A Greener Apron
Starbucks opened their doors in Seattle, Washington in 1971. Starting off as being a coffee roaster that only sold whole bean coffee, in the early stage of their history they were not the hot coffee, latte, frappuccino making café as everyone knows today. There were no espresso machines, couches, chairs, pastry case, or community gathering inside at the start of every day to get their drinks or discuss current events. They sold freshly roasted coffee beans to local customers, where they would go home to brew it themselves. When we think of Starbucks today, we think of the local and well known coffee shop being within a few miles, or sometimes a few doors down from each other. Lines sometimes being out the door waiting to order a beverage, pastry, or breakfast sandwich, tables filled with people sitting on laptops, reading a book, doing homework, talking to friends that gathered there, or a family that came to sit down and have breakfast with each other. The social aspect of the Starbucks customers, and sense of community inside are almost undeniable when walking into a store. So how did all of this come from a place that just sold coffee beans?
I started Starbucks in September of 2011, hired as a barista. I always wanted to work for the company ever since I started visiting a local store near me on my way to school in my late teens. I was attending art school, and before class I would make a stop for a cup of coffee on my way. My strongest memory that made the overall impression and value I saw in the company years later was one I experienced every morning in this store. I would order a “Venti” coffee (large) to the barista at the register, and repeating back my order to me, he would hand me the coffee and I would be on my way. The more I visited this store, the more my conversations grew with this particular barista. I remember when he first remembered my name, and greeted me with “Good morning Scott! How’s it going? Venti coffee today?” It made me feel good. It made me feel like out of all the people that come in and out of that store a day, he remembered me enough to recall my name. It made me feel like I mattered, as if I was a part of something they had going on in there. It was a great feeling, and so I continued to come back, possibly even more after that knowing it was a place I felt welcome and valued.
To this day, I use this memory as a prime example of how to treat customers that come into the store, and what it means to create a community amongst the customers and the baristas. When I started working for the company they believed in creating the “Third Place.” It was a place between work and home, for people to come and do whatever they would like to do. It could be a place to relax, take a short break from other obligations, get work done without interruption, or meet up with friends or family over coffee. The furniture was inviting, having soft, worn-in couches, mahogany colored leather chairs, ottomans, and hand made wooden conference tables for people to easily engage in such activities. Coffee has always had a way of bringing people together, and it lives in the heart and soul of the company’s culture. Starbucks refers to their employees as “partners,” since we all share stock investments in the company as part of our benefits package. It also represents being partners to each other, sharing a common bond, and always helping each other out like a family. They introduce newly hired partners to the Starbucks Mission and Values statement to which we are to adhere to at all times. “Our mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” The Values statement lists “Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome. Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other. Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity, and respect. Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.”
In conducting my research on how this atmosphere comes to life in a store, I began with the one I currently work in. When I approach the store from the outside the charcoal exterior with the name “Starbucks” is illuminated by cool blue backlights. In contrast with the typical stores that lack these refined features and color selection, it gives the impression that it is a different type of Starbucks, one that might be defined as high-class, stylish, and exclusive. Walking in, I see the ceiling is set very high, with an industrial design allowing the air ducts and structure beams to be seen from the café. The furniture is carefully arranged, with leather seats, tables, and a long hard wood conference table available. The coffee culture seems very prominent in this space, as the walls are covered in brewing method illustrations, coffee agriculture illustrations, multiple shelves featuring a diverse selection of coffees from all over the world, and brewing devices for sale. There is a separate bar set to the right of the entrance, with a mahogany wood counter that wraps around in an “L” shape, cornering off this area as something exclusive, and separate from the rest of the store. The café is filled with a diverse range of people, and the baristas behind the counter are all wearing black aprons, not the standard green aprons seen in other stores. The high ceilings and populated café creates a vast, loud mix of conversations that seem to become one, and make it hard to speak to someone at times, and the conversations are difficult to separate from one another.
