The Editor returns from the US a little more wired than weary | The Month June 2012

When our good friends Greg and Debs last visited my wife and me in the Winelands, they thought it fitting to bring us two large ceramic Starbucks coffee mugs. As I fancy myself a bit of a ‘coffee lover’ my effusive thanks justified Greg’s extra effort at lugging the things over from Seattle but did nothing to prepare me for the real-deal American coffee culture. If you thought buying beer in Stellies on Klein Saterdagaand is big, buying your daily (and hourly it seems for some) fix of ‘joe’ in the States makes the efforts of those slurring varsity students look positively tame.

Standing in line at the University of Washington’s University Village Starbucks (the third busiest in the world, I’m told) I found myself babbling like a child as I attempted to order a Grande Americano with a little space for milk, while fumbling for my $15 Starbucks card. It wasn’t the look of resignation of the mom and three busy kids behind me (I swear the youngest actually drawled “Is he a tourist?”) or the assault of lovely eats in the display cases that threw me; it wasn’t even the seemingly endless options that the various drinks, sizes and combinations you’re encouraged to try, present. It was the skill and knowledge of the staff.

‘Grand’ or ‘Granday’ I wondered as the lips of my pretty barista moved and I registered she was talking to
me. To my left someone asked about peanuts in a pastry and a different, and equally attractive, barista explained where the morning’s delivery had come from, how it was made and exactly what was likely to be in it. From behind I heard someone asking about the Galapagos beans and yet another, albeit more ordinary looking, barista appeared to explain that the Galapagos micro-climate gives the beans grown there a “distinct herbal character and great chocolate mouth feel” – best enjoyed black. So impressed was I that I found myself positively intimidated.

It wasn’t always like this. Established in 1971, the first Starbucks store opened at Pike Place Market in Seattle and kept a relatively low profile until 1982, when Howard Schultz joined the team as head of the retail and marketing arm and systematically grew the business from 17 stores in 1987 to almost 20 000 worldwide by April 2012. But somewhere along the line Starbucks briefly lost the plot (and Schultz) and exorbitant prices seemed to be the order of the day, rather than a friendly greeting and the offer of any informed assistance.

After laying off a sizeable junk of the Starbucks workforce, and closing 600 US stores in 2008, Schultz set about reinventing the company – with a strong focus on employing quality people. According to Greg his experience of Starbucks stores in Seattle in particular has been characterised by a consistent improvement in service in the last few years and a real sense of ownership by the staff; and those who don’t make an effort, simply don’t make the grade. Perhaps the absence of a true Starbucks experience in South Africa is a pointer to how ill-prepared we are for the demands of world-class service. Or perhaps it’s just indicative of our lack of appreciation for coffee.

“Um, I’ll take that first one on that menu over there, in that medium-size cup,” I finally managed as I pointed first to the wall behind the still smiling barista and then the stack of cups to her left. As she swiped my card she motioned to where I should collect my cup and said “It’ll be easier tomorrow, and enjoy your time in the States.”