valleywag

starbucks

Valleywag

  • Display
    • All
    • Top
    • Media
    • Gossip
    • Celebrity
    • Defamer
    • Valleywag
  • Condensed
    • Condensed
    • Expanded
  • Most recent
    • Most recent
    • Most popular
    • Most discussed
  • Hybrid
  • Profile
  • Logout
  • Login
  • Click Here
Username:
Password:
logging in
Please enter a username.
Please enter your password.
new user? | forgot password?
Gawker
  • retail

    Downtown San Francisco no longer capable of supporting three Starbucks per intersection

    Next year's Macworld may be the last chance to make a shamefaced Starbucks run to the mall-kiosk latte dispenser in the Metreon. Why did the Seattle coffee monoculturist give six months' notice of that coffee-bar's closure, and 599 others? Why, to retrain loyalists on other locations within footsteps. We already know that you drink only at establishments where the coffee pickers are unionized, graduate-degreed, and constantly hugged. And so do we. But here's our map of the remaining South of Market Starbucks — and all the Blue Bottle locations — anyway. Only to show to your sleep-addled board members when they visit for a meeting. More »
    07/18/08
    2,086
    10

    By Melissa Gira Grant

    Comment by Web2PointOhShit: You missed the uber seekrit Blue Bottle on Ritch St, between Townsend and Bryant. You seem to infer SoMa... more » | Other threads

  • google

    Street View finally coming to Seattle

    The Google Street View car was Spotted in Microsoft Country last week after launching in many smaller markets around the country first. Apparently the drivers, rather than use some fancy, newfangled Internet doohickey, simply burn the data captured by the rooftop camera array onto a CD and mail it back to Mountain View. The fact that Portland, Oregon and Juneau, Alaska were added to the list of Street View cities before Seattle inspired an April Fools article in local publication Naked Loon quoting a fictional Google spokesmonkey as saying the addition of Seattle was "extremely unlikely, save for some kind of highly localized disaster centered somewhere in Redmond." More »
    06/16/08
    4,187
    5

    By Jackson West

    Comment by CosmoGolem: This is really creepy technology. I wonder when we'll see people through the walls of their homes! My 85-year-old... more » | Other threads

  • wi-fi

    Starbucks' desperation means free Internet for card customers

    With the purchase of a $5 gift card, or by entering your personal information in the company's database for a rewards program, Starbucks will allow you to sip on two hours of free Wi-Fi from AT&T at stores. The Seattle-based fast food chain may be one of the first to be hit by any economic downturn as Americans cut back on the affordable luxury of $4 caffeinated drinks and spend that money at competitors like McDonald's. One look at the stock's performance over the last year, down over 30 percent, and you can see why CEO Howard Schultz would look to freebies like Wi-Fi to keep the company's FrappucinoTM junkies coming back. As our very special correspondent once put it, "Wi-Fi isn't a luxury or even a commodity. It's a condiment."
    06/03/08
    581
    5

    By Jackson West

    Comment by raincoaster: @sample032: Did we not have this discussion already, right here on Valleywag? And did I not predict this? It's coming, people:... more » | Other threads

  • security

    AT&T turns off free Wi-Fi

    AT&T meant to make Wi-Fi free only for iPhone users. But a hack made it free for laptop users at Starbucks and other network points controlled by AT&T. The free Wi-Fi has now been disabled. Guess the hoi polloi stealing bandwidth ruined it for iPhone owners. [Gizmodo]
    05/05/08
    310
    2

    By Jackson West

    Comment by Uncle-Sam's Littlle Helper: more » | Other threads

  • wi-fi

    Get free Wi-Fi at Starbucks with or without an iPhone from AT&T

    AT&T is offering iPhone owners free Wi-Fi at hotspots managed by the company, including those at megachain Starbucks. But all the system checks is the user-agent string supplied by the iPhone's Safari browser and a phone number from a working iPhone. So anyone with a laptop can simply change their browser's user-agent string, put in the phone number of a friend with an iPhone, et voila! Free Wi-Fi. Why you won't get? The phone number of the cute barista you've been flirting with in vain. (Via Slashdot, photo by Synthesis Studios)
    05/02/08
    2,185
    4

