Starbucks — Restaurant in Washington

There appears to be ongoing issues with staffing and scheduling. Mobile ordering is frequently disabled. That wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t also significant waits, even when not busy. The lounge is often closed without notice. I started calling ahead to see if the lounge would be open. The last time I went, I called to make certain it was open. I verified it would be open until 7:00 (posted hours). I arrived about 9 mimutes after calling. About 10 minutes after I settling in, I was asked to leave because they were closing the lounge. I was told someone just called in sick. I doubt this was about someone being sick. The staff seems to rely on the narrative that people are out sick. There is clearly something that keeps people from reporting to work. Normally, if a business has problems with hourly workers, the leadership picks up those shifts. I don’t believe that happens there.

I have seen the store have online ordering and the lounge closed with at least 4 people working. So even with the location staffed, they don’t seem able, or inclined, to handle even a moderate work flow. Something else is going on. I don’t understand how they stay open.

I have had several trips wasted to unposted closures. The drive through has detained me for over 30 minutes (I know this isn’t exaggeration because of my dashboard clock). This is compounded by a drive through that cannot be exited when several cars are in queue.

There are failures in efficiency, staffing and leadership at this location. Matters have worsened enough that it’s easier to drive farther than to deal with their organizational woes.

Paying customers are left with extended waits, hours that don’t match what’s posted, and sometimes being detained at the drive through. However, There are steady flows of vagrants who camp out there. Some so disturbed that occasionally there’s mischief and mayhem… like a disturbed person throwing an audible tantrum from the restrooms.. Or hassling customers with prattle. Not all of the people who loiter there are indigent and unwell. But a significant amount of the space is consumed by people not there to do business. A basic tenet of a business’ viability is that clients can access the services that business offers. Store hours are not as posted. Orders called in aren’t ready. People not there to transact business can take seating from customers, or make personal safety seem at risk. Work flow needs to be improved so that clients aren’t invested in delays that interfere with their aspirations outside of getting a coffee. Paying customers should be the apex mission of Starbucks. I see transients of all sorts, I mean people passing through without designs on transactions with Starbucks, who are equally welcome as the customers. So customers, who provide the ability for that hospitality, are somehow less important to accommodate as people just camping out.

This location needs to be closed. How can it manage a profit? How it isn’t a liability for the brand? If reopened, it needs to be properly staffed and opened for the all its posted hours… that is, open for business.

It’s a nice looking store in a good location. It needs to be managed and supervised. It needs to operate not just consistently but with a practical speed of workflow. Doing business there should not have consequences that intrude into a client’s agenda. It also needs to sort out whatever are the issues with attendance or training.

I have given that location a lot of patronage. It is a convenient location for me. Adjacency however is overwhelmed by so many issues that make this a failing enterprise. It has become so much effort to bring this store my business. It’s so much stress and inconvenience for a place I expected to find...

Avoid Starbucks if you are a tea drinker. They don't know how to match how many tea bags are appropriate for a tall vs a grande.

I ordered a grande, and they gave me a tall.

In the past, when I ordered a grande, I could have it brewed with one tea bag which is quite sufficient. Starbucks brews a grande with 2 teabags, so I would request a brew with one tea bag and just hand me the other bag. Too many tea bags can overbrew tea and make it bitter, yet you are charged for 2 tea bags when ordering a grande.

Today, I got a condescending lecture about it saying Starbucks policy had changed, and they no longer did that. How would I know about a policy change?

Starbucks has 101 ways to order and make a coffee drink, but has no idea about tea.

PS - Don't ever order a tea drink with milk. They will add the milk while the tea is brewing which lowers the water temperature and keeps the tea from brewing properly. Order tea without milk, then add it yourself...

I've been going, maybe monthly for years +old and new location) unfortunately, only because it is close. Compared to one by fred Meyer or down 132nd, specifically, or any other, this location is always last on the list. Service seems to always be slowest here, and drink always needs to be stirred after. Recent issue is they have extra charges or different pricing. Was charged more for same drink, checked receipt, a few months back. Thought it was really odd, even online app showed it 50 cents more, but only at this location. Last week, was charged more again, 50 cents. Thought maybe inflation or overall increases... No, just this store. Down by ikea sb was charged normal price. Checked receipt and confirmed when I saw the increase, employee didn't know anything (which is maddenly annoying).

Never know what you will get, how long it will take, or how much you will be charged at...