Updated 1:30 p.m. with additional comments from Starbucks
It’s lights out today at Starbucks for latte lovers looking for an early evening java jolt.
For the first time in the company’s three-decade history, Starbucks is closing down more than 7,000 company-operated stores across the United States for a three-hour period starting at 5:30 p.m., local time.
The temporary shutdown includes dozens of company-operated Orange County cafes. License stores such as units operating in grocery stores are not affected.
The struggling Seattle-based chain will use the unprecedented lockout time to train employees and baristas on how to better “connect with customers,” spokesman Brandon Borrman said. For example, baristas will be trained on espresso standards to ensure they are serving a high-quality beverage.
“We’re taking time to perfect our art of espresso,” read a sign posted outside an Old Towne Orange Starbucks Tuesday morning. The sign also stated that the store wouldn’t re-open until the next morning.
A company representative said Tuesday afternoon that cafes with late-night hours will re-open after 9 p.m. However, some cafes have opted to close stores for the remainder of the night.
The training sessions are part of a series of customer-driven initiatives Starbucks has announced to boost sagging sales. Over the last 12 months, the chain’s stock has tumbled nearly 50 percent as fast-food rivals such as McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts lure customers with less expensive, premium coffees.
Underscoring that heated rivalry, Dunkin’ Donuts said Monday that it will sell a small latte, espresso or cappuccino for 99 cents today from1 p.m. to 10 p.m. The offer is clearly aimed at wooing Starbucks customers left hanging during tonight’s three-hour shutdown.
“Dunkin’ Donuts wants to ensure that no coffee lover is denied a delicious espresso-based beverage,” the company said in a statement. (FYI: Dunkin’ Donuts does NOT operate in Southern California.)
Starbucks Chief executive Howard Schultz said the training session will provide employees the “tools and resources they need to exceed the expectations of our customers.” In mid-March, Schultz plans to announce more customer-focused strategies during a shareholder meeting.
To find a Starbucks located inside a grocery store, click here.
Other Starbucks stories in the news:
- Starbucks eliminating 600 U.S. jobs (2/2008)
- Starbucks hires former executive to head global development
- Starbucks scraps breakfast sandwich program (2/08)
- Starbucks testing French-press inspired brew (2/08)
- Starbucks changes Wi-Fi provider (2/08)
- Starbucks testing $1 drip, free refills
I’m a bit confused by the description of Starbucks as a “struggling Seattle-based chain.” I own Starbucks stock and it has maintained steady growth over the past 5 years. The numbers in the annual reports have likewise shown steady growth in revenue. So, where’s the “struggling” come from?
Connecting with customers?
Taking time to perfect our art of espresso?
The first thing Startbucks should do is learn how to make a good cup of coffee that doesn’t taste burnt before anything else.
Do we even have Dunkin Donuts in California? I would love a 99 cent latte, but i dont know where to buy it.
fullerton: Sorry, I should have mentioned that we don’t have Dunkin’ Donuts here in OC. In fact, I don’t think the chain exists in California.
I mentioned it, just to show how huge the coffee wars are getting.
Nancy
Never mind. I just realized I’m looking at REALLY outdated reports.
I think they should have elocution lessons for all those kiddies with pierced tongues. If we could understand our order when they repeat it back to us, instead of us boomers just thinking we don’t understand the latest hip-hop babble, that would be a nice connection with the customers. And get some fresh pastries and cakes. Most of that stuff is stale and rock hard. What we need in this country is a combo chain that does coffee, sandwiches, donuts and pastries well. We need Tim Horton’s! Wendy’s owns it, why is it in Canada only? Back me up you Canadian ex-pats!
According to their website, Tim Hortons has locations in ten US states, just not CA.
there are cheap alternatives to starbucks at almost every corner nowadays… they’re called gas stations, sometime also called 7-eleven’s. For the record, there are Dunkin’ Donuts in OC. I believe there one right of the 5 on 17th in Santa ana.
A Dunkin’ Donuts near my work? wow. If there is one, I’ve been blind to it for years.
There’s a Dunkin’ Donut in CM too.
From Ann Valespino - “I think they should have elocution lessons for all those kiddies with pierced tongues. If we could understand our order when they repeat it back to us, instead of us boomers just thinking we don’t understand the latest hip-hop babble, that would be a nice connection with the customers. And get some fresh pastries and cakes. Most of that stuff is stale and rock hard.”