    By Jackson West

    Comment by raincoaster: Sooner or later, there will be free wi-fi at all Starbucks. They're about the only place in Vancouver that still... more » | Other threads

  • earnings

    Starbucks quarterly results spill scalds analysts's laps

    Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz dampened analyst expectations for the company's performance ahead of its April 30 quarterly earnings anouncement, sending shares tumbling 10.4 percent in after-hours trading. "The current economic environment is the weakest in our company's history," he said to explain why the company is facing the first quarterly profit decline in eight years. The retailer has long traded on being a relatively affordable yuppie status symbol, serving up a dose of psychological salve for four dollars a cup to an American middle class in decline. But it looks like Schultz's stunt to bloster the elite cachet of a brand now as ubiquitously plebeian as your local McDonald's might not be enough to fuel continued growth. (Photo by Peter Kaminski) More »
    04/23/08
    1,023
    19

    By Jackson West

    Comment by raincoaster: @Rachel Marsden: I'm not a man, but I don't hesitate to tell them to put their sticks away if I'm... more » | Other threads

  • coffeehouse politics

    Starbucks won't "laissez faire" — even on its gift cards

    Starbucks will let you create your own customized Starbucks gift card with anything you want stamped on it. Well, almost anything. When Roger Ream tried to get "Laissez Faire" printed on his Starbucks card, it was rejected. Starbucks says "we review each Card before printing ... but we can't honor every" request. Starbucks policy considers "overtly political statements" inappropriate. The Wall Street Journal discovered that "People Not Profits" and "Yes We Can" both sailed through just fine. For a company that's fighting in court against paying back tips to its employees, I'd think Starbucks would embrace "laissez faire" wholeheartedly.
    04/08/08
    658
    7

    By Jordan Golson

    Comment by giftcardblogger: Very funny. What is political is in the eye of the decision maker. more » | Other threads

  • trendspotting

    New social networks fighting against ebb tide of user interest

    Social network fatigue is nothing new, at least to The 250, and VCs are finally catching on — the Starbucks social network might be the watershed moment when everyone stepped back from updating their umpteenth profile, put down the double-tall soy mocha and said to themselves, "You know, maybe we've reached the point of diminishing returns." More »
    03/20/08
    560
    3

    By Jackson West

    Comment by BillyShears: I've had social network fatigue for YEARS. From Friendster to Orkut to MySpace to Facebook... I'm done after Facebook, I don't... more » | Other threads

  • serious investigative journalism

    What's new at Starbucks: 3 changes

    I'm a reporter, dammit, so after reading about today's all-hands training sessions at all Starbucks stores I walked over to the store at 333 Market in San Francisco's Financial District and asked my barista to explain, step by step, exactly what's new. More »
    02/27/08
    7,483
    9

    By Paul Boutin

    Comment by swagv: Not only is the shotglass thing utterly cosmetic, it actually worsens the espresso pour. Drinking your espresso out of a... more » | Other threads

  • addictions

    Starbucks closed for three hours to make buying lattes even slower

    In a much publicized public-relations move training exercise, Starbucks closed all its stores for three hours yesterday to "retrain" employees on how to pour the perfect cup of joe. Seems like baristas should really know how to do that already, but whatever. What actually went down? More »
    02/27/08
    2,146
    5

    By Jordan Golson

    Comment by OaklandTechie: Here's what yesterday's "training" was really about: [www.theonion.com] more » | Other threads

  • caption contest

    Craig Newmark doesn't care about indie coffeeshops

    Craigslist founder Craig Newmark supports multinational coffee chain's outlet at 4th and King. (Photo by glovercom)
    02/18/08
    1,760
    13

    By Owen Thomas

    Comment by Owen Thomas: Everyone lost! The original headline remains. more » | Other threads

