Starbucks — Restaurant in Augusta

I won’t be returning to this location! I was patronizing this Starbucks location since the Geniuses at the Bobby Jones store would rather try to sale coffee at 20:00 when no one wants coffee than to actually open before everyone is already at work, 08:30 being their current opening time. This morning I arrived at the Robert C Daniel’s location to witness these over entitled employees picketing their own store in an attempt to unionize. These very “special” people don’t seem to understand market pressure and it would be hilarious if it were not so sad. Strikes are only effective when demand is high, and supply is low. In a time when people are skipping meals to pay for gas, the first cut back people make is to their overpriced coffee. So, demand is low and supply is high. This location’s brilliant employees are preforming a minimum wage skilled job and are already paid higher than minimum wage, which puts them ahead of the game. Nationally Starbucks is closing multiple stores. Starbucks claims it’s safety concerns that is fueling the store closers; however, it’s obvious that the closures are due to the stores no longer being profitable. It doesn’t take a degree in Keynesian Economics to realize that this isn’t the time for unrealistic demands. The best possible outcome they could hope for is a brief bit of virtue signaling where Starbucks gives in to their demands then closes the location due the lack in profitability. I did go to the Washington Rd location, with two closed local area stores, there was only three cars ahead of me. This obviously shows the economic impact reduced these markets need for as many locations. The manager should just close the store for a few weeks fire any staff that picketed or missed their shifts, and hope they can increase traffic and decrease cost to avoid being one of the ones that are closed. I am sure that the highly intelligent and professional looking staff with their extremely marketable skill sets will easily find other more profitable employment ventures. This is what happens when you entitle people pretending that their unique individuality and self-expression (doing the same exact things everyone in their peer group does) trumps reliability, skills, motivation, and responsibility. .” I am sorry to be so harsh, but it literally boggles the mind how these people can be this...

Captains log: we are en route from Tennessee to South Carolina. It is Monday, April 3. 3pm. Sunny and 85°F.

We patiently waited with eager anticipation in the drive-thru line for what I had hoped would be a welcome respite from the monotonous slog that was the I-20 corridor. While I am partial to the chocolatey frozen bliss that is the Java Chip Frappuccino, I decided that I should venture out of my comfort zone and explore one of the other seemingly hundreds of menu options offered to me.

After much deliberation, one drink among all the others spoke to me. I settled on the Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte, in size Tall with almond milk. Little did I know the conservative choice of size would soon prove fortuitous.

As we neared the drive-thru window, my anticipation rose for what I expected to be a much needed tasty caffeine boost during our voyage toward the sunny Carolina coast.

When we finally pulled up and the exchange began to take place, my anticipation was replaced with a familiar feeling of sadness mixed with a touch of annoyance poured over cubes of icy regret. I saw that my drink was not in fact a refreshing, icy, caffeinated concoction but something hot which smelled faintly of fermenting beer.

They had gotten my drink wrong. It would seem there is some kind of weird hex on me because this isnt the first time a Starbucks has gotten my drink wrong. Far from it in fact, I seem to have about a 50% success rate when it comes to recieving the drink I order at almost ever location I visit. And it's not like I have some convoluted order that should basically be its own menu item. Java Chip with Almond Milk, and yes I still want whip cream because I'm not an alien. But the amount of times I've recieved some thing other than that is surprising.

And now i've verified that its not the Java Chip's fault, nor is it the Iced Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte. Either I am cursed by the Goddess Starbuck, or the war on almond milk has reached new heights. Either way, here I am recalculating my recent love affair with this chain as a companion on my long trips...

This used to be the “good” Starbucks in Augusta. The one that always got your order right, and in a timely manner. Over the last several months, it’s now become on par with the other, generally terrible, Augusta locations (looking at you Mullins crossing and i20!!! ). Inconsistent hours, random closings, and rude employees. we went into the Robert c Daniel location today at 4PM, there were NO customers, so it was a good time to ask for a Komodo Dragon Pourover, as the pike in the machines is always burnt, and we dont ask for pour overs when there is a line. As is the new usual, the barista didn’t even know how to ring it up, so she asked another barista for help, and the “helper” told her that they could only do pour overs with what they had on the back counter. Which was Pike. The policy has ALWAYS been that if they didn’t have a specific blend open, they’d get one and open it. That is literally the whole point of a pour over. Not only did she refuse to even look for an open bag of non-Pike, she got extreme attitude about even being asked to make a pour over, which is a pretty standard order, when one doesn’t drink Pike. Both front counter associates there today were sullen and and unfriendly. At that point we just walked out with no coffee.

I can’t understand how the Augusta area Starbucks have become SO TERRIBLE post Pandemic, when Atlanta, Boca, and other locations we frequent are still top notch with service and cleanliness, and with hiring quality staff. A change needs to be made at the district...