Isn’t it interesting how boomers were just like these young kids with tattoos, pierced body parts, skinny jeans, bare midriff tops and ecstasy and the boomers were wearing no bras, sandals, long hair, tie- dye shirts and took LSD? Now they’re behaving like their parents/grandparents/athorities back in the late ‘60-early ’70s who they rebelled against. Back to Starbucks. I’ll be just fine because I’m not a Starbucks junkie and besides if I was I can always go to Coffee Bean or Peet’s which I think is much better than Starbucks. The Starbucks I go to in W L.A. or in the S F Valley is fine because all I order is just a simple cup of coffee, not difficult to screw up and I rarely purchase any of those overpriced food items. No hassles with the employees and a couple of times they’ve given me free drinks(in Pasadena and in Simi Valley). What annoys me are the customers with their electronic leash and hog the tables with their laptop computers. If there was a mistake all I have to do is bring it to their attention without making a scene and the situation is usually solved without any drama or I simply fill out the customer feedback form by the sugar and napkins. Bottom line I’m not going to miss Starbucks when they’re close and besides I’ll be working out.
What a shame Starbucks won’t also be retraining those kiosks they have in Vons and such. Those off site locations away from regular Starbucks stores are really their weakest link when it comes to customer service, product quality, efficiency, and overall brand equity. The Starbucks counter in my Vons here in Orange is routinely horrible. The clerks there are lazy, sloppy lumps who won’t make eye contact with you and barely mumble a word back at you while they fumble with the espresso machine and text message their boyfriends at the same time.
Starbucks in grocery stores are truly their weakest link, especially the Vons store on Tustin Avenue. It might be best for the good of the entire company if Starbucks just stopped operating those little satellite locations and focused more intently on their main stores.
Troy: Starbucks said it will eventually conduct the training with its licensee stores aka those in airpots/supermarket, etc.
I should have mentioned that. Thanks, Nancy
Sorry people, you’re confusing Winchell’s or other chains you’ve seen speeding by in your cars for Dunkin’ Donuts. We’ve confirmed this several times with Dunkin’ Brands, which owns DD, Baskin-Robbins and Togo’s: There are NO Dunkin Donuts in Southern California. Haven’t been since at least 1993. Maybe you’re thinking back a decade and a half, but the chain completely exited the SoCal market in the early 1990s.
I dont know what donuts store you are referring to, but according to their website, Dunkin Donuts does not have stores in California. Maybe you are thinking of winchells?
Maybe people are thinking about DK Donuts, or Yum Yum Donuts. Yum has a logo that looks kinda like Dunkin’s…
Anyway, there’s no listing for Dunkin in California, according to PR folks and the Website.
WHO CARES CLOSE THEM FOR GOOD.
ITS JUST ANOTHER ADDICTION SOME OF YOU THINK YOU NEED
I am a mom of a starbucks barista and a longtime Starbucks drinker, (triple grande, sugar free vanilla with whip latte’ Thank you!) I also own a fair amount of starbucks stock, So I was very glad when I heard that thaey would be shutting down to retrain and re-focus.
I beleive it was a brave move by Howard Schultz to anounce this because he is stating that he believes in the company that he helped start, to the point of shutting down and losing 3 hrs worth of business nationwide, to get the baristas re-focused and re-trained for consistancy. Not many companies in thsi day and age would attempt to do this, because the are all about the profits now,
Starbucks and Howard are looking to the future. Howard is trying to re align Starbucks to the origional concept of the company and that is great coffee and great cust service.
BTW… I agree… Licenced stores like in Vons do suck… My son has worked in a licenced store in a Vons and left to work in a regular Starbucks in Lake forest. He hated the Licenced store for the same reasons mentioned here..
We need a good cup of coffee that tastes great and for a reasonable price! Simple
dunkin dounts is in santa ana on 17th passed amin
main
We need pastries with our coffee. Don’t take that away from us. I have many a time drank Starbucks coffee on an empty stomach. And let me tell you, it was no fun. Use your imagination.
So don’t get rid of the pastries.
This was advertised (heavily) as a 3 or 3.5 hour close. My local bux is usually open until midnight. But they didn’t reopen at 8:30 or 9 pm as expected. They stayed closed. Not to reopen until tomorrow morning.
So I went a few blocks to a location with drive-thru, figuring they be re-opened. No luck there either.
Both locations closed. for the night.
Was this a temporary closing (as advertised) or a closing early for the night (reality).
Both locations were in Buena Park - Movieland and across from BP mall.
Did others find that locations didn’t reopen after the “temporary” close?
Maybe they will keep coffee on hand from now on. Lately, every time I’ve gone in there it’s been, “Oh, we are out of coffee right now, would you like a Cafe Americano?” No, I want a coffee, thats why I came to a coffee shop.
Might I recommend making drinks as good as other coffee shops that make the same thing for a lower price. A price, however, that’s off-set because I have to drive even longer to find one due to a Starbucks being on virtually every street corner?
I have no sympathy and couldn’t care less if they closed for a day, a year, or forever.
I’d go to my corner store over Starbucks anyday! Cheaper and better coffee. Even AMPM tastes better than Starbucks