Starbucks (SBUX) handled the covid pandemic as well as any chain. That's largely due to former CEO Kevin Johnson opting to focus the company on refining operations and building out its technology in the years before the pandemic.
That decision -- which his predecessor (and follower) Howard Schultz appeared to not be a fan of -- proved prescient when the company had to close its dining rooms switching to a drive-through, delivery, and curbside pickup model. Johnson's efforts gave the company the infrastructure needed to pretty much seamlessly make that change (Schultz had wanted a greater focus on building out the brand's premium offerings).
During the worst of the pandemic, even as dining rooms opened, Starbucks kept some rules in place longer than many rivals. Store workers wore masks and many locations kept indoor seating with social distancing well after most states made that no longer required that.
Starbucks also closed its condiment bar even after it had opened its dining room. That's the area where you used to have a selection of milks and sugar/sweeteners so you could customize your coffee.
It made sense to remove the condiment bar when covid was an active concern as a lot of people touched the milk and sugar containers. But now, with pretty much everything in society back to normal, Starbucks has not brought the condiment bar back and it does not intend to.
Image source: Starbucks
Starbucks Makes it Harder on Customers
To Starbucks' credit, the chain makes it possible to highly customize your drink in its app. If you know what you want, it's very easy to order your coffee or tea exactly that way. The problem is that how much milk or sugar/sweetener you want in your coffee is really a to-taste thing that might vary based on your drink or even your mood that day.
Under the old system, customers could easily add a little more milk or sugar or even order their drink black and customize it to taste. Now, since the condiment bar has closed, you have to ask for those things from the baristas and the system is awkward, especially if you decide you want them after you have been handed your drink.
When that happens, you have to awkwardly try to get the attention of someone working behind the counter. That's not easy when a store is busy as employees move immediately to filling the next order.
Once you get someone's attention, however, the situation remains troublesome. It's easy enough to get a sweetener packet (as long as you know which color is which) but getting milk is harder because the chain has no cup designed for this purpose. That means while you may just want a spot of cream or a dash of 2%, you'll get it in a "short" cup which may contain much more than you need.
A Small Customer Slight May Be a Big Starbucks Problem
While the loss of the condiment bar is a relatively small thing, it's part of a bigger cultural shift at Starbucks. The company has prized simplifying operations and operating as efficiently as possible over retaining a classic cafe feel.
Starbucks locations have become well-oiled machines that rely heavily on technology. That's often a positive for customers, but not in the case of the condiment bar. In that case, the chain has opted to make a change that takes the labor out of its process to the detriment of providing good service.
The condiment bar was always a hassle for the chain to maintain. It was often messy and sometimes, one type (or more) of milk was out. It's easy to see why the company would want to eliminate that hassle, and how that might save money, but it's a pennywise/pound foolish choice that makes its stores less inviting.
Technology solves a lot of problems and Starbucks has the best app of any restaurant chain. But, some problems can't be offloaded to a digital solution. How sweet or how light people take their coffee isn't an exact science. Starbucks should allow for that and bring back its condiments bar.