  • creative underclass

    Laptoptards Are About To Ruin Your Starbucks

    Like every growing hipster, I'm painfully transitioning from my local indie grubby cafe to Starbucks, because dammit I just want a clean table and no one asking me for money and maybe an egg nog latte in December. I also want a cafe without a mob of laptop zombies typing with headphones on, creating a completely silent cafe and making me feel like I must whisper my order. So I'm not happy that in its upcoming switch from T-Mobile to AT&T, Starbucks is dropping the price of wifi from $10 a day to one $5 payment for the rest of your life. More »
    02/11/08
    6,344
    29

    By Nick Douglas

    Comment by WolfDemon: @iwn2000: Haha, that took me a while to catch. more » | Other threads

  • starbucks

    AT&T to become leading Wi-Fi provider to latte liberals

    AT&T is replacing T-Mobile as the Wi-Fi provider at 7,000 Starbucks locations in the U.S., starting in the spring. Even better? Customers who pay with a Starbucks gift card get two hours of free Wi-Fi. Now, I could tell you how this benefits iPhone sales, or takes pressure off AT&T's overcrowded cell-phone networks, but I'm more concerned about how many more people are going to be leeching free Internet at my local Starbucks. More »
    02/11/08
    594
    4

    By Jordan Golson

    Comment by WolfDemon: Haha. Two measly hours? Here in Montana, we have a place that started here in Billings that is spreading through... more » | Other threads

  • exits

    Starbucks has fired Jim Donald as CEO, replacing him with Howard Schultz, the coffee chain's chairman. Changes in the works: Closing struggling stores, slowing store openings, and improving the "store experience." Translation: Dealing with the reality of competing with McDonald's as yet another fast-food chain. [WSJ]
    01/07/08
    634
    2

    By Owen Thomas

    Comment by BobDope: I was there this morn and I could feel the experience improving! more » | Other threads

  • coffee

    McDonald's outs Starbucks as fast food chain

    It would take a lot to pull San Francisco's bloggers out of their default Starbucks habitats, but with a new, cheap line of espresso drinks and its free Wi-Fi, McDonald's may well yet lure poor newsfeed slaves to its golden arches. While the constant aroma of fried food may not be the most appealing work environment, neither is the modern-day Starbucks. More »
    01/07/08
    1,917
    13

    By Mary Jane Irwin

    Comment by Paul: Will Clark says: "I briefly worked at Starbucks upon arriving in SF--had no coffee experience and images of European cafes,... more » | Other threads

  • patents

    Apple to make ordering at Starbucks less embarrassing

    On December 20, Apple filed a patent on wireless technology for ordering coffee from an iPhone or iPod. The goal, according to a copy of the patent filing obtained by Forbes, is to help customers avoid the "annoying wait in a long queue before completion of the order." Whatever. I just know I'd finally buy an iPhone if it means I never have to take an extra 20 seconds to say, "halfcaf soymilk chai latte with an extra shot of espresso and only two pumps, please." (Photo by idogcow)
    12/28/07
    745
    7

    By Nicholas Carlson

    Comment by sample032: @cv: Least expensive, you say? That would be a short. more » | Other threads

  • retail

    Apple to open 40 new stores in 2008

    Megamillionaire Ron Johnson, Apple's senior VP of retail, announced that Apple will open an additional 40 retail stores next year. The company already fruitfully operates over 200 stores worldwide, but this year Apple will focus on international markets including several new stores in the U.K., Brazil, and perhaps Mexico City. I don't know, Ron: Until you reach Starbucks territory, can you really say you have enough U.S. outlets? (Photo by Sarah Baker) More »
    12/11/07
    13,510
    4

    By Jordan Golson

    Comment by waynelambright: Hi Ireland, Me Babble, that's entirely possible. Yes on the new Mac I use the OS X Leopard. Here... more » | Other threads

  • stats

    Can I order you a coffee, miss?

