Starbucks Learns the
Cost of Virtue-Signaling
Power Line,
by
Steven Hayward
Original Article
Posted By: MissMolly,
3/10/2020 5:12:31 AM
Everyone remembers how Starbucks responded to allegations of systemic racism by closing down for a whole day of penance (which meant company-wide sensitivity training) followed by the decision that they would open all their locations—and most especially their bathrooms—to anyone without requiring a product purchase. In other words, it was the equivalent of putting out signs saying, “Loitering Welcome Here.”
As they say on the Interwebs, you’ll never guess what happened next! Actually, you don’t need to guess, but in case you’re curious, we have some social science on the question, in the form of a paper from two researchers at Boston College and one at the University of Texas,
Reply 1 - Posted by:
F15 Gork 3/10/2020 7:07:12 AM (No. 341762)
Personally, I never liked their coffee.
74 people like this.
Burnt, over- roasted.
76 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Highlander 3/10/2020 7:42:07 AM (No. 341777)
I have a friend who likes the local Starbucks in our little town. Occasionally, we get together for morning conversations on Saturday. He buys his coffee from the barista. I make my own at home and pour it into a Starbucks thermo my step-son gave me for Christmas, before meeting said friend. There, we drink as we sit and discuss our solutions to world problems. 🙄
42 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
JrSample 3/10/2020 7:50:24 AM (No. 341781)
Imagine that....paying customers don't want to share a space with a bunch of obnoxious, smelly, freeloading hobos.
71 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
BeatleJeff 3/10/2020 8:00:08 AM (No. 341785)
I wonder how much mobile ordering contributes to lack of time spent hanging out in the store. I place my order en route, run in, pick it up, go on my way. I rarely drink in shop. And yes, I do like Starbucks.
7 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
udanja99 3/10/2020 8:19:36 AM (No. 341801)
There is no Starbucks near me at home so I usually only go to them while on business trips - mainly because I like their coffee better than hotel coffee. And I almost never sit in the store; just grab my order and go. But last year I had a couple of days off on a trip to CA and spent a day wandering around Napa. It started to rain and I ducked into Starbucks to wait it out and bought a latte. The front area of the store had a seating area with numerous upholstered easy chairs and they were all filled with sleeping filthy bums who stank. I found a seat at a counter way in the back, didn’t dare use the restroom, and as soon as the rain dwindled I was out of there.
19 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
RayLRiv 3/10/2020 8:20:20 AM (No. 341802)
They lost me as a customer when they did away with their marble cake. It was the only reason for me to go into a Starbucks. I credit my late father for letting me know about Starbuck's marble cake. He discovered it first and let me know about it. I've always been more of a Speedway or Quick Trip coffee kinda guy...
13 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Strike3 3/10/2020 8:26:14 AM (No. 341806)
Liberal sympathizers had a gold mine going simply on name brand and they blew it by caving to liberal fantasies. McDonalds is better for a buck. I don't mind too much sitting next to a bum but I won't be solicited to buy his coffee too. The same thing happened to Ben & Jerry's who could sell a pint of ice cream for what you pay for a quart in other brands because it held a certain mystique. No more. You speak out against patriotic Americans and you lose.
52 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
cube 3/10/2020 8:49:57 AM (No. 341824)
I could've told them it would hit them in the wallet. Doesn't bother me because I've never had Starbucks coffee. Too trendy and too expensive for me.
22 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Clinger 3/10/2020 8:58:45 AM (No. 341832)
I like their coffee and get so jacked up I can't imagine why anyone would seek a more powerful upper.
If you can name a major corporation that doesn't proselytize leftist theology please name them and I'll do my best to support them. Sure the virtue signaling may come at a cost but that's no where near the cost of being targeted for destruction by the clan of wokeness. It's insurance, perhaps more akin to paying the mafia for "protection."
I'm sure some corporations, perhaps Starbucks, are led by or dominated by leaders who are true believers. But for the most part I think it's a strategic business decision to play along out of fear for the consequences of not bowing to the left.
However; as the indoctrinated generation grows into those positions of control the balance will flip from reluctant acceptance to progressive evangelism. People will act inconsistent with their economic benefit for deep rooted beliefs. Many of us give to the church. Same thing different God.
There's a parallel somewhere in European history if I could just think of it.... (actually more than one)
6 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 3/10/2020 9:21:14 AM (No. 341843)
I'm not a Starbucks fan, but, will buy on occasion if with friends or family. Starbuck's coffee is way too bitter. So the few times I go, I don't look around and mind my own business. I had also noticed that washroom sanitation at the Starbucks stores in my neighborhood had worsened since the company instituted this new policy. I used to prefer Caribou Coffee until I found out Caribou's corporate ownership is muslim (many thanks to a previous heads up by udanja99).