I could notice right away this is a place where locals gather. I could see friends walk in and shake each others hands greeting one another, cyclists meeting up after a long ride, young children hanging out and having a laugh together before setting off to go outside. I could see all the baristas behind the bar, giving all their attention to the regulars standing and waiting for their drinks, or ordering at the register. “Thanks Gordon! Have a good one!” a barista shouted, smiling as he walked away and sat down. Gordon is a customer I interact with on a daily basis, and so I felt what better customer to talk to and ask about his thoughts on Starbucks, and what our community means to him. He described the act of visiting our store in the morning as a way to start the day, as a person that works from home, a way to engage with familiar faces. He mentioned it also served as a place he unexpectedly met new people who were fellow customers and built friendships with them. I asked him who or what brought this sense of community to life; was it the company? Was it the customers? The location? The baristas? He confidently and quickly answered that the baristas are what primarily created this welcoming atmosphere, and it was our stores’ partners that made him feel like he was important and valued. We enjoyed seeing him as much as he did us, and he felt this was brought together by a sense of family within the partners in this store. His story was remarkably similar to my own experience, and I felt that after talking with him, I was not the only one that has experienced this feeling of belonging in a Starbucks location.
A large part of the companies’ culture is the coffee culture and giving back to the local community. We will set aside used coffee grinds used as compost for peoples gardens, and they can pick them up at whatever time is convenient for them. Starbucks introduced a new food donation program called FoodShare. This program allows 100% safe-to-donate food items and ready-to-eat items from stores across the country to be donated to food banks, or local shelters. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Starbucks invested local focus on restoration and clean up of the damaged homes and beach areas which I was gratefully a participant. With their company wide goal of having 100% of stores globally participating in annual community service by 2020, it provides a helping hand in creating meaningful opportunities that can strengthen individuals and communities. Throughout the year, partners as well as customers dedicate their time and energy in creating a positive change in their neighborhoods. One of the biggest platforms the companies coffee culture stands on, is their Ethical Sourcing C.A.F.E. Practices. Launched in 1999, and in partnership with Conservational International, they help promote environmentally responsible coffee growing methods. Ensuring the farmers Starbucks purchases coffee from is provided with clean drinking water, using third-party verifiers to protect the rights of workers to make sure they have safe, and humane working and living conditions is a large part of their social responsibility. Each year, a selected number of partners in the company are able to go on an “Origin Trip,” having the chance to visit our many coffee farmers all over the world and explore what it is like to harvest and process the coffee beans from plant to cup.
I started Starbucks in September of 2011, hired as a barista. I always wanted to work for the company ever since I started visiting a local store near me on my way to school in my late teens. I was attending art school, and before class I would make a stop for a cup of coffee on my way. My strongest memory that made the overall impression and value I saw in the company years later was one I experienced every morning in this store. I would order a “Venti” coffee (large) to the barista at the register, and repeating back my order to me, he would hand me the coffee and I would be on my way. The more I visited this store, the more my conversations grew with this particular barista. I remember when he first remembered my name, and greeted me with “Good morning Scott! How’s it going? Venti coffee today?” It made me feel good. It made me feel like out of all the people that come in and out of that store a day, he remembered me enough to recall my name. It made me feel like I mattered, as if I was a part of something they had going on in there. It was a great feeling, and so I continued to come back, possibly even more after that knowing it was a place I felt welcome and valued.
To this day, I use this memory as a prime example of how to treat customers that come into the store, and what it means to create a community amongst the customers and the baristas. When I started working for the company they believed in creating the “Third Place.” It was a place between work and home, for people to come and do whatever they would like to do. It could be a place to relax, take a short break from other obligations, get work done without interruption, or meet up with friends or family over coffee. The furniture was inviting, having soft, worn-in couches, mahogany colored leather chairs, ottomans, and hand made wooden conference tables for people to easily engage in such activities. Coffee has always had a way of bringing people together, and it lives in the heart and soul of the company’s culture. Starbucks refers to their employees as “partners,” since we all share stock investments in the company as part of our benefits package. It also represents being partners to each other, sharing a common bond, and always helping each other out like a family. They introduce newly hired partners to the Starbucks Mission and Values statement to which we are to adhere to at all times. “Our mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” The Values statement lists “Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome. Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other. Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity, and respect. Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.”
