Starbucks — Restaurant in Orlando

update: Since this review the issues below have been resolved and this is now my favorite starbucks! Thanks much to kind employees!!!!

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I’m a loyal Starbucks customer. I love Starbucks. My husband and I go their everyday and have always enjoyed the friendliness of the baristas and the neighborhood cafe style atmosphere. Sometimes we just hang out and talk over coffee and sometimes we go there to get work done away from the office. So I never imagined I’d be writing a review like this. Subsequent to what I’ll just call a new management style. My food order has been held back upon heating rather than placed at the handoff counter with the little sticker with my name on it, as usual at all Starbucks across the country and other parts of the world. We’re also frequent travelers.) In this “set aside location” the already prepared food is not visible, or accessible to the customer. Either on the work counter away from customer reach or not within sight. Occasionally it was placed in the mobile pickup spot. (Where I would not look because I don’t make mobile orders). Due to this new management style when I was finally able to get the attention of a barista about my food order from where it had been placed upon being heated (10-15 minutes earlier) it would of course be cold. Having to make special inquiries about my order, the new barista would finally hand it to me. When I asked her to warm it, she said, “I did warm it.” I replied, “well it’s cold can you warm it. Again?” She replies, “it’s cold because it’s been sitting on the counter.” I ask, “where on the counter. I’ve been waiting and looking for it at the handoff counter all this time.” Each subsequent day this went on and on and on. Never placing my food order at the handoff counter. Instead putting it aside in a place inaccessible or visible to a customer. After at least two weeks of this, I began to find this rather annoying. I tried talking to the manager. And instead of simply saying, Oh no problem. We’ll be sure to place it on the handoff counter. The manager gave these extravagant excuses.

We want your experience to be special so we’re holding back your food order until your drink is ready. We want to bring it outside to you with your drink, but we were busy and couldn’t do that.

We put your food aside because you were outside. (My husband or I always come back into the store several times, minutes apart, to check on our order at the handoff counter. After many years of going to Starbucks daily, I am well aware this is not unusual behavior for a customer.

The incredible thing is that this bazaar daily holding my food back until it is cold, after long waits and extra inquiries after everyone ahead of me in line has long since picked up theirs orders (at the handoff counter) continues. The food is finally given to me from where it has been held back upon warming — inaccessible to me for pickup.

I’ve explained to the manager. “Well when you hold the food back it gets cold because the bags aren’t sealed to keep the warmth in. And UNbelievably her response was not — oh no problem, we’ll just put it on the handoff counter so you can pick it up right away. INSTEAD her reply was, “Well we can’t close the bags. It’s against company policy.”

It has been a very long time since I’ve tried to solve a simple issue with someone who was this determined NOT to understand the problem. And I find it quite singular that it is happening at a Starbucks store, know the world over for great customer service. This is not a McDonalds I’m talking about. The manager is not a teenage girl on her first job.

As I value kindness, I always speak kindly to Starbucks staff and address them by name. And make a point to let them know how much I appreciate their work. So this myopic behavior is a new culture for me. I can only hope that someone who cares more will read this and make...

I’m genuinely flabbergasted by all the 5 star reviews like there is no way these are real. I’ve lived in Orlando since 2015 and this is legitimately the SLOWEST Starbucks I’ve ever been to, I’ve gone to so many in and around Orlando especially near my work and none are as incredibly slow as this location. Unfortunately we live in Lake Nona and this is weirdly the only Starbucks in the whole area (thank GOD for the new locations opening and hopefully management and training of employees is much better at those places), so when I’m home and I do want Starbucks this is the only option. We completely stopped ordering in store or going through the drive thru years ago after how busy and crazy it is at all times of the day, but now even mobile ordering isn’t worth it. Every single time I’ve been here since the “reopening”, I’ve had to wait 15-20 minutes AFTER my order was supposed to be ready, just standing inside like an idiot waiting for my mobile order that I ordered a half hour ago. It would help if any of the employees were actually trained in customer service like for example, looking up at the customer and asking them if they need help, instead of ignoring everyone. I would say right before and during the pandemic there were really nice and fast baristas who were super friendly and helpful, but right now,...

It will typically take over 30 minutes to receive a drink after placing an order at the register or through mobile order. I have been told that they have forgotten to make my drink, or that a barista had decided to set my order aside and ignore it or that someone else has taken my drink order, among other excuses. To add insult to injury, whenever we try to inquire about our missing drink they will then say (without checking) “it’s on the way” or they will just put in another drink order, but not move it up in the queue line and then we’re stuck waiting another 20 minutes prod to get it. I normally don’t take the time to write a negative review online. However, they always come across passive aggressive whenever we try to inquire about a missing drink. I understand what it’s like working in an industry like this, and so I have never ever come across rudely. I only ask if they can check on my drink. Even a simple “sorry” would go a long way in a city where good hospitality is appreciated. This is the only Starbucks I have ever been disappointed in. I get that it’s busy, but I have been to wayyyy busier, and there’s no good excuse for poor customer service. Also, I don’t want to generalize everyone who works here. The young gentlemen with the earrings is...