Starbucks CEO defends a cup of coffee costing $9 (cdn.imgchest.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by Valuy@lemmy.zip to c/mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world

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[-] protist@retrofed.com 11 points 3 weeks ago

Has this man even been inside a Starbucks recently? They used to be loungy places people could chill, now they're all bland, sparsely decorated, dirty, and uninviting. There is absolutely nothing premium about Starbucks, it's basically a fast-food chain. Once again demonstrating how far removed CEOs are from reality

[-] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 3 weeks ago

Fast food is expensive too. And it’s hurting their sales, and they can’t figure out that they need to slice profits, not the product.

[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Burger King is just inedible now. And by that I mean twice now I've eaten there, and then within an hour my stomach upset. Then followed by 12 hours of what can only be described as "VIOLENT DIARRHEA". Yes, all caps, because thats the urgancy that situation called for.

Two different locations too. Plus the first time I went with a friend, and she got it too. The first time I chalked it off to being that particular location. Then, nearly 8 months later, different location, different city. Same result.

After that, Burger King is officially just as banned from my diet as taco bell is. Inedible.

[-] zewm@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Inedible Now? Your same experience was mine over 15 years ago. I was getting stomach pains and shitting really bad every single time I had BK. He’ll even towards the end I couldn’t even swallow a fry. I had started switching to onion rings cause the fries left a wax taste in my mouth after.

I haven’t had BK since then. 2010 ish. I ended up dropping all fast food after Covid cause the prices just don’t match up with quality anymore.

I heard a single combo meal at McDonalds clocks in near $20 these days. Fuck that noise. Not for a thin, dry “meat” patty that gets microwaved and then thrown between a pair of bread slices. No sir. No thanks. I rather spend that $20 on take out from a real restaurant.

[-] notwhoyouthink@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago

Came here to say this. What ‘premium’ experience is he talking about?

Something tells me that the only Starbucks he actually has used recently is likely a very high-end version for the C titles in HQ, meters away from his office and for employee use only.

[-] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago

They're calling it an experience becuase consumers are indicating they are willing to pay for experiences while pulling back spending on daily expenses.

Consumers mean concerts and vacations and this douche knows he isn't actually offering an experience so he does the mind trick where he says the term over and over to associate in the consumers mind the idea that drive thru coffee is an experience.

[-] notwhoyouthink@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 weeks ago

Absolutely. It was a clear attempt at adding ‘perceived value’ by using the word ‘experience’ so many times. He knows what type of consumer he’s speaking to.

These interviews are really just PR opportunities for guys like this (in their perception).

[-] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago

When I want to lounge at a café, I'm expecting a warm, inviting interior, some plants, bookish decor, smooth jazz, hip staff, and a coffee that could only be produced by coffee geeks with attention to detail at every step of the process...

You walk into a starbucks today, everything is cold and industrial, they've got pop music blaring on the radio, and the staff all look miserable. Oh, and the coffee sucks.

[-] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

I remember 90's era Starbucks and a bunch were still pretty grungy corners of strip malls. But the point was they were still coffeeshops, despite being a chain that went corporate.

Now they're glorified coffee stands with real estate baggage and little sandwiches. And zero of that 'third place' shit they used to dominate the market.

[-] njordomir@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

They should have sent the manager and crew to the thrift store with a corporate CC and a box truck for furniture. Instead it's bland, depressed, "I can't believe it's not cardboard™."

[-] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 9 points 3 weeks ago

I had a Starbucks franchise owner tell me that Starbucks doesn't sell coffee; [they] sell an experience.

Then improve the experience, I told him. I seriously have no idea how they're still around.

[-] Trev625@sopuli.xyz 8 points 3 weeks ago

I hate this trend of putting shit at the beginning that I then have to hear again less than 10 seconds later. Like I get it's for grabbing you but the second I start hearing the same thing again I immediately close the video.

[-] javasux@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

It matters a lot more on platforms like TikTok, where there's no title, no thumbnail, all you have is the first two seconds of the video before someone swipes away

[-] abbadon420@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

So, the problem isn't the video, but the fact that places like tiktok exist. Even worse is that they're spreading

[-] percent@infosec.pub 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Prioritizing "experience" over coffee itself is not new for Starbucks. Even before the $9 price tag, their prices far exceeded their (low quality) coffee because they're selling the experience.

Coffee roasters sometimes refer to them as "Charbucks."

[-] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

I don't give a fuck how much they charge for coffee. I don't know why anyone would. You buy it, or you don't. It's not fucking insulin. No one needs to buy their shitty products.

[-] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

This is really all that needs to be said. Nobody needs Starbucks coffee, so either pay the price or don't go.

[-] abcd@feddit.org 6 points 3 weeks ago

Fuck Starbucks. It’s not the first time I mention this, and I’ll keep mentioning it: When Corona hit Germany, the government reduced the VAT to prevent restaurants from going bankrupt in 2020. Starbucks gave every customer the finger and did not lower the prices, keeping the difference for themselves. I was never a regular customer but this made me blacklist them for life.

Pepperidge Farm remembers

[-] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Pfeffergrat erinnert?

[-] HexesofVexes@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

I'm surprised he didn't mention the "sense of pride and accomplishment" buying a $9 coffee would bring -_-

[-] mechoman444@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

It's not even good coffee...

[-] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Wow that guy doesn’t even look human. No wonder he had no issue mandating all employees return to the office while he flew a private jet from California to Seattle every day.

Its also hilarious he has that ear piece in his ear so that his PR team can feed the machine the 'correct' focus-grouped response to every question.

