It may seem counter-intuitive, but it appears the company that largely introduced America to an expanded cafe culture is making a mint through an instant coffee product.
Reuters reported today that Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX) CEO
The product seeks to crack into the $20+ billion instant coffee market . . . which may indicate it's less about a culinary experience than providing a payload of caffeine. But Via, sold at Starbucks locations in three-packs for $2.95, may be more buzzworthy for the gossip surrounding it than the caffeine buzz it provides.
According to a BusinessWeek Online article, the guys and gals in the trenches are significantly less jazzed than their fearless leader. The article points to mystarbucksidea.com, a company-run blog, and starbucksgossip.com as the virtual backrooms where battered baristas and weary customers share horror stories regarding sales of Via being uncomfortably overpressured. One comment, left on starbucksgossip.com today, in response to the BusinessWeek piece, posted by the pseudonym of "crema_de_crop" stated:
This "promotion" will go down in infamy. Those of us who survive to tell the tales to our progeny will surely understate the severity of the slump in morale, the degree to which other key drivers of business and satisfaction were ignored (beverage quality, speed of service, product knowledge), and the relief after it was all over.
Or did I speak too soon.... Has everyone gotten their DECAF VIA goals yet???
While an upgraded version of instant coffee may have appeal to some, many subscribe to the philosophy that to make coffee a truly culinary experience, there's no replacement for fresh-roasted, freshly ground beans in the hands of a skilled barista. During its proliferation in the 1990s, Starbucks seemed to recognize that. But the adoption of 100% automated espresso machines that relied on the push of a button rather than well-trained staff, was the first of several steps that have pushed the coffee giant away from that philosophy. Now, pushing its science-based, mass-produced Via, Starbucks is ever-further from freshness and employee trust.
Thankfully, here in Santa Barbara, options abound; plenty of local shops, many of which are supplied by local roasters, that grind your beans and build your espresso drinks right in front of you. Keep your eyes peeled to these pages, as we visit them and help you decide which cafe to call home.
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