Starbucks — Restaurant in Ottawa

I am a long-standing customer of Starbucks. I love their coffee, though their food sucks.

I had a recent experience that has made me decide to no longer go to Starbucks. I was in the area with my child, and she expressed an urgent desire to use the washroom. I decided to go into my local Starbucks and ask for the washroom code. I know the policy was to give the code to paying customers only, but I have asked for the code on previous occasions without buying anything, and it was happily given. Again, I am a longstanding customer.

I also thought it would be a non-issue because I was with a child in distress, and one look at us would tell you we would treat the facilities with respect.

However, the barista applied the policy to the letter and refused me access despite my pleading and my child crying. It was a humiliating and vulnerable experience. One that has ruined my love of Starbucks.

Honestly, I have been on the fence for a while. This is primarily because Starbucks is an American owned company, and it is hard to support them right now when the American government is bullying and insulting our beautiful country.

Yet, I made excuses. I love the coffee. Starbucks is from Seattle (i.e., not known for Canadian hating). The staff are local. And the experience was nice......at least until recently. The culture there seems to be more cold, corporate, and definitely less community based over the last few months.

From now on, I will frequent one of many other great independent, locally owned CANADIAN coffee shops in the area. The Bower and Equator are a few that pop to mind. Heck, there is even a Tim Hortons close by (yes, I know they are owned by an American company who is itself owned by a Brazilian hedge fund).

#elbowsup...

Boycott the Starbucks. lol I just had the worst experience today due to their supervisor Hanna. I go in to order two lavender cream oat milk matcha tea lattes, one grande (medium) and one venti (large). I first ask the male worker if they take 100$ bills and they said yes, they just need to call the supervisor to open the safe so they can split that for me. The supervisor then asks me if I have another way of paying, to which I said yes but I would like the change for work, (I am a server in the Westboro area). She then said to go to the bank across the street. I said yes, ideally but I was on my way to work and she continues to ask me for another way to pay. I just sighed and gave her a 20$ and a 5$. They then handed me my drinks and my sausage egg and bacon wrap and the drinks were filled halfway. I asked about it and they said their manager said it the drinks have no ice or ice on the side they can only fill them halfway because the other half is where the ice would be. I then said I paid for the whole drink and she just continue to say how her manager said they have to do that. She gave me so much attitude and she was the one I had to speak to when asking to speak to a manager as she was the supervisor of the day. Anyway, here’s the before and after putting my ice in the drinks. Not even close to full. Maybe she was having a bad day, but I have been coming here for four years and never will I go there again, I even previously worked there in 2021 but the service has gone downhill since the...

I live close so before I leave my house I submit my mobile order then I can park, walk in, grab and go. Last couple times I’ve tried to do this I’ve had to wait longer and longer past the expected pick up time in the app. Today I got a high caffeine drink because I felt a migraine coming. I arrived when my drink should be ready and waited 15 more mins while one person made drinks (the other just did cash despite the short line and the other asking her for help) and the music was absolutely pounding Kesha (not really morning vibes imo). And although I left ample time to park & pick up, then get to work before 8am I was 5mins late and my drink was actually just half foam. It’s absolutely not that barista’s fault there should be more ppl on that shift as it’s actually usually busier. 2 ppl did come in and walk in the back as I was waiting so I guess they hadn’t started yet. The app should give a reflection of the actual time until your order is ready not how long it should take in an ideal setting. Learned my lesson no more Starbucks...