Starbucks — Restaurant in Shoreline

Today is most likely the last time I will visit this Starbucks. I used to visit this Starbucks almost daily, so much so , I had the pleasure of staffing calling me by name.

Preface: I may not have been aware of what happened prior to entering Starbucks this (4/24) morning. However, this is an account of what I witnessed from around 9:00 am until 9:30/9:40 am.

I saw an African American man sitting quietly in the corner, dawning a nice track jacket & matching pants, with what looked like all of his possessions - two backpacks & a bicycle. He was undisturbed & may have been sleeping; he didn't emit any foul odors, was quiet & sitting down. And so, I decided to buy him coffee 7 grabbed a few biscuits from my backpack.

However, before I could give him the coffee, some medics arrived. It was right to have them check him out, as he may have been suffering from a medical issue that we were not aware of.

I got the coffee and asked one of the medics to give it to him once they had finished and then left it on the table. After the medics checked him out and started packing up, they mentioned the word "trespassing." I understand that it's not beneficial to have homeless people in the shop and that it may potentially deter customers from visiting. However, given that it was a rainy day and he had a starbucks product in front of him, I felt as though he could've been left to finish his beverage.

I understand that it's not Starbucks' responsibility to shelter the homeless, and that it can be detrimental to their day-to-day operations, especially in today's economy. I also understand that sometimes the homeless may have underlying mental and physical health issues that could pose a risk and danger to patrons and staff, i'm well aware of this, however, I felt it was unnecessary to kick out someone who was quiet, respectful and had a cup of coffee in their hand. I pulled a few dollars from my wallet as I saw him gearing up to leave; he had trouble balancing the coffee and his bike, so I opened the door for him, gave him the few dollars, shook his hand. He was sweet, and thanked me, and didn't seem to react to being asked to leave; which really ate at me; so much so that i felt the need to write this.

What sincerely struck me and hurt me (As an african american male; and a long time patron of Starbucks, especially this location) was that, for the entirety of the time I had been at starbucks... there was a man no more than 5-7 feet away from where the african american male was; caucasian, disguised in an iridescent green construction jacket and tattered jeans whom I assume was homeless as he was sleeping, nodding off and on, and without beverage or food. He sat and slept with his back against the staff counter with his phone in his hand, no food or drink, yet, no one said a word to him, no ambulance or police officer called, and of course, he was never asked leave.

Later in the afternoon, another Caucasian man dressed in tattered military fatigue; who; and I mean this respectfully, emitted an unpleasant odor that permeated through the entirety of the store, causing individuals to leave the store and sit outside, sat down, with a cup of black coffee and was never approached or asked to leave.

I understand the distinctions I've made in this post and how I used race as a catalyst, but I unfortunately feel that in these cases i've observed implicit racial biases. Again, I did not see what, if anything the African American male did prior to my entry, however, while I was there, he never once raised his voice, caused disruptions and so on; while his caucasian counterparts was simply unseen, unheard and left to their own devices, even though one of two had no Starbucks products in their possessions.

I don't mean to ruffle any feathers, I hope the owner recognizes & reads the room as I have and understands the (potential) biases that were emphasized today. For those that were wondering, I did also buy the man in the iridescent jacket a cup of coffee and biscuits. (face in image removed)

I'll miss the staff and wish...

I visited this location a little over a week ago, and to be honest the scene that I witnessed has appalled me. Now I wasn't going to write this review, but I am worried that if I don't speak up then some other poor customer will be demeaned and/or made to feel uncomfortable. Well I was in your store I had the misfortune to hear my barista Clorey and a middle-aged(?) man I did not get the name of, have a beyond inappropriate and demeaning conversation about multiple customers passing through the drive-thru. As a 30-year-old man, I have unfortunately been witness to plenty of inappropriate and demeaning conversations, but to hear two employees speaking in this manner in front of all of God's creation was an absolute first for me.

I mean, this is Seattle in 2020 - to shame and insult your customers based on momentary judgments of who they are is astounding.

As a Starbucks shareholder, is this what I have invested in? A coffee shop is a space that is supposed to make the the customer feel comfortable and welcome. To be honest, I don't think I could have felt any further from that. Even though they weren't speaking about me, I can only wonder what they said about me when I was ordering?

Maybe Starbucks is too big nowadays, maybe they don't care care who they hire or what they say, but I don't patronize anywhere operated by the kind of people I witnessed here. I mean I know it's aurora but.... Maybe my time and yours would be better spent...

I've had a few disappointing visits to this store that I've let slide but now feel like the review is earned.

I ordered a four shot, sugar free vanilla latte, with the milk not too hot. My usual order. What they gave me was an iced coffee. I told them the order was wrong, they seemed obviously put out, but they remade it.

I drove off, without checking what was inside the cup, but upon the first drink realized it was just very sweet milk. Barely warm, too much syrup, no foam, and no espresso. Couldn't drive back because I was late for something but am writing this review to warn others: check your orders carefully before leaving and don't be surprised if you get a little attitude with...