What is Starbucks Thinking?
![Starbucks-logo[1].gif](http://meridiancoffeehouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Starbucks-logo[1].thumbnail.gif)
The other day I stopped at the mind-boggling Starbucks for a cup of coffee. I asked the barista for a Café Valencia, my all-time favorite Starbucks treat. I knew full-well the specialty flavor was discontinued sometime in 2006. Even so, if you are lucky, Starbucks will have left over Valencia syrup in one of their cafes.
I wasn’t surprised to hear SBux couldn’t make my coffee. The next best thing would be an orange mocha, but they were out of orange as well. That is when I began to wonder, “What is Starbucks thinking?” They hook you onto their coffee like an addict, then phase out your favorite blends and flavors for something snappier and more hip. For some, change can be looked at as a refreshing new start. But for others, such as me, change can be disconcerting.
With gloomy eyes I searched the monster-sized menu board and couldn’t find anything appealing. I wanted a plain coffee with a little bit of zip. Something you would find at a gas station. Of course they had their house blend which tastes like burnt leaves, but that wasn’t what I needed. I needed something simple.
On impulse I decided to get a green tea latte. It can’t be too bad, I thought. Waiting for my drink I got excited. I am a big fan of green tea. I got hooked on it while living in Japan. If Starbuck’s green tea latte was anything like regular green tea I was bound to love it. Or was I?
The first thing I noticed was the smell. I could smell my drink even before it was presented at the pick-up counter. The aroma was that of a dirty foot. It took five minutes before I dared to take a sip. The taste was even worse. It tasted like a sour piece of grass. I consider myself unusually accepting of new tastes and flavors, but this was way over the top. It was disgusting.
Starbucks should stick to what Starbucks does best. Coffee.