[-] capuccino@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

He doesn't even look to the camera. He's looking to some script that is behind.

[-] jballs@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

He's the same piece of shit that fired all the corporate Chipotle employees in Denver to move their headquarters to Newport Beach, because that's where his house is.

[-] Pistachio@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 weeks ago

Income cohort...

[-] crank0271@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

The interviewer's inability to hide his reaction is priceless

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 weeks ago

[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.today 2 points 3 weeks ago

Premium my ass.

I love our local coffee place. We bring our dogs. The baristas bring them cups of whipped cream. The place is cozy and they sell art from local artists. And the coffee is actually good and doesn't taste like someone burned it. I usually make my own coffee, but it's nice to go there once a week and just enjoy being there. That is premium.

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

Be careful with the whipped cream cups.

This was/is a starbucks thing and it's really fucking bad for the dogs. It can be a huge amount of fat the equates to a human eating multiple big macs.

[-] CannedYeet@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Not actually Starbucks related but the other day I wanted a coffee so I bought a $5 48oz bottle of cold brew at the grocery store and helped myself to a courtesy cup, lid, ice and straw so I could drink it right away. So for the same price as probably a 16oz cold brew I got that and the remaining ~3/4 of the bottle to take home.

[-] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 weeks ago

Anti union piece of shit

Also interview only included CEO, no labor representation

[-] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

"Starbucks CEO, easily replaced by AI. Here, we'll show you why that's the case."

[-] Doug@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I mean the sterility of his appearance could’ve fooled me.

[-] bazinga@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 weeks ago

Calling the stuff you buy at Starbucks coffee? What they sell is all sorts of sugar in a cup. This is not a coffee place, it is a diabetes hole.

[-] naught@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

you are allowed to get a black coffee

[-] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

No one does that though, because Starbucks coffee is terrible. It’s over-roasted charcoal crap. If you order a black coffee, do yourself a favour and get a nice, light-roasted pour over from an independent cafe serving locally roasted, single-origin coffee. Good coffee should smell like a mix of dried fruit, floral perfume, and toasted nuts, not burnt rubber.

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[-] chaogomu@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

The most over roasted slop around, sure. There's a reason why that place serves pure diabetes, their black coffee is kinda gross.

maybe the coffee is gross so that it can pair with the diabetes. That much sugar needs a very strong flavor to offset it.

Or Starbucks just uses the absolute cheapest beans on the market and then burns them for that truly consistent char flavor, which they then have to turn into diabetes to make palatable.

Either way, it's just not good.

[-] Otakulad@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

They need some way to pay for the year he commuted to Seattle by private jet.

Also, he is the asshole who said to keep raising the prices at Chipotle.

Fuck him. I will drink Folgers (and I do) before I'll drink your shit.

[-] BygoneNeutrino@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

I work an a facility next to a few fast food joints, a Japanese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, and a Chipotle. Pretty much the only restaurant we don't order from is Chipotle.

... Chipotle is real restaurant prices for a fastfood experience.

[-] modus@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

It's worse than that. Obviously he's not talking about the coffee. He doesn't even paint it as good-quality coffee. He's saying people go for the experience of enjoying the coffee in a pleasant environment. He actually believes people go to Starbucks because they like being at Starbucks.

[-] Aaron@lemmy.nz 1 points 3 weeks ago

That used to be their whole shtick, the third place experience. They wanted people to treat Starbucks as where they go when they want to relax or meet with friends, a place outside of their home and work, where the baristas knew their names and would chat and make them feel welcome. Especially a lot of older folks liked that, and would make it part of their routine. Starbucks threw that all away when they went to prioritising drive thru and mobile order/pay systems. It's a shareholder business and this is capitalism. It's either neverending growth or death.

[-] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

ITT: people saying they still won't go to Starbucks as if this CEO gives a shit

OK, don't go. You didn't go before you're not going now. Nothing has changed.

[-] TheRiskiestBiscuit@reddthat.com 3 points 3 weeks ago

Hm… Well, I for one did go to Starbucks. A LOT. For 20 years of my life. And I’m done with them.

Now I’m not going to pretend that the CEO cares at all about me. I’m also not going to pretend that their coffee was bad or that things are going to change because I don’t buy their product or that I’m some great moralist for quitting Starbucks. I just don’t like Brian Niccol and I don’t want him to have any fraction of my money. Dude’s a piece of work and the market of other options for coffee is more saturated than the caffeine content of my bloodstream.

[-] Regna@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

I mean, I am relatively ok paid, but $9 would be about 1-1.5 hours of my wage before tax. If I want to live in a both economy and ecology wise manner, I had calculated it to a cup of $4 coffee every two weeks, IF I don’t eat out and instead use frozen home made lunch boxes every work day.

If I can skip a coffee a week and instead donate to a charity or local homeless person of my choice. Or save my money for the LGTBQ+ scouts. That’s way better.

Haven’t had Starbucks in over a year, maybe three, the coffee wasn’t worthwhile of the wait or money and the last time the barista gave me oat milk instead of almond. No faults to the barista, I think the chain stresses them out.

[-] Reyali@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

I’m struggling with your math here… $9 is 1–1.5 hours before tax—so you’re paid between $6–9 per hour? Did you mean after tax?

Either way, that doesn’t sound like you’re paid “relatively ok.”

[-] Regna@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

You’re right, my math was way off. I shouldn’t reply to posts while on migraine.

With that said, not ever drinking from Starbucks ever again.

[-] Reyali@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Oof, I can relate to struggling with writing a migraine. I hope you are feeling better!

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this post was submitted on 02 May 2026

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