Everyone’s favorite part about the holidays is receiving gifts. Yes, we try to clarify that it is actually about being together with your family, but who doesn’t love to open a box of something that they have been looking forward to for the last three months. Right now, I am wrapping up this gift of Starbucks knowledge from the last few months.

First of all, I would like to thank you for joining me on this journey of following Starbucks over the last three months. It has been interesting to look at stories for this brand that I am definitely a fan of, and looking at it from a financial perspective has expanded my insights to the company.

My first takeaway from this blog is that the employees of the organization reflect on the entire corporation. Realistically, consumers interact with the lower level employees more on a daily basis rather than the higher level, corporate officers. Therefore, a mistake made by the barista can change the perception of the entire company in a split second. So, I now understand the importance that every employee has on the entire company.

Another key takeaway I had from this experience was how much of an impact advertising has on the products of a company. Starbucks began seasonal advertising campaigns super early for each holiday season. Starting from the early introduction of the Pumpkin Spice Latte to the emergence of Christmas cups, the effective marketing campaigns helped get the message out earlier about seasonal deals. Additionally, simple techniques like these make customers want to buy coffee more so that they can brighten their day with a green and red coffee cup.

Lastly, I learned that international deals have a large impact on large corporations such as Starbucks. While Starbucks is the current leading coffee company on the stock market at the moment, competitors help fuel the company to do better. Since the emergence of Luckin Coffee in China, Starbucks has had to reevaluate their strategy in this region. Also, expanding the corporation to different countries and having their stores reflect the culture of that region really emphasizes the success of the company. Without the international deals, Starbucks would have significantly less profit.

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I would still like to work for Starbucks, knowing what I know about the company. It does seem as if they put a lot of effort into their employees at every level. They are currently excelling financially, sitting at a peak of financial performance at the moment, so it does not appear as if I would need to search for another job shortly after being hired at Starbucks. Personally, I think I would like to work higher up in a Starbucks so that I did not have as much responsibility as daily baristas. Nevertheless, I would still enjoy working at this corporation.

As far as whether or not I would like to invest in Starbucks, I have a mixed response to this question. Yes, the stock is at the top of its performance right now. There was a slight dip over the past three months, but it appears to be on an upward trend again. However, I am curious as to whether or not the corporation will do a stock split in the near future, and it would be easier to invest once they perform this split. Additionally, the last dividend was about $0.41 USD, which seems really low for such a large company. Therefore, I would want to wait a little bit before investing in Starbucks, but I would definitely like to invest in Starbucks in the near future.

With all of that, it is time to conclude my final blog post. As far as my drink recommendation goes this week, I would like to switch it up and ask what everyone else’s recommendation is for myself. I am always open to trying new things. I hope that you were able to try something new over the past three months. Thank you for reading my blog, and happy caffeinating!

Who remembers the anxiety of the college admissions process? Who remembers being a young, high school student at a large college fair?  The feeling of a thick admissions folder with heavy packets of information that tried to explain acronyms such as SAT and ACT permeated our high school lives.  While we would like to believe that those days have passed us, the experience is about to cycle back as college students begin thinking of graduate schools and career paths. 

To guide me along the way, the fair included representatives from law schools across the United States.  There were tables from schools as far as the University of Miami School of Law to schools as close as our very own Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.  For a complete list of attendees, click here!

Each representative shared what their specific school looked for and offered sign-ups for more information about the school.  However, they answered my specific questions about what a college freshman should consider when thinking about law school. Some of their tips include the following:

• Make sure to challenge yourself with difficult courses.  Honors courses show that you are continuing to stimulate your learning even at the college level. 
• Remember that there is no specific major for law school.  Choose something you are passionate about while you still have the chance. 
• Keep track of time! Know when you should start registering for the LSATs and know your application deadlines.
• Do not be afraid to take a few years off before applying to law school. 
• Stay in touch with your favorite law schools.

Additionally, Villanova’s Pre-Law Society provided each of the students with a list of other pre-law events to attend in the future.  I would highly recommend contacting this group’s advisor, Christina Butler, if you too are interested in Pre-Law.  Christina Butler is also the Pre-Law advisor here at Villanova, so if you would like to discuss the idea of attending law school, set up an appointment with her through Handshake. 

If you have any questions that you would like to ask another first-year Villanova student, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will answer all of your questions! Maybe I will see one of you at the next Pre-Law event. 

Over the past week, many Americans were snuggling down into their homes after a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner. Others, however, were encountering strange concoctions from their favorite coffee joint, which may be stirring people away.

