Starbucks — Restaurant in North Carolina

My sister and I came through the drive through around 8:15p last night on 11/11/19. I needed to use the restroom on my drive home to Raleigh and we happened to see this Starbucks right across from Sheetz. We stopped there because she wanted a hot chocolate while I needed the Honey Citrus mint tea. That tea is the only hot drink that knocks congestion away and helps me feel better during a cold. Well when we got to the intercom, we sat for a while before someone took our order. That isn't what annoyed me. Finally got our order taken and pulled around, and it was a long wait until we were at the window. Still didn't annoy me too much yet. When we finally got the window, all you could hear was what I presume to be a manager or maybe just another worker fussing to the world (loudly mind you) about how workers should clean the store the same way they clean their home. She was super adamant about the mess under counters and in an icebox? I'm not sure if I heard that right. She's steady mopping and wiping down and fussing at the world while the only other 2 workers are trying to work the drive through and front counter. Complaints about the cleanliness of the restaurant is not really what a customer wants to hear as you give them a drink by the way.

So, my tea takes a while to make. I know this. So the wait is not what annoyed me. Got my tea, knew it was hot so couldn't taste it only to find out later they didn't make it right at all. Had no sweetness. My guess is they forgot the steamed lemonade. Disappointed. Then, my sister's hot chocolate took forever to make. I heard the order taker point out that he needed 2 hot chocolates and we noticed 1 sitting right there on the counter. He waited and waited and never even got the 2nd one from what I saw. After about 5 or 6 minutes of waiting, he just conveniently hands us the hot chocolate that was sitting out. Being in a rush I take it knowing it's not hot chocolate anymore, but warm chocolate. I was right. Neither my sister or I enjoyed our drinks. It was a terrible experience and I will never stop at that...

UPDATE: Great People, But the System is Overwhelmed

I want to start this review by offering an apology for a previous review I posted hastily after a frustrating visit. (And I have deleted it.) Upon reflection, I can see that the staff here are hardworking and friendly people doing their best under very challenging circumstances. My issue isn’t with them—it’s with what appears to be a lack of proper management, staffing, or training to handle the high demand this location faces.

This new Starbucks is situated in an incredibly high-traffic area, and unfortunately, it feels like the team wasn’t prepared for the volume of customers. While the food and drinks are on par with the quality you'd expect from Starbucks, the service speed is where things fall short.

I’ve had three recent experiences where I ordered via the app well ahead of time, only to wait over 30 minutes in-store for my order. That’s after placing my order 15 minutes before even arriving. It’s clear that the staff are doing their best, but they’re simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of patrons relative to the number of employees working.

To Starbucks corporate or management: THIS LOCATION DESPERATELY NEEDS MORE SUPPORT, whether that’s through additional staffing, better training, or improved operational systems. The current setup is doing a disservice not only to customers but also to the employees who are trying to keep things moving.

To the team at this location: Thank you for your kindness and effort, even during hectic times. I hope you get the resources and support you need to thrive.

I’m rooting for this location to improve. Until then, if you’re in a hurry, I’d recommend planning extra time or considering another coffee shop or fast...

Where to begin.... No one was behind us and I had already politely asked for a minute to allow my mother and I to decide. After taking a minute the girl taking our order come over the intercom to ask if we needed help deciding, I declined because we had decided and I was about to order. I order the double bacon sandwich, a venti white mocha, steak and egg wrap with avalado spread and the iced coconut mocha macchiato. We get to the window and they hand us everything. I check everything before we leave and there is no spread or napkins. We wait and eventually wave at the window to ask for some napkins and the spread. I ask Kaily about the spread. I told her I had ordered it and she said snapped back with I didn't hear it and you're going to have to pay for it. So I said fine I ordered it, I'll pay for it. We got our stuff and left. Needless to say my mother's venti was 3/4 full which is absurd considering the money paid. Also, Kaily shouldn't be working at the window if she's going to act the way she did. She was pretty rude and has quite the attitude. Maybe she's a grumpy person or not a people person or having a bad day, but whatever the reason for her rudeness and attitude she should be moved to making drinks. There was nothing pleasant about her, no friedly customer service, nothing. Couldn't even get a "have a good day." Sorry, but working in customer service and being a former Starbucks barista, it's kind of sad to see this. Finally, if you have a wrap or sandwich that's extremely juicy or leaky maybe you should double bag it or at least give the person a heads up. I ended up with three napkins wet with my streak wrap juice because it leaked all over my leg and seat. Hope...