbucks Coffee Shop, which actually only occupies the tall part of the building on the left hand side of the photo.  I think that Starbucks should hang a logo sign in the tall window/ but then maybe the aesthetic balance would be off.  I'm sure that Starbucks paid someone big bucks to make that decision.

Over the years I've spent some pretty good times in this Starbucks.  My daughters have had "girl gatherings" here, picked out their favorite "reward" drinks here and I have spent many an hour chatting with a special friend here.  And over the last three years I've brought a new friend to this shop for our own chats.  On this day, however, I came alone for I had a soldier's letter to write. 

It seems that Starbucks is in s state of renewal.   As most Starbucks' fans know the logo has been tweaked.  The book Onward by Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, coffee beans in special tribute bags and lots of other special tribute items seem to be everywhere. In this store even the furniture inside was new and a wall bench had been added.  I like the new furniture and I don't have a problem with the new logo, however it seems that many people do.  While I was enjoying my coffee and writing my letter, I heard some customers talking with the staff about the new logo and how much they don't like it.  I find it funny that they care that much.   Guess some people care about logos and some care about cleanliness.

New kind of comfy chair

COMFORT COMMENTS:  I just loved these new chairs.  The size was perfect for me, very comfortable.  There were four of these chairs with two small tables.  There was a new wall bench with tables and chairs.  There were about 4-5 other tables with chairs.   Unfortunately, the sun was in my eyes and there were no blinds to pull down.  But I was able to move the chair around, one of the perks at Starbucks.  I like adjusting my chairs when I need to find a more comfortable spot.

SHOP CRITIQUE:  The floor was very dirty and some of the tables were also dirty.  In the photo above you can see a cup wrapper is on the floor and some of the crumbs on the floor and table near my coffee.  There were straws and papers and crumbs on the floor under the condiments table.  After I had been in the shop for just over an hour, one of the employees came around and wiped some of the table tops.

EMPLOYEE COMMENTS:  I could hear the employees talking, talking, talking behind me, mostly about family matters, which is probably why it took so long for them to get around to wiping the tables.  Once I was in the Starbucks with a friend on a very cold and snowy night in February of this year.  We had decided to stop in to get a coffee and chat before going home.  We really wanted to sit in the over-stuffed leather chairs, but an employee on her break was in one of the chairs, so we had to wait until she went back to work.  Neither of us was happy about that and neither should Starbucks be happy about that.

PICK OF THE WEEK:  "Beautiful Trash feat, Megan Washington" - Lanu

INTERESTING/ENTERTAINING WEBSITES:
http://www.lanu.com.au/index.htm
http://www.starbucks.com/
http://www.medfordnj.com/
http://www.soldiersangels.org/            

Starbucks - Marlton, New Jersey

Marlton, NJ
Routes 70 and 73
http://www.starbuckseverywhere.net/NewJersey.htm

Before I get started, I want to say that my youngest daughter has told me that I do not add enough details or personal feelings to my blogs.  Today I will try to do better on both accounts.

I've loved Starbucks since my very first visit to a shop in Seattle, Washington in 1990.  My husband and I had taken a trip to the Seattle without the girls.  It didn't take either of us to realize that Seattle and the surrounding area "owned" the American coffee world.  It was the first time that I had ever seen roadside espresso stands.  I loved it.  We happened into the Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place, Seattle, becoming a fan right away.  When in 1994 Starbucks opened their very first shop in Houston, Texas, we would drive all the way across town just to get a Starbucks.  It wasn't until we returned from a two year stint in France that we discovered that we now had not one but two Starbucks in our own "backyard".  We were thrilled! 

Starbucks became the "carrot" for excellent school work and great test scores.  Many times when the girls were given the opportunity to pick their reward for some activity, they would choose a drink at Starbucks.  At Christmas they were excited to find a Starbucks gift card in their stocking.  My oldest daughter even ended her 16th birthday slumber party with a morning trip to Starbucks.  Starbucks, an American company, found a way into our lives while making us feel like we were a part of the Starbucks family.

With all of that being said, I've never been a big fan of the Starbucks that I visited this week.  Why does this shop not have the Starbucks name on both sides of the building?  I have over the years taken letters or books to this Starbucks and spent some time inside either at the window bar or if available in one of the comfy chairs, but I've never really liked the inside.  It is small and basically you sit right at the doors, so in the winter it can be cold and drafty.  It was with all of this in mind that I headed into this Starbucks.  Much to my surprise, things have changed.  The inside seating arrangements have been totally redone.  I headed over to the leather comfy chairs staking out one for myself.  I settled in with my green tea and stationary for my soldier's letter.  This being a busy location at the intersection of two major highways, this Starbucks has always seemed to me to be more of a quick stop in, run out kind of place with the occasional customer or group settling in for any length of time.  But today it felt different.  Several people were working on their computers and others were reading.  All seemed to stick around as long as I did.  I noticed that a bulletin board had been added.  When I checked out what was posted,  it was local news.  I'm happy about that, because I want my Starbucks to be around for a long time.  Making themselves more a member of the local community will build loyalty.  I think that slowly over the years Starbucks has become too cookie cutter, just the latest addition to the fast food kingdom.

COMFORT COMMENTS:  So many nice changes here.  The window bar is gone, which is okay with me since you were basically watching the auto traffic when seated at the bar.  Now there are eight leather over-stuffed chairs with tables and foot stools.  I loved the foot stools.  I had just come from ice skating and needed to elevate my knee.  The foot stool was perfect.  This Starbucks Coffee Shop has a very long wooden table that seats 12 at the front of the store.  I find that interesting, I would guess that it was added for traffic flow of customers.  I wonder if it is ever full.  Although I could tell that it had been used, no one used it while I was in the shop.  There were 5-6 tables with chairs along the large windows on the other side of the shop from me and a bench type seating in the back of the shop.  I loved the lighting, very modern and moody.  Nice selection of music playing.  I noticed that many times either employees or customers were singing along.

SHOP CRITIQUE:  Very clean.  Several times during the time that I was in the shop, employees cleaned and straightened the condiments tables and seating areas.  The women's restroom was clean.

EMPLOYEE COMMENTS:  I heard them having fun with each other and with customers.

PICK OF THE WEEK:  R.E.M. "Oh My Heart"

INTERESTING/ENTERTAINING WEB-SITES:
http://www.starbucks.com/
http://www.soldiersangels.org/
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/
http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Join-the-Coffee-Party-Movement-in-Washington-State/362064099762
   

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