First, a controversy erupted in Oklahoma, a strange location for a striking news story. A police officer who was working on Thanksgiving Day stopped in for a nice beverage to lighten the mood. When he picked up his order, he noticed something wrong with the spelling of their name. Normally, Starbucks baristas are notorious for spelling simple names incorrectly, but this officer was petrified to see that the barista entered his name as “Pig.”

The barista has since apologized for the incident, claiming that the action was only being used as a joke on the other barista, hoping that they would call out the name “pig. ” However, I do think that this can negatively affect the perception of the company. Starbucks needs to reinforce professionalism amongst its workers. By screwing around like this, the company can lose many customers due to a simple misunderstanding that would have been avoided if the barista simply followed their job. Starbucks has announced that they have fired this employee for their lack of respect of a customer, especially a police officer who is spending their Thanksgiving away from home and protecting other families.

Additionally, another incident occurred when customers began noticing dead lizards in their drinks. At this Starbucks location in Hawaii, there have been multiple reports of customers finding dead lizards, and because of the lizard bacteria, the coffee is scaring customers who are not interested in ingesting harmful substances. I do believe that this is partially a regional issue, seeing that there might be a larger portion of lizards in Hawaii. However, this should not stop Starbucks from offering assistance to correct the issue. The company should reinforce to all of its stores that cleanliness and sanitation are core values in the company. Additionally, the company should offer help to this location to tackle the issue.

Finally, I would like to close out this week’s blog with a look at the stocks over the holiday. Over the holiday season, people receive money from family members and decide that it is a great time to purchase stock and increase investments. At closing time on Friday, Starbucks’s stock was balanced at $85.43 USD. This shows a large margin of growth from last week. The company’s growth seemed pretty constant throughout the week with a slight jump up on Thursday. The entire growth over the last week is pictured below.

Last but finally not least, I believe that it is time for my weekly drink recommendation. It was nice to go back to Starbucks and enjoy my regular drink. However, I did enjoy something else that I have not yet mentioned in this blog. This week, I am not recommending a drink, but a tasty snack that you can enjoy with whatever drink you like. I am recommending any variation of the Starbucks cake pops. Personally, I am a fan of the cookie dough or the peppermint brownie cake pops. However, I think this is a nice treat to sweeten up your day and fill your stomach for the time being. With that, I wish you a nice week with lots of cake pops! Happy holidays!

Sources:

• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX
• https://www.kwch.com/content/news/Hawaii-man-claims-Starbucks-drink-order-came-with-dead-lizard-565630162.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/us/starbucks-pig-cup.html

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many people are getting ready to settle down and spend time with family to express gratitude for all of life’s gifts–especially coffee. I don’t know about you, but I am especially thankful for caffeine this holiday season, being a first-semester college student who is still adjusting to “adulting.” Starbucks, as a corporation, has major plans for this holiday season, leaving time to observe the holiday while raising their profits.

First and foremost, Starbucks announced that they will be sending a representative to participate in the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference. This conference takes place in New York City on December 3rd, 2019. The company will be sending Chief Financial Officer Patrick Grismer (pictured below) to represent the dominant coffee corporation. This conference should serve as a way to build investor relations and keep their dominance in the sales of caffeinated beverages. Starbucks also plans to live stream the conference on a webcast, and the content will be able to be accessed until January 3rd, 2020. Maintaining this transparency in the corporation is the best possible option for strengthening investor relations, and by making it accessible online, investors from all around the country, even the entire world, will be able to access the valuable experience. It will be interesting to see how the company performs at this conference compared to other attendees. I think this will be an interesting story to read in weeks to come, and it will provide a great benefit for the company’s stock right before the Christmas season.

Aside from this business deal, Starbucks also announced the details of their Black Friday sales this week. First, the beginning of the tumbler sales has been announced. If a customer purchases a special 16-ounce tumbler, they can receive a free grande-sized beverage until January if they bring back the cup to refill it. This promotion exists alongside the regular deal, where you receive $0.10 off your order if you bring a reusable cup for your drink. Not only is this a good option for the environment, but it brings customer in and out of the store for the entire holiday season for cheaper beverages. After the promotion ends, Starbucks may find itself with more customers who have grown to find their favorite beverage by purchasing a refillable tumbler. Additionally, buying a special cup with the Starbucks logo promotes the brand and also causes other people to want to buy these festive cups. They could make great Christmas gifts, as well.

Additionally, here is the performance of the stock over the past week. To summarize it, the stock has remained stable around the $83-$84 USD range between last week and this week. This is good news, because there were no significant drops. However, it would be a lovely holiday gift to see the stock rise in value for investors.

