Starbucks — Restaurant in Castroville

You know I really try to like this place because it’s so close to my house and I always Stop by there to do coffee runs for school staff nearby. We order regularly. I can’t tell you how many times they’ve gotten my drink order wrong and I really won’t say anything. Well for whatever reason today on my order, they had forgotten to add a topping on my drink (Carmel crunch and Carmel drizzle), and well I must have not put caramel drizzle on my order and only put it to be added inside my drink. (My fault on the drizzle) but they still had forgotten to add the Carmel crunch. When I asked them if they could please add the toppings right away Hannah the manager was like I’m need to charge you. She was so quick with attitude to want to charge me, which is fine for what I didn’t add on there (the drizzle) but attitude the over $.80 worth of Carmel was not necessary when they had already not made the drink correctly in the first place and it was still missing the crunch that had been paid for on top. She cut me off so quick was like forget it and and just had them add it. Well then I was still waiting on a drink order and had been a few mins. Well then I saw her and another staff member chatting back and forth about me so I asked the girl if there was a problem? And she said that her manger who was hiding behind the back walls so I wouldn’t “see” her was asking why I was still there. Well it was because they still hadn’t made two other drinks I was picking up. Heck I had been there so long not complaining about the wait time even after the rudeness because I know things take time. Well when I told them I was waiting on another order they tried to make it seem like I had the drinks already. So I emptied out 5 drinks from my bag so they could see I did NOT have the drinks. But because of the drink they originally messed up on was the same as one of the drinks I had already gotten they assumed they had given it to me but I had to show them it had a different name. Then they tried to blame it on the drink maybe having been packed to go because they had another drink order with the same name and then they said someone must have took them. Look I usually don’t complain when they mess stuff up which they have plenty of times but gosh by the time I got all the drinks and food it was cold and melty. That is not a good display of customer service. This is not really a friendly spot which is sad because one of the managers Christian is actually super sweet. Not everyone should work in customer service especially if you aren’t good at it. Kindness goes a long ways and the other manager Hannah...

Ok, get this, I am a regular Starbucks lover like the rest or civilization, however, while in this area I stop at the Alamo Ranch location to get a drink. I get into a line that is about 12 deep, with a line behind me of about 12 as well. I must have been in line about 20 plus minutes when I finally get my parched self up to the order box. I am greeted by a guy telling me that Starbucks is now closed, they close at 4 pm. I glance at my watch to see that it is now 4:01. There is a flimsy paper, barely hanging on by one piece of tape, blowing in the wind, that says new hours 8-4. If you have been to this location, you know that there is no getting out of this line once you are in it. I now have 5 cars in front of me and 12 behind me. I have to wait, with no refreshing drinks on the horizon for me! I. Am. Livid! Just as I can see in my rear view window that every other person waiting is as well as they slowly move up in line! Could they not have the new hours of operation posted BEFORE you get into the drive in line?? Could someone from the inside come out to tell this huge line that they are closing at 4? This is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE! As I and the many cars behind me raced through the line without stopping for our beverages, cars were honking in anger and then some!!! SHAME Starbucks workers SHAME! Not for closing early but for not coming out to tell everyone the situation or POSTING THE NEW HOURS BEFORE WE GOT INTO THE LINE!!!! BUFFOONS! I tell you....It makes me want to try someplace else for my tasty beverages from now on!! ...

My experiences with this location have typically been very pleasant til now. This past Sunday, 01Jan23, I ran in to get some coffee for my wife and I. On my way in, I noticed an employee coming from the restrooms with cleaning gloves, a mop and a bucket in the bathroom with the door propped open, and the employeeproceeded into the employee area behind the counter.

As I grabbed a beverage from the cooler and made my way to the register to order, this employee ushered the employee about to take my order on to another task indicating they would handle the register. This employee was clearly wearing the gloves they just left the restrooms from which the above would lead one to reasonably expect that employee was either engaging in cleaning tasks or about to do so.

At that moment, I decided to only scan my beverage from the cooler and seek coffee elsewhere as this was a bit off-putting to say the least.

Could the employee have brand new gloves on? Sure. Could the employee have not yet been engaged in cleaning restrooms? Potentially.

However, the appearance of actively working behind the counter where food and beverages are prepared and touching equipment that other employees also preparing food and beverages utilize while wearing PPE used to clean toilets that in and of itself makes me question the management at this location as well as the overall standards enforced there.

Is a longshot if we return to...