Helping for Haiti

I took last week off from my life in order to help others with theirs. I figured that if all it took for me to make a difference in a part of the world that I will most likely never get to was to make the small sacrifice of my time, it would be worth so much more to so many people than I could even quantify!

When Starbucks took the initiative to include a way for customers to donate to Haiti Relief when they purchased their morning coffee, I was pretty amazed at the outpouring of my customers. These are the regular people that come in day after day and get the same drink without even flinching...and they opened their hearts for people they knew they'd never meet, but needed all the help they could get.

I took that initiative and ran with it. I searched online for places that would be able to use my help and after paging through about 20 places that looked like they'd be perfect, I settled for one that seemed like it needed all the help it could get. I talked to a very nice gentleman on the phone and coordinated my stay based on how much time I could afford to sacrifice and was on my way!

For one week straight I worked almost non-stop on split 6-8 hour shifts. Twice a day, a semi truck would pull up to the warehouse packed full of toys, shoes, clothes and household basics. We had a team of 12 people unloading, 5 people sorting and 10 people packing & sealing boxes. Most of the people were in the same situation as me...they had regular lives, worked normal jobs and didn't have too much themselves. We all bonded and busted our butts like we'd been a team for years and it was a really fun experience. To top it off, I know that the time I spent will make a difference for so many people who have so much less than the rest of us.

One week of my time saw more generosity in so many ways than I can ever remember. It was well worth it, but now I'm back to the daily grind of my life. BACK IN ACTION!

GUATEMALA CASI CIELO GIVEAWAY!

Thanks for following along and for the kind messages on twitter and through email. I was hoping to get a little more interest in this contest since this is probably one of the most coveted of the seasonal release coffees that Starbucks has.

Here are the winners in order:

milfvideos - FULL POUND

These winners receive 1/4 lb. each:
jules792000
babydest
lifeonprint
monstamonster
kkirkendall
dolls123
atweetmom
bctripletmom

If you are one of the winners, please contact me with your mailing information in a direct message (DM) through twitter. I will also be contacting each winner individually as a follow up tomorrow.

With much love and a french press of Casi Cielo,

Barista Loco

Welcome back GUATEMALA CASI CIELO!

It is once again the time of year for my FAVORITE seasonal coffee to be released...Guatemala Casi Cielo! This limited release coffee is one of the most sought after by Partners and customers alike not because it comes out just once a year at our favorite coffee venue, but because it is a very rich and smooth coffee with medium intensity and a sweet aftertaste. What this means is that those who aren't accustomed to the bold flavors and extreme intensities of some of the regular Starbucks offerings have a very Starbucks-esque coffee to enjoy all day long instead of just as a morning pick-me-up.

This is an affordable GOURMET coffee if you ever want to experience one! I love this coffee so much that I want to share it with many...SO...I'm going to give some away! My contest will run for two weeks - starting today, January 10, and ending on January 24, 2010.

I will award 9 prizes in total...eight 1/4 pound bags and one FULL pound of Guatemala Casi Cielo.

9 winners total, and here is how you enter...

#1 - Follow me on Twitter @StarbucksMonkey (If you are already a follower, you are one step ahead in the game!)

#2 - Follow my tweets & Retweet my daily "Odd Drink of the day" at least two days each week (RT @StarbucksMonkey)

#3 - Post the link to my blog at least once per week on Twitter & anywhere else. Here is the shortened link you can use: http://bit.ly/3jSyTQ - Get creative :)

THAT'S IT!!! HOW EASY CAN IT GET???!!!

On Sunday, January 24m 2010, I will take all eligible entrants and run them through an online randomizer to determine the winners! Good luck and keep following me for fun and COFFEE!!!

With much love and a french press of Guatemala Casi Cielo,

Barista Loco

Back to work ---> CRAZY STYLE!

Well, after the holidays, its back to work as usual...the regulars are back, teachers are coming in before class, the students wander in randomly, parents stop in for a "Thank-goodness-the-kids-are-back-in-school" Latte and all of the usual partners are back on the schedule with no scratch-off fill-ins.

This is the same phenomenon that happens after every holiday break or school vacation, except this time there was something different...LOTS OF CRAZY DRINKS!

