I agree with a lot of others that the cashier staff is untrained or careless at this location. I've had flavored sweeteners added to my drinks I'd never asked for... I'm strictly a no-sugar coffee drinker. (In the event management is interested, it's normally that I've ordered a grande macchiatto or flat white with 4 extra shots & unfortunately, caramel or vanilla has been added, which is sickeningly sweet & undrinkable to me. Problem is, I've always driven away by the time I realize & as it's too inconvenient to return, it's extremely disappointing given my $7 drink!)
The baristas are doing a fine job & creating the drink that was ordered. The problem is the cashiers are ordering wrong (because afterwards I check the printed receipt on the cup to see they keyed in a flavor not wanted), but they've made that mistake 4 out of the 8 times I've visited. Since I have a very unusual, seemingly unpronounceable 1st name, the baristas never announce it (why ask for it, then?) & they either mumble & rattle off the drink name so I don't hear or catch it or don't announce the entire drink before placing it on the counter (they sometimes just say extra shot macchiatto), until now, I've just taken the drink & left to have an unpleasant 1st sip miles down the road.
They always grind the beans right, which is good, but come on... my 1 drink is more than 1/2 the cost of an entire bag of beans!
Some of the cashier staff seem young, new, untrained & unknowledgeable on coffee, in general & slightly ditzy. The over 50's who work there seem to have their acts together, but that's probably why they work the always busy drive-thru, which I don't use, since I'm always getting ground beans.
Parking can be a bear, as you encounter the drive out traffic from the drive-thru (if that makes sense) when making a hard, 90-degree right into their lot, as they only have 1 exit/entrance. Since they have outdoor tables, they also attract a crowd on sunny days & weekends, so the spaces fill up fast... most are taken every time I've visited. Twice I've not been able to get a space, so had to leave & go to the other SBucks several miles up the road in Panama City Mall, which isn't always convenient & their location is tough to find (it's in the middle of a maze in the mall), but they do have plentiful parking, once you can find it. Their staff is far better trained, I'd imagine as they have more traffic given their mall location.
Pros? The baristas making drinks are fine, the store is clean & orderly, plenty of indoor/outdoor seating, if you can find a parking space. Note: The Waffle House, to their left, has plenty of available parking. Not sure if it can be used, but it might not hurt to ask at SBucks, in the event you want to hang out. Every time I've gone with computer to hang out, I couldn't due to a filled lot.
Cons? Tough parking & entering/exiting lot, poorly trained cashiers.
Note to Mngmt: Train your cashiers / new baristas better before tossing them behind the counter. I worked for a few months for a Boston SBucks in the mid-90s & had 50-hrs of coffee training. Yes, FIFTY, including a 5-hr grind/bagging class. I don't think you've done that for a long time, given the many mistakes I've encountered around the country at varying locations with incorrect coffee grind (I get Turkish ground & have to repeat it over & over, reminding them it's not course, it's the most powdery grind & lowest setting), lazy bagging (come on, who needs to be told to roll the top of the bag down as far as it can go so beans don't spill out!) & wrong drinks. It happens often. As soon as I find a closer coffee company with a good, bold flavor, I'm gone. You taken an awful lot of my money in the 20-yrs I've been a customer... earn it!
Overall, the location is okay. Just ensure you have the right drink, made the way you like before driving off. read more