For the Thanksgiving holiday, I feel like my drink recommendation should be something that you can bring home this holiday season. I recommend purchasing a bag of the Thanksgiving Blend coffee beans to make at home for your loved ones at your Thanksgiving meal. This is one of my dad’s favorite blends, and I think this will be a lovely drink to try out this holiday season. You can brew it yourself to your liking and pretend to be a barista for a day. Also, it will give you energy to begin your Black Friday shopping! On that note, I wish everyone a good Thanksgiving meal with safe travels, no dinner disasters, and “pleasant” interactions with in-laws! Happy Turkey Day!

Sources:

• https://www.wsj.com/articles/PR-CO-20191119-911959
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2019/11/21/starbucks-black-friday-2019-deals-get-31-days-coffee-40/4256717002/
• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX

This week, stories emerged about the potential of new competition in one of the largest markets for Starbucks. On the sunnier side of the news, the corporation shared information about larger marketing advancements. Overall, Starbucks experienced a bipolar week full of both good news and bad news for the corporation.

Before divulging into the larger news stories of the week, it is integral to look at the stock performance. Below is a recap of the rise of the stock price.

There was a sharp jump in the stock between closing on Monday and opening the stock on Tuesday. Overall, the rise in the stock shows a good pattern after the performance of the stock over prior weeks. Starbucks has shown mixed rises and falls in the stock with no clear direction of a pattern in the company’s performance. However, this slight rise to $84.21 USD at closing on Friday sets them up nicely for the beginning of the following week to increase the stock even more.

Now on the darker side of the news stories for this week, another coffee company has challenged Starbucks for the role of the hegemon in coffee shops in China. Customers are trading in their mermaid fins for antlers as the coffee shop brand Luckin Coffee has begun to rise to the top. Luckin helped establish their brand and raise their profits by offering a delivery service before Starbucks. Additionally, Luckin offers many options that Starbucks does not, such as the increasingly popular trend of bubble tea, leaving Starbucks out of the competition in this aspect. For these reasons, some predict that Luckin will be the top coffee shop in China by the end of this year. China is the second largest market for Starbucks, aside from the United States. Losing their dominance in China could significantly hurt the country. Since Starbucks has recently announced the pilot of their delivery service in certain US cities (a service that I mentioned in a previous blog post), they might have a chance of reclaiming their spot and widening the competitive margin.

As a palette cleanser from the previously dark news, Starbucks has created a new experience for customers that should peak their interest in the business at certain locations. On Friday, the company unveiled a Reserve Roastery in Chicago. A “Reserve Roastery” is an experience similar to “Hershey’s Chocolate World,” if you have ever traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Reserve Roastery gives you more information about the process from coffee beans to delicious drinks in your hands.

This is not the first Starbucks location of its kind. The Chicago destination joins the Reserve Roasteries located in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York, and Tokyo. This worldwide tourist attraction allows customers from all over the world to learn more about where their coffee comes from. Additionally, it brings the Seattle-based company closer to customers around the world to maintain the relationship between the consumer and the brand. I personally would be interested in visiting one of these locations–I will keep you updated if I stop in New York over Thanksgiving Break.

Before I part, it is time to keep up with the weekly tradition of offering a drink recommendation. This week, I am recommending a toasted white chocolate mocha. I normally enjoy my caffeinated beverages over ice, but I could thoroughly enjoy this drink as simply hot coffee. It is getting progressively more difficult to think of drinks for my weekly recommendations, but the holiday season always offers new options for Starbucks customers. Until next week, I hope you enjoy the last week before the Thanksgiving madness.

Sources:

• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/PR-CO-20191112-916033
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/luckin-coffee-sales-rise-sixfold-11573664959

Starbucks customers across the world have been relishing in the release of holiday themed paper cups for hot drinks. However, before the Christmas festivities begin, the brand is focusing on other holidays first. In addition, Starbucks is releasing more information on their interests in artificial intelligence. What a great way to get into the holiday spirit!

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In honor of Veterans Day, Starbucks announced a new promotion to pay homage to those who have served. The company will be serving free coffee to veterans, active members of the armed forces, and military spouses. In addition to this generous offer, the company is also advertising that they are donating a portion of their profits towards organizations that support the mental health of veterans. By supporting organizations such as “Team Red, White and Blue” and “Team Rubicon,” Starbucks is enforcing its initiative on community and helping all of their customers on this national holiday. This initiative helps improve the image of Starbucks as a whole, and it also strengthens its relationship with veterans to build the clientele.

