Finding a kind message, small drawing, or even something as simple as a smiley face on your Starbucks cup used to be enough to make anyone’s day. But, ever since it was revealed that Starbucks baristas aren’t writing on your cup by choice, customers have felt divided. Apparently, those tiny notes — paired with the return of classic café features, a scale down on discounts, and the option to bring your own reusable cup — are all a part of Starbucks’ new CEO, Brian Niccol’s, mission to rebrand Starbucks as a quality coffee shop. Only, it doesn’t feel quite the same knowing it’s not genuine.
One Starbucks customer explained such a take on Reddit, writing, “As a customer I hate the writing on cups rule — it used to feel special the occasional times I’d get a note, now it’s just a reminder I’m making someone do extra work for no reason.” A Starbucks barista added to that, saying, “We like writing on cups, but it being required for every cup takes all of the fun and meaning out of it.” Another customer agreed, adding, “Writing on cups is nice, but like, if it’s being done as a quota, what’s the point? Just to make things more inconvenient for baristas who I already feel like an inconvenience to?” Although the Reddit user went on to say that being recognized by name as a regular was worth “so much more” than a forced message, others said they still enjoyed the notes — genuine or not.
The case for the drink drawing mandate at Starbucks
While it’s easy to point the finger at Starbucks’ new CEO, and while you might feel guilty as a customer, a lot of baristas are actually having fun writing on cups. On Reddit, one barista said, “Writing ‘Slay Queen’ and handing it to a middle-aged white man will never stop being funny to me.” Another said that they work at a lower-volume store, and they love “writing creative and inspiring messages” whenever they have time — just not when they’re slammed, which was an argument many others echoed.
In addition to weighing in on the message policy, Starbucks customers also spoke of the other changes initiated by Niccol on Reddit. In the same thread, customers made valuable points about the no loitering and no bathroom without purchase rule, saying it made the overall experience of visiting Starbucks much better. One Starbucks customer pointed out, “Starbucks used to be packed with peeps camped out all day staring at their laptops. Now I can pop in and easily find a place to sit and enjoy my coffee and a snack.” Another customer added that they “LOVE” that the condiment bars are back, that non-dairy milks are no longer an extra charge, and that the “for here” cups are a nice touch. And, although Niccol did put a halt to discounts and promotions, he also put a pause on price hikes — something that benefits everyone.
