Starbucks — Restaurant in Buford

I’ve been a loyal guest at this particular Starbucks location for almost two years now. It’s close to my home, and it’s been my go-to spot for meetings, office work, or simply getting things done outside of the house. My routine usually includes purchasing drinks, wraps, and staying for a few hours while working. I’ve always appreciated the consistency—until today.

I understand and fully respect Starbucks’ new policy regarding seating and purchasing. However, I believe there’s an opportunity for better training around how this policy is communicated to regular customers, especially those who clearly support the business and behave respectfully.

Within the first 5–10 minutes of sitting down and setting up our laptops, Katie—one of the managers—approached us and immediately introduced the new policy. I explained that we were still settling in and, of course, planned to make our usual purchases. Rather than acknowledging what I shared or even observing the fact that we were actively setting up, she repeated the policy again. It felt impersonal and robotic, as though the goal was simply to deliver a message instead of connecting with loyal customers.

As regulars, it was frustrating to feel like that history didn’t count for anything. We packed up to leave shortly after, but before doing so, I made a final attempt to share how the interaction came off and how a little more thoughtfulness could go a long way in situations like this. Unfortunately, Katie seemed committed to her position and unwilling to hear our perspective. That left a sour taste, especially at a place we once considered our home Starbucks.

We then went to another location off Brand Smart Way, where we were warmly greeted by Will Smith, the manager. I proactively mentioned the new policy, and his response was thoughtful and customer-centered. He said, “Yes, it is our new policy, but we approach it with care. We understand guests need time to get settled, figure out what they want, etc. I usually wait at least 15–20 minutes before approaching anyone—and only if needed.” His calm and considerate tone made all the difference.

For context, the original store only had four customers inside at the time and plenty of open seating. It was not busy or crowded in any way. All we needed was a bit of grace and acknowledgment of our loyalty. Unfortunately, that was lacking.

I won’t be returning to the original location—not because of the policy itself, but because of how it was delivered and the unwillingness to meet regular guests with a little understanding...

Quick service and they remember what my usual order is. I like that.

09/27/2016 UPDATE --- I wish I could give you even higher than the original 5 stars I posted. I visited the store on Scenic Hwy. and TRULY understand how amazing your staff and store really are.

Tonight, I was ignored by the three women working in the Scenic Hwy store. One lady was stocking the display fridge and the counter was so piled with crap, I couldn't get to the register to check out. The lady that did ring me up, did so as though I was an interruption. No thank you, no bag for my food, no receipt.

Your staff is always amazing and take exceptional care of the customer. They actually KNOW their customers. If my co-worker Tom places a web order for me to grab on the way into the office, and I decide to get a cheese danish for him -They KNOW TOM, they'll say "It's for Tom, don't heat it up -BURN IT!!!". Because that's how Tom likes his danish.

They remember my order and don't even freak out anymore when I choose to pay for random peoples orders in the drive thru. I actually miss seeing them if I am out of town or skip going for a few days. The service THIS location provides and the service the 316/120 store in Lawrenceville provides, is the reason I spend $250+ a month at Starbucks and TIP BIG. 20%+ easy. Let me catch them going beyond the exceptional job they already do, 100% tip.

Thank you for taking care of us. I'll never go back to the Scenic Hwy. location again. I'm an interruption there. I'll drive across Lawrenceville to 316/120 or even all the way to BUFORD...

UPDATE: I am really over the inconsistency in the times this Starbucks opens. Some days it's 8AM and then some days it doesn't open until 11. My other options are McDonalds, Krispy Kreme, or Dunkin Donuts. All of those places have terrible coffee. I start off having to drive around the whole building just to see that I've wasted my time and have to pick one of the other options. I don't know what is going on, but as of today I'm no longer going to waste my time driving around the building. Once again I will say the staff is great here and it's not their fault. I'm not sure what is going on with the opening times, but I will no longer be an everyday customer. I will say I am thankful for the cones they put out so I no longer sit there in back of other people thinking it's open.

ORIGINAL POST: I'm furious about sitting in line for over 20 minutes. As one by one people figured out they changed the opening time to 11am. Who is going to want to wait until right before lunch time to have coffee when they need their go juice to get through the morning. The wait in line is the only bad thing about this location as it usually takes a long time, but I try to be understanding because I know they make each drink and that takes time. The staff is always top notch. Maybe they should put cones in the drive-thru or something that tells people the change in hours that's larger than they give on the ordering board and door. I'm highly disappointed that I've now had to waste more time sitting in line across the street for a coffee product that just...