What is Fair Trade Coffee???

Fair Trade means an equitable and fair partnership between consumers in North America and producers in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The chief concern of the Fair Trade movement has been to ensure that the vast majority of the world's coffee farmers (who are small holders) get a fair price for their harvests in order to achieve a decent living wage. Fair Trade guarantees to poor farmers organized in cooperatives around the world: a living wage (minimum price of $1.26/pound regardless of the volatile market); much needed credit at fair prices; and long term relationships. These fair payments are invested in health care, education, environmental stewardship, and economic independence. Fair Trade Certified coffee is the first product being introduced in the United States with an independently monitored system to ensure that it was produced under fair labor conditions; now we need a movement to demand it!!

Why Fair Trade Certified Coffee Is An Important New Movement:

-It's a consumer trend. More and more people care about the conditions of the people who produce the products they buy. Coffee is the first commodity in the United States for which there is an independent monitor that guarantees that producers were paid a fair wage for their product and work in decent conditions -- a real alternative to sweatshops.

-This is a huge industry trend. Across the country, there are over 100 companies that have licensing agreements with TransFair to offer Fair Trade Certified coffee. Major roasters include Starbucks, Tully's, Peet's, Equal Exchange, Diedrich, and Green Mountain, serving over 7,000 retail locations, with volumes rising every day.

-It's an environmental issue. Small farmers are the best stewards of the land. When you support Fair Trade, you support the environment. Fair Trade farmers don't have the capital input to clear forests, buy chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They generally grow small plots of mixed-crop, shade grown coffee organically.

-The untold story of the gourmet coffee boom: it's leaving small farmers behind. Prices are currently at 8-year lows, falling under $.50 per pound in August 2001 -- yet retail prices stay high, meaning mass industry profits. Fair Trade brings small farmers into the boom.



*** I Hope this info can be helpful to help people understand what fair trade coffee really is! ***

A Deaf Barista @ Starbucks! SUPER COOL!

This is super amazing and awesome! It is so great to see a Hearing Impared Person working at Starbucks and I would love to be served by this man! He seems like a great Employee!!!

I love the board they created for him so he can interact with Customers! People who have issues with ordering drinks from a person like this need to grow up and learn to be more tolerant!

Way to Go Jason Griggs!!! - You are a true Barista!

The Stories of Starbucks!

Check out these Videos of Starbucks or visit www.youtube.com/starbucks

Starbucks in Vancouver - 2 x 2

Only in Vancouver EH!!!

You can go anywhere and fine 1 starbucks directly accross from another!

At Metrotown Mall you can find 4 of them in the mall! LIKE SERIOUSLY!
Down on Sct Rd in Surrey you can find 3 within 1 full block! 1 @ Safeway, 1@ Chapters and 1 Standalone Corperate Store! OMG!!!

A little crazy are we... yes!!! But its all soooooo good!

Only problem is the F-ing HST! Shambles Campbells is costing our province our Lifestyles with his "Hated Sales Tax"! Taxation without Representation!

What do Starbucks and Wal-Mart have in common?

I work in a Union Environment and although im not a Steward or anything I do Beleive in the General Rights of Workers Everywhere! (Not to sound like im brainwashed) I do believe that union workers do make more per Capita then non-union workers!

Canadian Starbucks Workers probably make more on Average then US Starbucks workers but in all Working Conditions need to change!

Starbucks Store Review (Hastings and Kaslo) - Hastings Sunrise

Location: Hastings Sunrise @ Hastings and Kaslo
Type of Location: Corperate Store - Drive Thru

General Evaluation:

Time of day: Late Morning
# of partners on the floor: 5
Service time: 3 mins
Business level: Seady
Cleanliness: Okay
Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: Yah!
Legendary service: Service was standard! I was thanked and my order was verified!
Food/Drinks Ordered: Venti Light Ice Raspberry Passion Tea Lemonade
Display Case/Beverage Sinage: Good!
Drink Preperation/Presentation: The Drink was really sweet!
Quality of Drink/Food Ordered: 6.5/10

Grade: B-

General Comments:
This Location felt like a STANDARD Starbucks! Ok service and such.... The Drink was a bit sweet for my taste and i do order this drink on a regular bases! The overall feel was okay!

This Evaluation was an In-Store Evaluation!

Starbucks Store Review (Seymour and Dunsmuir St.) - Beside Granville Skytrain

Location: Seymour and Dunsmuir St. - Beside Granville Skytrain Stn.
Type of Location: Corperate Store

General Evaluation:

Time of day: Mid Afternoon
# of partners on the floor: 2-3 Active Partners
Service time: 4mins
Business level: Calm
Cleanliness: Was Okay
Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: A bit Smelly and a few tissues around but okay i guess!
Legendary service: The Partners didnt seem at all interested in providing legendary service... They were there for the paycheck and free drinks on there breaks! The Register Partner didnt say thanks or anything but the Bar Partner smile when she called out my drink to be picked up!