12 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Strike3 3/10/2020 9:50:28 AM (No. 341870)
#10, may I suggest Gadsden & Culpeper, an online seller of clothing for Conservative tastes. They have all kinds of merchandise that supports patriots and pokes fun at liberals. Also Black Rifle Coffee. (Better than Starbucks)
19 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
StormCnter 3/10/2020 10:01:36 AM (No. 341883)
One of our granddaughters is a barista at a Seattle-area Starbucks. Her manager put a stop to personal mug use to favored customers as one of the efforts to avoid contanimation at this time. A male customer, when handed a regular cup, demanded his personal mug. She explained the new and temporary policy. He then upended the full cup of coffee on the countertop and stormed out. Nice people, no?
17 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
ussjimmycarter 3/10/2020 10:40:11 AM (No. 341924)
I LOVE strong coffee and preferred their taste to Caribou. But, when they got woke, I closed my wallet to them never to offer another penny to their cause. Serve coffee and shut up! I don't do Caribou anymore...frankly, we just bought a really good coffee maker at home and buy good quality coffee at Byerly's in Wayzata, MN. and make our own coffee! It's the best. Went to a place for brunch yesterday. Ordered a cup of coffee with a shot of Expresso...was weaker than the coffee I make at home! I should open my own store...but then I'd have the "public" to deal with. I would kick Social Justice Warriors and anyone with a tattoo or green hair out. Gender fluid...out! I'd be in court within a week. Nevermind!
20 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
dman 3/10/2020 10:49:42 AM (No. 341939)
"Progressive" idealism meets the reality of human nature. Who'da thunk??
8 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
HotRod 3/10/2020 11:10:34 AM (No. 341956)
I was getting some work done on my truck at a tire shop that had a Starbucks next door. While waiting for my truck, I walked over to get a coffee. I asked for a regular coffee, black. The dude looked at me like I was an idiot. He wasn't sure what to do, since I didn't want one of those fancy lattes, or whatever. He finally brought me one, for $4. It was so strong that it gave me a headache! I couldn't drink half of it.
If you like exceptionally strong coffee, and can convince them to give you some straight, unmolested, coffee, you might like it. I suppose they make it that way since it is usually diluted with other stuff...
5 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
DVC 3/10/2020 11:36:50 AM (No. 341987)
Inviting in stinking bums doesn't seem like a way to keep your paying customers, in any business.
I went into a Starbucks once when driving to a hunting expedition with a friend, got a hot chocolate to go, since I don't drink coffee, he got his coffee to go. That is my total sum of experience with the business.
2 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
zoidberg 3/10/2020 11:45:30 AM (No. 342003)
Kevin O'Leary ("Mr. Wonderful" on Shark Tank) advises young people not to spend money at coffee shops. It adds up. He always makes his own at home.
9 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Videodrone 3/10/2020 11:58:57 AM (No. 342023)
Have avoided Starbucks for several years, although my lady likes it - stopped at the one next to the freeway on ramp early one morning - trying to fill my travel mug for the drive, the ensuing conversation over the intercom was one for the books, I finally got to the point where I shouted DO YOU SELL COFFEE?
went to the other side for the freeway and ordered McDonald's
8 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
udanja99 3/10/2020 12:54:43 PM (No. 342068)
Glad that you stopped the Caribou coffee, #14. The company is largely owned (60%) by Arcapita, a Muslim bank.
4 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
Smart11344 3/10/2020 1:24:28 PM (No. 342102)
I must be a rarity. I cannot stand to drink their swill that they call their overpriced coffee and with a tip jar for no service at all. They don't deliver your order to your table. Remember gasoline stations n the 50's where three or four people would come out, clean your windows, check your air pressure, pump your gasoline and were POLITE.
7 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
RedWhite&Blue2 3/10/2020 1:29:53 PM (No. 342107)
I prefer a cup of Lipton tea every morning.
One spoonful of honey
One spoonful of Hershey’s chocolate.
Mmmm, yummy...
Tried coffee in the past but...
Coffee always gave me the squirts!
3 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
weejun 3/10/2020 1:44:27 PM (No. 342116)
Some real data to support the findings of the research: Starbucks recently (4-6 months ago) opened a new location in Colorado Springs about 3 blocks from the number one homeless facility. The location was ideal from the standpoint of daily traffic (i.e., a heavily traveled city thoroughfare). Two weeks ago, the facility went "drive thru only" because of exactly what the researchers assert. Why don't liberals get it???
4 people like this.
Marketing 101: Keep your politics, political correctness and virtue signalling to yourself and you sell to everyone, regardless of their politics, politcal correctness and virtue signalling.
2 people like this.
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