Starbucks — Restaurant in Virginia

Today, I made the familiar pilgrimage to my local Starbucks in Aquia Harbor's Market Place area. For a while, I had been a loyal customer at the Starbucks located at 1495 Stafford Market Pl, Stafford, VA 22556. However, something changed, and I found myself gravitating towards the one inside Target at 1090 Stafford Market Pl, Stafford, VA 22556. The shift was motivated by a simple yet profound reason - better service and consistently higher-quality drinks.

My go-to Starbucks order has remained unchanged for quite some time: a venti-sized brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso. This concoction has the magical power to brighten my day and instantly put me in a good mood. The rich sugar and toasty flavors fuse together perfectly, and it's become my daily ritual. I cherish simplicity.

Today, I strolled up to the counter and placed my usual order, the same one I'd been sipping on all summer. The only difference was that this time, I opted for a grande alongside my trusted venti. While I waited, I noticed a female barista explaining to two young male counterparts how to craft my beloved beverages. One was responsible for the venti, and the other for the grande. Seemed pretty straightforward, right?

However, as I observed, it became painfully clear that these young baristas were utterly baffled by the task at hand. The female barista, who had initially guided them, abruptly departed, leaving them to fend for themselves. I patiently waited for my name to be called, all the while watching them struggle to comprehend the art of crafting my cherished drinks.

Finally, my name was called, and I eagerly approached the counter to claim my beverages. To my dismay, they were nothing like what I'd come to expect. The grande was just as it should be, with the perfect blend of coffee and milk, but the venti resembled a boba milk tea more than anything else. Coffee was virtually absent from the mix, and that delectable brown sugary coffee that usually graced the bottom of the cup was conspicuously missing.

This was a far cry from what I had been served all summer. While it's true that different locations sometimes yield slightly different-looking drinks, the coffee-to-milk ratio had generally remained consistent. The most important part for me, that rich coffee at the bottom, had vanished entirely.

I decided to politely bring this to the attention of one of the baristas, not the one responsible for making my drink, but another female employee who happened to be nearby. Her response left me flabbergasted - she suggested adding more ice because my order had "light ice." I couldn't help but wonder, what part of "not enough coffee" equates to "add more ice"?

I tried to convey my concern once more, explaining that it was the milk content that bothered me. Her response was dismissive, insisting, "you have light ice, I can just add more ice." Frustration mounting, I mustered, "I don't want to be difficult, but this isn't what I'm accustomed to." She retorted, "I can't add more coffee; it already has four shots of espresso."

The fact that this woman didn't even make my drink and wasn't present during the preparation didn't deter her from challenging my assertion that my beloved beverage was prepared incorrectly. It was a frustrating encounter, to say the least.

In the end, I couldn't bring myself to argue with someone who didn't even craft the drink I had paid for. I threw the subpar venti-sized drink in the trash and walked away, deeply disappointed. If anyone from Starbucks is reading this, all I truly want is a refund for my most recent purchase. I understand that employee turnover can be high, especially at a location like Target, but I shouldn't have to suffer poor service and inconsistency for a drink I order regularly.

So, Starbucks, please hear my plea: refund my money for this disappointing experience. Going forward, I'll make the extra effort to drive to Fredericksburg if it means getting the consistent quality and service I expect, but I won't be returning to the Starbucks inside Target...

I went in tonight over an hour before close (6:50pm or so) and the girl up front (probably 20, dark brown hair in a ponytail and a sage green hoodie that says “New York”) did not even acknowledge me. She continued closing the machines down which was understandable (I have worked in restaurants all my life), but to not even say hello was a bit rude- though it really didn’t strike me in any way until later. She disappeared to the BOH and when she returned, was clearly signaling to another employee complaining that I was there. I kindly asked if they were closed already- mentioning that I didn’t want to interrupt her if they were closing at 7pm, but she said in a nasty tone “nope”. I proceeded to order my drinks and she hastily cashed me out and was rude through the end. I frequent Starbucks as I am on the road for work 3 days a week and I go sometimes twice a day and typically it is because I can get quick, pleasant service and decent coffee. This was wildly...

Nobody in line drink was okish but everywhere else if you get a Carmel frap you get the Carmel around the cup which didn’t happen then I went to scan my app to get my points because this purchase would have had me at 150 but she looked at me like I was dumb for 2 whole min while I pointed to the app showing her what to scan and of course I missed out on the points because I didn’t have a receipt to provide to Starbucks help desk… will never return here just go to the Starbucks on the corner that’s close by they actually know...