I hate, Hate, HAte, HATe, HATE this Starbucks!!! I live a ten-minute walk away and have the misfortune of having this be my local Starbucks. I normally go to the other, WAY BETTER coffee shops in this area-- Blue Bottle Coffee (best pastries!), Maru (the best coffee!), Alcove (best atmosphere!), or Mustard Seed Cafe (best breakfast! and awesome cappuccino!). We only ever come to this dreaded establishment if all the other coffee places are closed or too crowded, or if my kiddos want one of their too-sweet drinks like hot chocolate or the London Fog Latte.
Well, we came here last night after everything else was closed and the wait at Alcove was too long. We sat in the patio area and I ordered our drinks on the app. My kiddo was in a class that lasted one hour, so I went to this Starbucks with my other kiddo to spend the time as we waited. At the 40-minute mark I ordered my other kid her iced London Fog Latte, so the staff would have enough time to prepare it before I had to go and pick up my kiddo. Well, 13 minutes later (I knew it was this long bc I ordered on the app, which logged the time of the order), I went inside and asked if the drink was being prepared, as I didn't see it ready at the pick-up station. The barista was snippy and said he was in the middle of preparing it and that it would be done in two minutes, as he shoved a timer in my face showing that two minutes were left. He added that he started the drink as soon as the order came in, but that it took five minutes to prepare as the tea had to steep. I told him that it wasn't the case that he had started the drink as soon as it came in, as I had ordered it thirteen minutes prior, and I showed him on the app. So the snippy Karen manager, who always wears her annoying fedora and always has her two cents to say to people, came over and told me I was being very rude and that they had to take the orders in the order that they come in. I told her I had ordered 13 minutes ago when the place was empty, and three customers had subsequently come in, placed their orders, and walked out with their orders, as my order went ignored, all of which I had observed from the patio since placing the order. I told the manager that I had to go pick up my kid at her class, as the classroom building was about to close, and to hold off making the drink until we came back so the ice wouldn't be totally melted, which always happens with this drink within five minutes of when they make it. She said, "Maybe you should have thought of that before you ordered," then rolled her eyes and told me to stop talking to the barista and to go stand away from the counter. I just walked out and went and picked up my kid.
We returned about 15 minutes later and I went to the pick up area, where I saw the drink with all of the ice melted and our bakery items, which were cold. I went to the cashier station and asked the same snippy barista to remake the drink and warm up the pastries, but he said, "No, I am not going to remake your drink or serve you. You yelled at me and I'm just going to give you a refund." I said I hadn't yelled at him at all, and that my kid was hungry and waiting for her food, so could he please just remake the drink and warm up the pastries. He claimed that the cameras in the restaurant had captured me yelling at him, and said he was just going to give me a refund. He was all flustered and couldn't function at the register, so he told me to just call the 1-800 number for the app and ask for a refund, then walked away. I walked over and told him to stop being a jerk and just make the drink. Then the Karen manager came over with her stupid hat and unhelpful attitude and said, "You did scream at him and you were very rude! We're not going to help you and you can leave now!" So I left and joined my kids at the patio, where I told them what happened and called the 1-800 number, which just issued a refund and told me they would report my experience to the manager, who was the cause of the complaint! I told them how ridiculous it was that they would report the manager to herself, and they said that's all they can do!
This experience epitomizes the dreadful staff and service at this location. Other negatives about this place are: the too-small parking lot; the unhoused and/or mentally ill people who usually sit in the patio smoking; the unattended bathroom that is down the hall closed off by another door, which feels isolated and dangerous; and the second manager who is also a Karen and also wears stupid hats! And orders placed here via the app ALWAYS take FOR-EVER!!!
If I HAVE TO HAVE Starbucks around here, I usually drive the extra five minutes to the Starbucks location in the Gelsons plaza at Griffith Park Blvd and Hyperion. It is sooooo worth it!!! EVERYTHING about it is better, esp the staff! They are so kind, pleasant, and bend over backwards to be friendly and helpful! Yesterday's awful experience would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS have happened here. read more