Really Starbucks? Gold Card is For Fools

In 2009, Ms. Darkroasted and I paid $25 each to become Starbuck's Gold Card members and reap the benefits of this exclusive club. For our money, we received 10 percent off of all our purchases from drinks to beans to merchandise. It was a great deal for high volume users like my family. As we cracked 2010, I received my updated card in the mail. It was shiny and had my name personalized on it once again making me feel special. Then the truth ripped the shine right off that worthless piece of plastic.

Gone! Gone was my 10 percent discount. Under the new plan,  I get some peripheral perks and after every 15 drinks I get a freebie. This hurts a little bit. I mean, anyone who knows me is aware that I am a leading spokesperson for Starbucks. And now, I am left to swim in the same pool as the unwashed masses.

I have to hand it to the Starbucks marketing department. Here was the explanation for those of us who became members back when this perk mattered:

"To our dear early adopters of Starbucks Gold...  You made 2009 a great year, and you showed us that a rewards program was exactly what you wanted from Starbucks. As a special thanks, we're inviting you into the Gold Level of My Starbucks rewards."

Let me translate for you:  "Dear existing Gold member. Wow, you really took us for a ride with that discount. I mean, whew, we couldn't afford that for another year if we tried. So here are some nice words and we are going to hope that this prose and this new shiny card with your name on it will confuse you into forgetting the perks are all gone."

Message received.

Embedded Starbucks: Baby Steps from Diner Coffee?

Ahhhh, Christmas Eve. It is a time of great joy. As I jetted around town yesterday with my family getting last minute gifts, we arrived at our local Target store. Of course, this seemed like the perfect moment to double my shopping pleasure by visiting the Starbucks stand embedded in the front of the store.

Lately, Mrs. Darkroasted, another friend of mine from church and I have been having a running discussion about whether embedded Starbucks in hotels, bookstores, truck stops, grocery stores and your local Target produce the same quality of coffee as the stand-alone outlets.

So naturally I ordered my standard grande cappuccino and then we walked on while I let it cool. I have a picture of this drink below. Tell me if you can figure out what is wrong with this picture.

Notice the silky smooth texture and complete lack of actual coffee in the drink. LOL, I took two sips of the sweetest steamed milk you ever had. But sadly, there was no espresso in there. When I went back to Gwendolyn to request the coffee in my coffee, she seemed less than pleased. That makes two of us.

Mrs. Darkroasted also got her standard caramel macchiato and then rapidly declared it was baby steps from diner coffee. I am afraid this is just one more example of how the phrase,  "we proudly brew Starbucks," doesn't mean anything if the baristas behind the counter also work cash register nine when things get busy.

I rarely ever get a bad drink from a stand-alone Starbucks, but these in-store deals are a bit of a roller coaster ride. What's your experience? Give me your comments.

Merry Christmas everyone  and watch out for counterfeit Starbucks. :-)

Review: Bourbon Coffee D.C.

A colleague of mine suggested that I check out a new coffee shop near our office called Bourbon Coffee. If your reaction is the same as mine, you would of course wonder why it is called "Bourbon". It sounds more like a liquor store than a coffee joint. A quick Wikipedia search revealed the following:

Bourbon coffee is a type of coffee produced from the Bourbon cultivar of the Coffea arabica species of coffee plant. Bourbon coffee was first produced in Réunion, which was known as Île Bourbon before 1789. It was later taken by the French to mainland Africa and to Latin America, and is now one of the two most popular Arabica coffees grown worldwide^. Bourbon coffee is usually produced at heights between 3,500 and 6,500 feet.

The Bourbon Coffee shop at 2101 L Street NW in D.C took advantage of a recently shuttered Starbucks and used the same space to launch its first U.S. store after opening two successful stores in Rwanda. As I and a colleague visited today, we discussed how this store was going to be able to survive when the Starbucks in the same location could not. I think the answer is in the coffee.

My colleague tried a plain drip and I ordered an espresso machiato. True to the regional roots of this coffee maker, the brew was earthy with a slight acidity to give it a little bite, but not too much. Another friend at work mentioned that this earthy taste comes from the process used in this region of Africa. The coffee cherry is left on while the beans dry.

If you are looking for the same clean coffee house feel you get at a Starbucks,  with an African twist and a taste that settles some place in the middle of Starbucks and Illy, this is a great way to mix things up.

Calling All Dunkin Donuts Haters: This Ain't Right for the Holidays

Last night I sat with my family just enjoying a little TV when it happened -- I sat through that apocryphal commercial suggesting that Dunkin' Donuts coffee beans would be a good gift for that someone you love this Christmas. Seriously? This gift does not say love to me. It says, "Hey Uncle Frank, I realize you don't have any taste buds so here is some coffee you might enjoy."

