they pay good... they give you benefits at 20hrs... 401k.. you cant beat it in the fast food industry...
you cant get that working for the indy shop...
i go to starbucks because they give a good deal to the workers in my opinion.. and its the kind of business that i want to support...
no ammount of coffee snobbery would make me want to go buy coffee someplace that doesn't give the barrista guys as good a deal...
7 comments:
YOU ARE DAMMM RIGHT CAUSE I WORK THERE !!! :)
Because its so much cooler to get shitty service from some young punk at a small locally owned/locally loaned coffee shop.
They are a pretty good corporate citizen considering how big they are.
That's info I didn't know about Starbucks and does alter my opinion about them. Congrats to them. However, remember that not all indy cafes and other retail businesses are the same and that the issues regarding insurance are complex. It is generally easier and cheaper for a large corporation to acquire a health insurance plan for its employees than for a small business owner.
The bakery and cafe just down the street from where I live in Oakland pay between $9-10 starting, which I know is a few dollars more than Peet's Coffee (for example, not sure what Starbuck's starting wage is). These are local favorites, much loved and known by local residents and the tip jars are frequently very full (so you can you add a couple of more dollars there too). The owner of the bakery offers health insurance, profit sharing, a holiday bonus and vacation time. I know less about the benefits of the cafe. And the bakery owner's biggest expense is actually worker's compensation (not rent, supplies or salary) premiums even though he has had only 1 injury in the last seven years (which is quite remarkable). Many business owners in California will say that workers comp dues are very, very difficult to meet and it is an issue that is in a state of crisis in California. This local cafe and bakery also turn out some of the best product I've had - which is why i go there.
As someone who chooses indy places over chains, I enjoy not having every cafe I enter look and feel exactly the same. I appreciate uniqueness and not a corporately-inspired-and-designed atmosphere. When I travel to another town, I like feeling that I am in a different place and this is an experience lacking when an area is dominated by retail chain stores. Part of the enjoyment of travel and one of the aspects I liked most about racing was seeing other parts of the country (the cafes in silver city, NM for example). It doesn't feel as much like traveling to a new place when the restaurant, hotel, cafe, etc are exactly the same as the one I was in last week at home or at Sea Otter a few weeks ago. The local flavor of a place is sometimes if not often lost in a chain store.
Anyway, sorry for the long post. And I think you have an interesting and provocative site. Thanks for the chance to voice my opinion.
dave king
Starbucks has a history of putting up a shop right next to a private cafe and running them out of business. It's just like the whole Wal Mart thing in small towns.
I don't go there because I consider both their blended and single-origin beans to be over-roasted and the service/knowledge/drinks to be inconsitent. If I'm going to go out for coffee and shell out some cash, I'm going to go to a shop that comprehends what I mean when order a ristretto doppio. Otherwise, I drink at home. And you know when I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself.
I thought that some of you might be interested in my new website. :) Please sign my guestbook and voice you opinion on Starfuckz!
Skylar,
creator of www.starfuckz.com
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