In conducting my research on how this atmosphere comes to life in a store, I began with the one I currently work in. When I approach the store from the outside the charcoal exterior with the name “Starbucks” is illuminated by cool blue backlights. In contrast with the typical stores that lack these refined features and color selection, it gives the impression that it is a different type of Starbucks, one that might be defined as high-class, stylish, and exclusive. Walking in, I see the ceiling is set very high, with an industrial design allowing the air ducts and structure beams to be seen from the café. The furniture is carefully arranged, with leather seats, tables, and a long hard wood conference table available. The coffee culture seems very prominent in this space, as the walls are covered in brewing method illustrations, coffee agriculture illustrations, multiple shelves featuring a diverse selection of coffees from all over the world, and brewing devices for sale. There is a separate bar set to the right of the entrance, with a mahogany wood counter that wraps around in an “L” shape, cornering off this area as something exclusive, and separate from the rest of the store. The café is filled with a diverse range of people, and the baristas behind the counter are all wearing black aprons, not the standard green aprons seen in other stores. The high ceilings and populated café creates a vast, loud mix of conversations that seem to become one, and make it hard to speak to someone at times, and the conversations are difficult to separate from one another.
I could notice right away this is a place where locals gather. I could see friends walk in and shake each others hands greeting one another, cyclists meeting up after a long ride, young children hanging out and having a laugh together before setting off to go outside. I could see all the baristas behind the bar, giving all their attention to the regulars standing and waiting for their drinks, or ordering at the register. “Thanks Gordon! Have a good one!” a barista shouted, smiling as he walked away and sat down. Gordon is a customer I interact with on a daily basis, and so I felt what better customer to talk to and ask about his thoughts on Starbucks, and what our community means to him. He described the act of visiting our store in the morning as a way to start the day, as a person that works from home, a way to engage with familiar faces. He mentioned it also served as a place he unexpectedly met new people who were fellow customers and built friendships with them. I asked him who or what brought this sense of community to life; was it the company? Was it the customers? The location? The baristas? He confidently and quickly answered that the baristas are what primarily created this welcoming atmosphere, and it was our stores’ partners that made him feel like he was important and valued. We enjoyed seeing him as much as he did us, and he felt this was brought together by a sense of family within the partners in this store. His story was remarkably similar to my own experience, and I felt that after talking with him, I was not the only one that has experienced this feeling of belonging in a Starbucks location.
A large part of the companies’ culture is the coffee culture and giving back to the local community. We will set aside used coffee grinds used as compost for peoples gardens, and they can pick them up at whatever time is convenient for them. Starbucks introduced a new food donation program called FoodShare. This program allows 100% safe-to-donate food items and ready-to-eat items from stores across the country to be donated to food banks, or local shelters. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Starbucks invested local focus on restoration and clean up of the damaged homes and beach areas which I was gratefully a participant. With their company wide goal of having 100% of stores globally participating in annual community service by 2020, it provides a helping hand in creating meaningful opportunities that can strengthen individuals and communities. Throughout the year, partners as well as customers dedicate their time and energy in creating a positive change in their neighborhoods. One of the biggest platforms the companies coffee culture stands on, is their Ethical Sourcing C.A.F.E. Practices. Launched in 1999, and in partnership with Conservational International, they help promote environmentally responsible coffee growing methods. Ensuring the farmers Starbucks purchases coffee from is provided with clean drinking water, using third-party verifiers to protect the rights of workers to make sure they have safe, and humane working and living conditions is a large part of their social responsibility. Each year, a selected number of partners in the company are able to go on an “Origin Trip,” having the chance to visit our many coffee farmers all over the world and explore what it is like to harvest and process the coffee beans from plant to cup.
Whether the community is found over seas at our coffee farms and the families that maintain them, the bond the baristas share with each other in bringing a place of social gathering to life, or the customers visiting the stores each day to see the baristas or each other, it is weaved into the fabric of the company in every aspect. The core Values and Mission Statement is taken seriously, with pride, and with respect. As I explored the many documents gathered over the years from the company, my coffee journal from when I became a Coffee Master learning about our C.A.F.E. practices and ethical sourcing, and having the opportunity to interview a customer that frequents my store every day, I learned a lot about what community means to me, and possibly what a community means to all of us. As an old manager and friend of mine once said to me when I started those years ago, “We’re not in the coffee business serving people, we’re in the people business serving coffee.”