Starbucks
Coffee shop · McNair ·
Bavarian-themed coffeehouse, drive-thru, free WiFi, outdoor seating
Bavarian-themed coffeehouse, drive-thru, free WiFi, outdoor seating
"A mainstream coffee chain that introduced a dedicated pistachio drinks lineup in 2019, featuring a pistachio cold brew topped with pistachio-flavored cold foam and a pistachio latte available hot or iced; these offerings quickly became highly visible on social media and helped cement pistachio as a popular, approachable café flavor." - Amy McCarthy
"For the past 25 years a holiday tradition of limited-edition drinks and reusable red cups—known as Red Cup Day—has become a hugely profitable, highly trafficked event that draws long lines and collectible-focused customers. This year, more than 100 stores and thousands of workers organized by SB Workers United staged strikes and pickets on Red Cup Day, handing out union-themed red cups and urging customers to join picket lines or donate to a solidarity fund to pressure corporate over alleged union-busting and refusal to bargain in good faith. Workers cite concrete grievances—firings for pro-union expression, closures of stores undergoing organizing, denied benefits at unionizing locations, chronic understaffing and uncompensated overtime during holiday rushes—and say leadership’s rhetoric on social values conflicts with anti-union actions; Michelle Eisen described these developments as a betrayal of the company’s professed values. Corporate representatives deny unlawful discipline, say they have sought bargaining, and have filed unfair labor practice charges against the union, while workers and the NLRB have filed numerous complaints against corporate (workers report dozens of NLRB filings). Negotiations have recently broken down amid disputes over virtual participation and recording of sessions. High-profile politicians and customers have rallied behind the strikers, and organizers emphasize that targeting Red Cup Day hits one of the chain’s most lucrative moments to demand better staffing, pay, and a genuine voice on the job." - Jaya Saxena
"This coffee chain has become a focal point of "hack" culture: elaborate, user-created drink recipes spread on TikTok and Instagram that customers order via the app to avoid face-to-face awkwardness. Baristas report that these customizations now make up a large share of orders, are increasingly complex (for example, blended lattes with strawberry cold foam), and frequently disrupt service during rushes because workers must learn, craft, and sometimes remake unfamiliar recipes on the fly. Creators of these drinks often urge tipping and patience, but employees say the real solution requires better staffing, higher pay, and stronger labor protections rather than expecting frontline workers to absorb the extra labor for free." - Jaya Saxena
"A ubiquitous coffee chain that has come to define the seasonal pumpkin-spice craze, offering staples like the pumpkin spice latte (PSL) and an apple macchiato; its fall lineup often becomes a familiar, early-arriving 'basics' selection in drive-thrus (the PSL now typically debuts around August 30). While these releases satisfy many who crave nostalgic, warming spices after summer, some customers criticize the brand for leaning heavily on the same nutmeg-and-clove profile instead of exploring other autumnal flavors such as cranberry, pear, fig, persimmon, quince, or winter citrus." - Amy McCarthy
"The coffee company launched an NFT marketplace as part of its metaverse-related initiatives; this rollout coincided with new perks that were limited to non-unionized employees, a move that critics characterized as potentially anti-labor." - Jaya Saxena
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