In addition to this news, Starbucks has also made headlines about their interest in artificial intelligence (AI). This AI program called Deep Brew is designed to automate schedules, inventory, and other analytical tasks for each Starbucks store. CEO Kevin Johnson elaborated on this idea by explaining that he hopes Deep Brew reconnects employees with the customers. It will allow employees to spend more time out and serving customers rather than hiding behind closed doors. This interesting outlook on artificial intelligence shows the progression of where business will be going in the future. It will help people connect more with customers while maximizing efficiency. On that take, Starbucks is doing a lot to benefit their customers this past week.

On another note, the company had another shaky week on Wall Street. Overall, Starbucks declined to possibly the lowest point of the entire month at $81.77 USD. The company is still doing well, but there was a weird trend in data where the stock was abnormally low for all of Tuesday and then spiked back up on Wednesday. A graph of this week’s activity is pictured below.

With the reveal of the holiday themed cups, my drink recommendation for this week is finally transferring into the holiday season. This week, I am recommending a peppermint mocha. I personally enjoy this drink since I am a huge fan of mints, which is both a blessing and a curse. Combined with the warm, chocolate flavor in the mocha, this drink screams an all around holiday sensation. It will prepare you to get energized for cooking on Thanksgiving, and it is overall a nice drink to keep you warm as you roam outdoor shopping centers looking for winter apparel.

That is all for this week’s blog post. I hope you have a nice week collecting your holiday themed cups. Happy caffeinating!

Sources:

• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX
• https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/starbucks-veterans-day-deal-2019-free-coffee
• https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/11/08/how-starbucks-brewing-up-artificial-intelligence.aspx

It is finally that time of the year that most companies release their financial statements for the quarter! In the best fashion, this blog post will be summarizing the highlights from the release on this past Wednesday, October 30th.

First, the company’s earnings per share ratio ended the year with $0.67. Compared to previous years, this is a 20% increase, which is always good for a company.

Looking purely at findings from the Q4 highlights, the company focused on expanding the franchise on an international level. Global sales rose around 5%, which is significant considering the immensity of the company. They also opened a large amount of stores in other countries over the course of the last quarter. A final highlight from the report on the fourth fiscal quarter was the fact that $2.7 billion was returned to the shareholders during this time frame.

In comparison to Q4, the full fiscal year highlights do not have such a positive push on them. On one hand, the consolidated net revenues showed some growth, about 7% to be exact, and this growth helped the company survive the past year. On a sadder note, the Earnings Per Share price of the market decreased, which is not always the most beneficial scenario.

The report also featured goals for 2020. The company wishes to continue expanding the group internationally, continuing this initiative. There were also large margins of growth, about 8% for both consolidated net revenue for the entire year and consolidated operating income revenue.

Looking at these findings to the company, the paper also focused on company updates that have been discovered in the past year. Some of these updates were described in previous blog posts. One interesting story, however, was a three-day conference called the Leadership Experience for store managers. This helped strengthen the credibility and professionalism of all Starbucks locations. Additionally, the company left 29.2 million shares available on the market for purchase after repurchasing 23.5 million shares of financial stock.

Speaking of stock, here are the statistics for the past week:

After a short period of growth, the stock has once again dropped for the company. According to this graphic, however, it appears as if the stock is positioned in blocks of each day rather than one continuous peak over the last week, which I think is an interesting pattern. Overnight trends must have contributed to these changes that occurred, such as the drop in the stock on Wednesday morning compared to the night before.

Before I leave for the week after discussing the release of such important financial information, I am recommending a hot chocolate this week as my beverage of the week! After volunteering at Special Olympics, I found myself heavily in need of a warm beverage, but I did not need to rely on caffeine with each sip. I recommend this drink because it is a nice transition between Halloween and the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. I hope you enjoy this drink, and I look forward to writing again next week!

For more information on the financial report, visit the Starbucks website or click here for more information!

Welcome back to the weekly report on one of the most dominant coffee chains in the world! This week, many press releases informed the public about changes to the company and when more information will be released to consumers. Let’s dive into this week’s stories!

As one of the first major press releases of the week, Starbucks announced that it will be taking a delivery service to five major locations in the United States. After pairing with Uber Eats to pilot the concept of delivering coffee, the company plans on expanding the service to the following locations:

• Atlanta, GA
• Denver, CO
• Phoenix, AZ
• Philadelphia, PA
• New Jersey (no specified spot in NJ. I am assuming this just means all of Jersey for that matter.)