If I want a tasty cruller or an old-fashioned, I am there with you Dunkin' Donuts. But guess what, you can't just grab some cruddy beans and pretend like you are providing a gourmet coffee experience. Dunkin Dark? Is this for real? It kind of reminds me of my hatred for the McCafe coffee experience. If your taste buds are shot, feel free to click here and order your Dunkin Dark today.

These businesses need to stick to what they do well. Ever tasted a Starbucks pastry? It is not very tasty. But you know what, the coffee is perfect every time. I know that many American's like their Dunkin coffee, I just do not know why.

NOTE: John C, I hope you are having your Christmas Party again this year. We will be there and I know you will be serving the very coffee I have just eviscerated. Please don't hold it against me. The truth is, I will drink any coffee that is brewed if there are no other options. I look forward to your response to this post.

On The Road: Rock N Joe

So I spent last weekend in Bethlehem, Pa., and our friends asked me to check out  a new coffee joint they have enjoyed lately called Rock N Joe.  Although I am generally a Starbucks guy all the way, I figured...when in Rome.

Rock N Joe is a small coffee franchise with a handful of cafes in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania.  They seem to be aggressively franchising. While the rock-theme interior and music are appealing, this is a tough niche to break into.

I ordered the spinach quiche and my friends also ordered a variety of salads and sandwiches. In addition, I had a double espresso and Ms. Darkroasted had a caramel macchiato.

The food was well presented and had great taste. Even so, for me the real test would be the coffee. The espresso was better than I have had at many establishments. It was strong and smooth. The macchiato was well presented - as you can see - and Ms. Darkroasted said it was superior to the Starbuck's drink she normally enjoys.

While the food and coffee were excellent, it was the customer service where this shop shined the brightest. In an era when coffee houses sometime grind customer after customer through the door, this small franchise was polite, patient and consistently attentive as the employees made sure we enjoyed the visit.

If they keep up this combination of service and quality product, they may just make it.

An Old Friend Saves Thanksgiving

My wife and I left for Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania at 4:30 yesterday afternoon. Like the other 10 million drivers who decided they would take 95 north from the Baltimore area to Philadelphia, we quickly realized this would be one of those painful East Coast trips. There are simply too many people, too many cars and too few roads on this side of the country. The red lights stretched for as far as the eye could see.

What is a family to do but soldier on? Then it happened, my three year old, Tiny Roast, innocently declared, "my throat hurts." Then he frantically blurted, "I think I am going to throw up." Four upchucks later, his job was complete. The lights ran on as far as the eye could see and our car was beginning to smell rather pungent. So we pulled into the parking lot of a Weis Market and bought two rolls of paper towels, two gallons of water and garbage bags.  We washed the child, the seat and everything else the best we could and then wrapped the seat in black heavy-duty garbage bags for the remainder of the trip (it didn't look very comfortable).

We were now more tired than ever. In two hours we really hadn't made very good progress. Ms. Darkroasted and I both needed a pick-me up and we knew we could find one at the Chesapeake House Service Area only a few miles ahead.

As you can see, we were not alone. Fifteen minutes later, we drove down the road with a tall caramel macchiato and a venti cappuccino in tow. This old friend perked us up instantly (side note: if you hold a cup of Starbucks under your nose you can barely smell your child's vomit in the backseat.) Our sweet little son finally fell asleep and there was peace in the car again. Coffee coincidence...No such thing.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

McDonalds Coffee? I Think Not

These pictures are a snapshot of coffee from McDonald's in the old days and the premium roast brew that you can purchase fast-food style today. Can you see the difference between the two?

That's right, they put a semi-fancy cup on one. I love McDonalds, or Old McDonalds as my son calls it. You want good fries? It's the place to go. Care for a heart-attack burger with a mystery sauce that I am pretty sure is Thousand Island dressing? This is the spot. This is where my love ends and my disdain is ever growing for a coffee abomination that should not continue.

Calling this fast-food icon a destination spot for good coffee is like me suggesting H&R Block is a great place to get your tires rotated.

In a recent article, the new CEO of Starbucks Howard Shultz said, "McDonald's made us better." See story here. Howard, you have to stop it. You cannot compare your beloved chain with McDonald's. It cheapens us all. Just calling coffee a premium roast and putting it in a McCafe doesn't make it good. Unfortunately, the masses don't necessarily agree with me.

A recent Chicago Tribune story reports:

"Year to date through October, McDonald's overall U.S. coffee sales are up 28 percent over the same time a year ago, and more than 90 percent of that gain stems from McCafe drinks, Thompson said. Those drinks include all hot and iced espresso-based beverages, as well as hot chocolate."


Come on America, this is not premium. Please stop the madness and make it all go back to the way it used to be where coffee didn't come with a side of fries -- unless you were really desperate. 


What's your opinion? Drop me a comment.