    Men get their coffee 20 seconds earlier than women who order from the same staff in the same coffee shop, according to a recent study written up in Slate. If you've ever stood behind iJustine ordering her triple grande nonfat no-whip 6-pump extra-hot white mocha, you know being on camera doesn't speed up slacker baristas one bit.
    11/21/07
    892
    0

    By Paul Boutin
  • online advertising

    Starbucks has few fans on Facebook

    The premise behind Facebook's Social Ads is the notion that users of the social network will declare their brand loyalty on the site, and thereby opt into targeted ads from some of their favorite corporations. Starbucks, despite a recent dip in store visits after a price hike, serves 44 million customers a week. So you'd think a few of those customers might have admitted to being fans of Facebook, right? Wrong. Facebook's Starbucks product page has all of 59 fans. I think there were that many people in my local Starbucks the last time I bought a latte. More »
    11/16/07
    1,730
    8

    By Owen Thomas

    Comment by Alex_S: Hmmm - odd - when i looked through FB recently - i couldn't find Starbucks official presence? If it's there -... more » | Other threads

  • bad ideas

    Starbucks overload

    Not even the thrill of purchasing the coffee shop's soundtrack on an iPhone is luring customers into Starbucks. Foot traffic to individual locales is declining. It could be that trendy new coffee bars are leeching away Starbucks brand loyalty. Or it's the simple fact that there's essentially one Starbucks per child in some neighborhoods. No one can drink that much coffee.
    11/15/07
    599
    3

    By Mary Jane Irwin

    Comment by schvitzatura: McDonald's is taking the plunge to take points of the flavored coffee drink market from Starbucks, as well. more » | Other threads

  • retail

    Apple Stores are the new Starbucks

    OK, that's it. Apple Stores are officially the new Starbucks. They're everywhere. Rumors have a new store opening in Brooklyn and a megastore opening on 34th Street in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Apple is opening a superstore in my hometown of Boston to go with the eight already in Massachusetts. There are new stores planned for San Francisco, Zurich, Chicago, Maui, Berlin, Taiwan, another in Manhattan near NYU, two in Paris, at least three in Japan, several in Canada, a few in Australia, some in South Africa, Hong Kong and Munich. At least they're decent to look at. I shudder to think what Zune kiosks, probably appearing soon at your local megamall, will look like. (Image by sarahbaker)
    10/10/07
    936
    6

    By Jordan Golson

    Comment by kraptek: This is an interesting move. It seems they are trying to connect with the consumer, something even retail brands are... more » | Other threads

  • great moments in public relations

    Starbucks has a rumor response website that it uses to dispel nasty gossip about the company. We wish all companies had this sort of thing so mock scandals can be quashed before they get out of control. [Barron's]
    10/01/07
    214
    0

    By Jordan Golson
  • iphone

    Apple is promoting its Starbucks partnership by giving away 50 million songs at the chain of coffee shops. The new wireless service "Now Playing" allows iPhone- and iPod Touch-using Starbucks patrons to preview and purchase the music that happens to be playing in their local shop. [AppleInsider]
    09/24/07
    251
    0

    By Mary Jane Irwin
  • branding

    Microsoft is allegedly demanding that startup XBux change its name to the far less hip XBucks, lest consumers be unable to distinguish between its Xbox 360 videogame console and a network that unites athletes with sponsors. Of course, we imagine Starbucks will then have grounds, as it were, to complain. [VentureBeat]
    08/22/07
    145
    0

    By Mary Jane Irwin
  • remainders

    Remainders: Polystyrene cups > free lunch

    Three suggested venues for Google AdWords. Whatever that bikini model is selling, I hope that ad's contextualized. [Tecniblog]
  • More »
02/01/06
277
0

By ndouglas
  • 1

  • 1-25 of 25 for "Valleywag, Starbucks"

San Francisco, 12:51 AM
Sat Jul 11
48 posts in the last 24 hours

Tip Your Editors:
tips@valleywag.com | AIM

Valleywag:
Ryan Tate | Email

Valleywag elsewhere on the Web:
Twitter | Facebook

Valleywags Emeriti:
Nick Denton
Nick Douglas
Owen Thomas

SUBSCRIBE TO Gawker RSS

New: Breaking news and daily top stories via email
3469 Subscribers

  • Archives
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Legal
  • Help
  • Report a Bug
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.