Starbucks baristas have mixed feelings about one of the chain’s new initiatives.
The coffee giant has once again told its workers to write personalized messages on to-go cups. The practice, which was halted in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, is officially back in full force.
Cup-writing, serving beverages in ceramic mugs for dine-in customers and bringing back the condiment bar are all part of Starbucks’ new CEO Brian Niccol’s plans to get the chain’s 40,000+ locations back to their so-called “community coffeehouse roots.”
The newly-dubbed “Starbucks Coffee Company” aims to emphasize this friendly atmosphere for paying customers through a new ad campaign showing its workers writing on every cup. Niccol told CNBC in October that the chain would have to buy “something like close to 200,000 Sharpies” for baristas as part of this plan.
Starbucks says that handwritten notes on its cups have proven to be a simple-yet-meaningful action that fosters moments of connection and that its baristas take pride in adding a personal touch to connect with and delight its customers.
But not all of its baristas find cup-writing to be a positive experience.
“Every barista knows how enforcing Starbucks’ policies is part of our everyday responsibilities on the job,” Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks worker in Buffalo, New York and a bargaining delegate with Starbucks Workers United, tells TODAY.com.
Leli notes that baristas are the ones most impacted by changes from corporate, whether it’s spending time writing on every cup, carrying out new water or enforcing new bathroom rules sent from on high. To baristas, this is just more work.
“I do not have time for this, I do not have time for you,” a Starbucks barista lip-synchs a viral line from Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” in a TikTok video posted Feb. 2. “if my lovely manager sees this I TRY but I’m running out of notes 😭 the mean ones get a ‘be kind today,’” she adds in the caption.
“writing on every cup defeats the wholesome purpose of writing on a cup,” wrote one Starbucks barista on Reddit. “i feel like it defeats the personal aspect of it, honestly. i think making it a requirement is a bit stupid honestly. we end up pre writing cups instead of catering them to the person most of the time.”
“it’s just not genuine when a corp is nagging you to write forced notes,” added another.
Now, in an emerging trend, baristas are writing hilariously long messages on cups to have a little fun on the job — and poke fun at the policy. Social media posts show cups referencing “Shark Tale,” “Stepbrothers,” “Jersey Shore,” “SpongeBob Squarepants,” Oliva Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Drake lyrics, popular memes and even high school fitness tests.
A few workers shared that they have filled entire venti cups with words, like the script of Jerry Seinfeld’s 2007 animated film, “Bee Movie.”
But, despite the fact that some are having fun with it, baristas stress that it’s actual work.
“Our responsibilities are increasing while our staffing levels and wages aren’t,” Leli says. “Plus, we might even face discipline if we can’t hit unrealistic goals. That’s why we need to bargain over enforcement and finalize a strong contract that addresses wages, staffing, schedules, and more.”
Meanwhile, Starbucks says it’s working to get in-store staffing right and has made progress to improve average hours per employee, noting that turnover is at a low.
The chain also says it’s provided workers with positive and respectful examples to serve as inspiration for the cups, and gave stores additional hours later this month where needed to account for the new task.