I'm not sure if people got turned on to other drinks while they were away or if there is some magazine or internet article out there telling people how to order their drinks for whatever end result, but its definitely not what one would expect. The easiest way to describe this to people who don't work for Starbucks is as follows: Most drinks are made of three components...ether non-fat or 2% milk, shots of espresso (or decaf...same machine, different button) and a flavor in the form of a syrup or sauce. Some drinks are topped with whipped cream and some aren't. Because of this formula, many baristas have formed a system so there is always a fresh pitched of steamed milk (non-fat or 2%) ready for the next drink - this keeps the hot drinks flowing at a speed that is acceptable to the greater majority of customers. The machines automatically steam the milk to a certain temperature...this is acceptable (and desired) as well for optimum taste, texture and enjoyment. BUT, throw in to the mix five or six custom drinks like a 190 degree no foam green tea latte followed by a kids temperature hot chocolate and a breve latte at 135 degrees and you have all the makings of a traffic jam at the espresso bar.

HOWEVER, its great to be back on the bar and making people smile when they receive their quad venti, extra hot, absolutely ZERO foam soy latte even if the person behind them cringes a little because they know their drink will take a minute or two longer!

Look for a new contest coming up soon!

With much love and HAPPY NEW YEAR French Press,

Barista Loco

Ready for the new year!

This week was probably the most exciting that I have had during my employment! The holiday spirit was in the air with all of the partners and we worked hard to make sure that all of the customers knew that we appreciated them during this time of year. It was EXTREMELY busy...busier than usual...and with several partners on vacation, we had to pull a little harder to make sure that everything was seamless and no one would be able to tell that we were short staffed.

IT WORKED! Everything felt like it came to one big fun holiday ending today as our store EXPLODED with business and everyone working had an absolute BLAST today! Most of our regulars were in today, but we felt blessed that they brought their families in to meet us..."Their Baristas". Sure it added 3-7 more drinks per order, but we can deal with that like nothing!

Anyway, my best wishes to you and your family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With much love and a French Press of Christmas Blend,

Barista Loco

Buckling down for the next week...

Its about that time again! This is THE busy week and its going to be CRAZY come Friday! Yes, Christmas day just happens to fall on our busiest day of the week and half of our regular partners took time off, so its going to be a fun challenge to keep the store flowing like it usually does. I often get asked if I get upset at being scheduled on the holidays, but thats a no-brainer for me - people want holidays off and that means the hours are available for me :) I love working on Christmas more than any other holiday too because my regulars are like my family. We see each other at the store so much that it would seem odd NOT to have a holiday with them!

SOOOOOOOOO...Its going to be fun and I can't wait for the rush to start. Its a little bit different than the early morning rush right before school and work starts because on a day like Christmas, people stop by and get a drink for EVERYONE at their party. Last year we had five orders of over 15 drinks each all within an hour time span...ON TOP of the flood of people in the store. SUPER FUN and a challenge that I will meet any day. No one can play stump the barista on Christmas, because my team will be at 110% just like we usually are!

With much love!

Got an upsetting email :( - BUT I LOVE YOU!!!

I like to think of myself as a pretty down to earth guy - hard working, honest, sharing and smiling. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my job as a barista and constantly strive to not only WORK by the standards set forth by my employer, but actually LIVE by them. I'm the kind of barista that remembers people's names, drinks, etc. and when I see one of my customers out in public anywhere, I make it a point to go up to them, shake their hand or give them a hug, greet them by name with a smile and connect with them a little.

My job is something that I am honored to have and I know that I look at it QUITE A BIT differently than many of my other partners who just show up, get free drinks and do a half-assed job. I may be wiped out or having a bad day, but no one would ever know it because I know how important it is to BE Starbucks for people. Customers come back not just for their favorite drinks, but to interact with the baristas! How some partners miss that is beyond me...well, I guess you can't expect much from high schoolers.

ANYWAY, I got an email that almost broke my heart. Someone decided that it would be fun to poke fun at my job and how serious I take it. That's not a big deal because its MY JOB! The part that struck me was that it was someone that referred to themselves as a "partner" (a fellow barista) and they think I should check out the gossip sites about how evil the company is and blah blah...just diarrhea of the mouth (or fingers I guess). Simple response - go find a different job buddy. I'm sure that people like that complain about everything.

SO, in case you didn't know...I LOVE MY JOB & THE COMPANY I WORK FOR!!! I LOVE MAKING YOUR DRINKS EVERY DAY!!! I LOVE CONNECTING WITH MY PARTNERS AND CUSTOMERS!!! I LOVE COFFEE!!!