crosscut.com : Starbucks

Getting the jitters

Crosscut — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:00:01 PDT

Starbucks' "third place" concept is under pressure from laptops, McDonald's, and a decline in snob appeal.

A week of weakonomics

Crosscut — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:00:01 PDT

If you look away from the Sonics trial for a moment, you can see warning signs that the seemingly immune local economy is actually pretty precarious.

From Starbucks to 'Slutbucks'

Crosscut — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:00:01 PDT

Is the Starbucks mermaid the new Paris Hilton? As mentioned on Crosscut, the quality of Starbucks' new everyday Pike Place blend is the subject of discussion, but so too is the company's "new" iconic, retro logo. In use for at least a few more weeks as part of Starbucks' effort to reconnect consumers with the chain's funky, regional roots, the logo is a version of the company's original. The big news: the saucy siren's boobs are back!

Starbucks' Pike Place Roast is just OK, says Consumer Reports

Crosscut — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:00:01 PDT

Jim Romenesko's Starbucks Gossip blog today linked to a Consumer Reports story about the new Pike Place Roast blend, which tasters say is "a smooth cup of coffee with some bitterness, but not particularly complex." Because it is so mild, they recommend drinking it black, so one may appreciate "the subtle floral notes."

A city of scolds

Crosscut — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:00:01 PDT

Seattle City Hall has cracked down on drinking and clubs, it's on the verge of banning fast food and taxing plastic grocery bags, and now even plastic-bottled water is a civic sin. Switch to tap water! says the mayor. Mossback thinks enough is enough.

What made the Seattle style of business a success

Crosscut — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:01 PDT

As civic icons like Safeco drift away from their Puget Sound roots, here's a look at the components of a Seattle way of doing business that built up such brands. The key was motivated employees. The poison was rapid growth.

The real first Starbucks

Crosscut — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:00:01 PDT

The modern chain is "going back to its roots" and launching a house coffee called Pike Place Blend. Our author well remembers the first Starbucks store and the first day of business, since he happens to have been the first customer.

Jean Godden on Seattle: My, how you've changed!

Crosscut — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:00:01 PDT

The longtime columnist for Seattle's dailies casts an affectionate eye over the many sweeping transformations of the city, and wonders if all the newcomers will learn to cherish the uniqueness of the place.

What gives Seattle so much global sizzle?

Crosscut — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:01 PST

An article in the February 19 Singapore Straits Times (registration required) makes the striking observation that Seattle alone has produced approximately the same number of leading global brands as the combined population (3 billion) of Asia. On the Seattle list are: Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, UPS, Nordstrom, Washington Mutual, Costco, and Safeco. The list from Asia (excluding Japan) is: Singapore Airlines, Lenovo, Samsung, Hundai, San Miguel, Arcelor-Mittal, Oberio, Cathay Pacific, Acer, and Thai Airways.

A Googie meet-up in Ballard

Crosscut — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:34:01 PST

The landmark designation meeting for the controversial Ballard diner that was once a Manning's cafeteria and mostly recently a Denny's has been postponed from Feb. 6 to Feb. 20, at the request of the owner, Benaroya Properties, which is fine tuning its case against saving the building. In the meantime, pro-diner folks are hosting a community meeting in Ballard on Jan. 23.

It's Coffeewinian: Starbucks survives to become the middle-aged cuppa

Crosscut — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:38:01 PST

Nah, Howard, your Starbucks isn't a "victim" of its success, it's just feeling the downside of inevitable maturity. America's bad-boy, break-out, Maxwell-House-whuppin' coffee is — middle aged. That's the metaphor flogged in an Oregonian commentary piece, and it works nicely.

Can Schultz pull off a Starbucks makeover?

Crosscut — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:57:01 PST

The handwriting was on the wall for Starbucks last Valentine's Day, when Howard Schultz sent out his famous memo, lamenting changes at the company he presumably chaired. It was clear someone was going to take the fall, and yesterday that turned out to be CEO Jim Donald. What surprised observers is that Schultz himself is back in charge, saying he was going to slow down growth in U.S. stores, pare bureaucracy, and reestablish the customers' emotional bond with the brand.

Googie fight on the airwaves

Crosscut — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:00:01 PST

Today, the Seattle Times editorial page weighed in on the controversy over the old Ballard Denny's/Manning's diner. Their bottom line: it's old, it's boarded up, it was a Denny's, therefore not worthy of saving. But they go even further and argue that "involuntary landmarking" amounts to a taking, and therefore a violation of property rights. I will be a guest on David Goldstein's radio show on KIRO-AM (710) tonight (Jan. 6) at 9 p.m. talking about historic preservation. It's a call-in show. The number is 1-877-710-KIRO (5476).

Score one for Googie

Crosscut — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:00:01 PST

While three charming old Capitol Hill buildings are sentenced to be razed by Sound Transit, two modern buildings get approval from the Seattle landmarks board: a sleek International-style office building and a quirky Ballard diner.

Bucking the trend by pouring it straight

Crosscut — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:00:01 PST

In Starbucked, a Portlander chronicles the rise of the coffee chain we hate to love.

Howard Schultz and Norman Lear do the Pike Place Market

Crosscut — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:17:01 PST

I've never watched Robert Redford's Sundance Channel but an ad caught my eye for Season 3 of a series called Iconoclasts. The show features pairings of famous people hanging out and sharing their lives and secrets of success. Last week, the program headlined the spiritually elevated team of Mike Meyers and Deepak Chopra. Tomorrow (Nov. 15) the guest celebs are Starbucks' Howard Schultz and producer Norman Lear who, among other things, walk around the Pike Place Market sipping coffee while salmon are being tossed for the tourists. Thank goodness this iconoclastic show avoids cliches.

Most surprising Halloween costume tonight: a Wobbly

Crosscut — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:57:01 PDT

In revolutionary Laurelhurst, a kid came to my door dressed in some sort of farmer outfit. What are you?

Seattle is happy to make you fat

Crosscut — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:00:01 PDT

When it comes to the war on obesity, this place is a merchant of death. Meanwhile, fat America — which is most of us — gets the blame.

Just another metropolis

Crosscut — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:01 PDT

There remain only hints of Seattle's scrappy, provincial heritage of fish, timber, and frontier commerce — of even the sonic and binary booms that propelled the modern city to greatness. Seattle no longer feels unique.

Another roadside attraction is about to be demolished

Crosscut — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:01 PDT

Hold the wrecking ball. You know that funny looking Denny's in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood? It's slated to be razed for condos. So what? It turns out it's an important piece of modern architecture with historic links to Seattle's coffee culture.