Starbucks — Restaurant in San Diego

I have my yacht in the marina close to this Starbucks so I'm in here quite often. Now, yeah I'm older and maybe a bit less tolerant of the decline of mental strength and resilience that our culture enables. And I am by no means lacking in affection for pets, my life has been blessed with a plethora of dogs, cats, ferrets, and the occasional exotic creature that are meaningful parts of my life. And while I feel uncomfortable with the occasional contempt that emerges when I see pets riding in baby strollers in public, it sometimes exceeds my capacity for compassion. While I do not personally suffer from any such maladies, many in the general public do experience allergies to the various by-products of pets. But today I was privileged to witness for my self the depths of self-absorbed vanity at this Starbucks. The photos were taken between 8:40-9:15 am on 12.6.2024. Most shocking was that this animal barked aggressively at some customers that just happened to be present. Most egregious is that the customers were African American, one was a sailor in uniform and the other was a very pleasant older gentleman.

I don't have a problem with social progress, I have always been a supporter of expanding social acceptance in all areas, but it does appear to me that this is a bridge too far. Personally I think it's a tragedy to capitulate to fear instead of learning to deal with the challenges and obstacles life presents. Forcing the general public to accommodate your pet is selfish and self-absorbed, especially when it acts aggressively. It's the ultimate...

Paid $8 for a vanilla chai. Sat outside. Started drinking it. The lid smelled distinctly of garbage. I kept trying to dismiss it, hoping maybe it was just the environment or something. But no. The lid smelled like garbage. Bad.

I actually went inside and very politely asked if I could have a new lid and if by chance, they keep them near the trash. I was going to gently suggest a chance. But the employee rudely just said no and as I was explaining it to her, she walked away while I was talking. This lasted literally 20 seconds...not some big drawn out explanation. She just immediately dismissed me and then VERY sarcastically said "have a nice day."

I've been a starbucks customer for probably 25 years and never had a bad interaction with an employee, which is actually pretty impressive. So this lady's attitude really stood out.

The new lid has the same scent but not quite as bad. I've run into this with starbucks only once before. Not sure why it would happen other than they are storing...

I was a little frustrated with my visit today. I came in to get my drink and my son's drink. The people were very nice to us. That was however until I asked them to remake my drink. I have been getting the same drink for about 8 years so I'm pretty sure I know how it should taste. I'm not positive what was wrong, possibly burnt milk from bad aeration, and or not enough chai. Either way, the people at the cashier were not very nice when I asked them to remake it. Especially the one who made it came over to see what was wrong because there was no way she could have made it wrong. Well.....the second time wasn't any better. So at this point, my guess is the bars need maintenance, and the chai pumps must need some work because per the employees they couldn't have...