Food/Drinks Ordered: Grande Raspberry Passion Tea Lemonade and Grande Dark Cherry Mocha Frappucino!
Display Case/Beverage Sinage: Was good! Signage well noticable!
Drink Preperation/Presentation: Beverages were okay! No real big issues!
Quality of Drink/Food Ordered: 8.5/10

Grade: C+

General Comments:
I didnt feel like i was really welcomed into the store! The Partners werent really active in the customer transactions but my drink was standard! Its a very close location to Granville Skytrain station so when we leave the stn if were very thirsty for a bux we can go here! I have had better service and drinks at this location i guess it was just the people on shift~!

Starbucks Store Review (Granville and Georgia St.) - Downtown Van.

Location: Granville and Georgia St. - Downtown Vancouver Accross from Sears (Next to London Drugs)!
Type of Location: Corperate Store

General Evaluation:

Time of day: Early Evening
# of partners on the floor: 3 Active Partners
Service time: 2.5mins - Start to Finish
Business level: Busy
Cleanliness: I was amazed how clean it was with the location of the store...
Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: Only a few tissues around the floor.
Legendary service: Partners were friendly and accomidating to all my modifiers
Would I recommend this Location: Yes! Its a nice location and close to Granville Skytrain... Perfect for shopping days and stops on my way around downtown!

Food/Drink Evaluation:

Items Ordered: Grande Green Tea Frappacino, Grande Xtra Sweet Nonfat No whip Caramel Frappacino, Chocolate Crossant and Lemon Raspberry Loaf!
Display Case/Beverage Sinage: Low on Crossants as I took the last one! Unless extra were hidding in the back of the store!
Drink Preperation/Presentation: WELL DONE! MODIFIERS WERE EXACTLY AS I LIKED!
Quality of Drink/Food Ordered: 9.5/10

Grade: A+

General Comments:
I had to give them an A+ because the Register Partner was very friendly and the Bar Partner was nice enought to ask if the caramel drizzle she topped my drink with was enough for me or if i wanted more! I was also shocked at the Cleanliness of this store as The area the store is located in is freaquented by Street People and Dirty Buskers. It is also a busy store during General working hours 8am-6pm! It's especailly a great place to grab a pre-clubbing drink as well! Great JOB Partners!

Starbucks Store Review (Columbia St @ 6th Ave) - New West

Location: Columbia St at 6th Ave - Downtown New West
Type of Location: Corperate Store

General Evaluation:

Time of day: Early Evening
# of partners on the floor: 2 (Plus 2 on Break)
Service time: 2mins
Business level: Steady
Cleanliness: Great!
Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: Didn't Use Washroom but has been clean in the past!
Legendary service: Partners were very friendly and made small talk with the customers! Bar Partner seemed very fast yet busy!
Would I recommend this Location: Yes! Its a nice location!

Food/Drink Evaluation:

Items Ordered: Iced Venti Raspberry Passion Tea and Decaf Grande White Mocha!
Display Case/Beverage Sinage: Well kept and stocked!
Drink Preperation/Presentation: Very Nicely Prepared and Tasty!
Quality of Drink/Food Ordered: 9/10

Grade: A

General Comments:

Service with a Smile! Great Drinks and Friendly Partners!

Article** Sales Strength of Via Starbucks Coffee Questioned! ***

Read this Article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1910187920100820

Many Starbucks Baristas are feeling the pressure to push the sales of Starbucks Via Ready Brew! Anyone with Comments on what the acutal Procedure and Goals of the Sales Aspect is Please let us know! I would hope that my fave Coffee Chain isnt forcing staff to meet un-realistic goals!!!

Thx Readers!

"Stickler" English professor Lynne Rosenthal: Starbucks booted me over a bagel order - NYPOST.com

"Stickler" English professor Lynne Rosenthal: Starbucks booted me over a bagel order - NYPOST.com

This is a definate must read for people who think its okay to go into starbucks and dont want to conform to there standards! LOL!!!

Honestly if all you want is a Multigrain bagel and you dont want to answer butter or cheese then go to the Freakin Grocery Store and buy one urself! Same with Coffee! If you refuse to say Grande Coffee and want to say Medium then go to Timmies!

New Drink Prep Method @ Sbux!

The new Beverage Repeatable routine isn't just about speed, it's about consistency, it's about customer interaction.

With the new method of building drinks, the bar partner has more still time at the bar in which they are supposed to be interacting with customers at the handoff plane.

The new method builds upon ever successful baristas main mantra, "always have your milk ready!".

You start steaming milk before you even touch your cup, after you aireate the milk and set it to auto steam the rest of the way, you start the shots to be pulled, as the epsresso is grinding you reach for the cup pump syrups and set cup under the now about to pour shots. As the shots finish pouring you pull the now completely steamed milk off of the want and wipe the wand. The shots are done pulling an you are now perfectly time to pour the freshly steamed milk in to the freshly poured shots. While all of this was happening you are also talking to customers.

The espresso bar stations may be moving around depending on the store. I will be separating my two bars and putting all syups and lids inbetween the two bars

There is still "double barring" you just don't have to do it as often. The bar partner is getting more support, some one else is rinsing pitchers (during rushes) and some one else is marking all cups.