I am a personal fan of this development, being a student so close to Philadelphia. I think this is a great concept for students working late in the night studying for an exam who need coffee to stay awake. It facilitates productive environments by allowing people to stay dedicated to their work rather than driving to a store. It also could help the environment because of reducing the number of people driving to one singular Starbucks location at a time. Additionally, this is one of the first beverage services that I have seen launch a delivery program. This solidarity in the market allows for Starbucks to capitalize on this area of the market. I personally feel that this launch will be successful for the company.

Another important press release that occurred this week was the announcement of the Q4 and Fiscal Year 2019 results release. While the financial statements have not yet been released, the corporation established the date of a conference call in which the information will become available to the public. People who are interested in this information should pay attention on Wednesday, October 30th. This will be a big release with a lot of information to report next week, so I look forward to informing all fellow dedicated customers of the financial activity of the company.

As far as stock performance in the past week, the stock continues to like in the mid $80 USD range. The stock is currently valued at $83.38 USD. The stock is performing well, but it is continuing a pattern of declining from its previous peak in the market. Here is the data about the fluctuation of the stock over the last five weekdays.

Last but certainly not least, it is time for my weekly drink suggestions. These continue to increase in difficulty, since I need to think of a new drink that I enjoy every week. (Normally I stick to my signature drink when I order at Starbucks, but I have shopped around the menu). This week, I am suggesting a simple unsweetened iced black tea. While that might sound bland, I encourage you to explore the taste palette of how to customize a drink at Starbucks. I enjoy adding in either blueberry or raspberry flavors, and I hope you will find a flavor that you are interested in. Until next week, happy caffeinating!

As temperatures continue to drop, Starbucks remains a piping hot competitor in the caffeinated beverage market. This week, the company appeared in the news as new products emerged and as analysts inspected the innovative techniques used by the corporation.

First, Starbucks headlined stories as the new concept of a store in Turks and Caicos arrived. To fit the aesthetic of the opulent vacation spot, the company is looking to create a store to entertain the caffeine addicts that stop at this island for vacation. Featuring a paradise themed exterior and a modern interior, this store will attract customers for purely the packaging of the material as well as the convenience of being able to purchase their favorite coffee brand overseas. The idea of the store is pictured below.

By being able to present the store in a well-manicured fashion, I believe that this move will help Starbucks raise their profits and update the image of the company to a convenient item to purchase on many vacations. I know from my own personal travels that many people worry about the prospect of not being able to purchase their favorite breakfast items on a daily basis when they leave for vacation, but by eliminating this fear, the corporation allows consumers to place their trust in Starbucks and create a stronger relationship.

Another new product launch that occurred this week was the launch of the 2019 Holiday Home products from Starbucks. The main products and packaging are shown below.

In my opinion, I do believe that this is a little early to be introducing these products, but I can understand the company’s logic. By getting the products in store quicker, consumers can familiarize themselves with the products and grow to depend on these products by the middle of the holiday season. Beginning the transition from fall into winter, Starbucks is headlining the rush for warm caffeinated drinks early in the game for coffee companies.

As a point towards helping the sustainability movement, Starbucks has also been in the news for developing innovative technologies that distinguish the brand from others. To maximize the functionality of the coffee bean in the harvest process, Starbucks has revealed their technique of turning the outer layer of their coffee beans into a sweetener. This technique opens up room for development in the process of harvesting their products. I think this strategy also helps consumers appreciate the morals that the company supports. Coffee drinkers who look for environmentally sustainable options will have another reason to turn to Starbucks for their next cup of morning joe.

Finally, the Wall Street Journal recently published edited excerpts from an interview with the CEO of Starbucks, Kevin Johnson. Johnson covers topics such as his intentions on fulfilling legacy left by former CEO Howard Schultz, how he reacted to the controversy of the arrests in Philadelphia a few years ago, and his own personal opinion on coffee drinking. He avoids calling himself a coffee addict but does admit that he “drinks a lot of coffee,” describing his daily routine as a stop at his local Starbucks, a cup at work, a variety of coffee testings during the work day, and an extra cup in the afternoon. I think it is interesting to see how the CEO presents himself as an ordinary coffee drinker. He is connecting himself with his consumers in a personal interview, allowing the large corporation of Starbucks to feel like a local coffee shop where they know your name.

Additionally, the Starbucks stock for the last week is posted below. The stock bounced up and down in a narrow range, but it seems to be leaning towards the higher $80 range of the stock, which is an improvement from the previous weeks.

Before I part this week, I am returning with my weekly drink suggestion. I was feeling under the weather the past week, which was great timing during my fall break so that I did not feel terrible during classes, so I found myself particularly relying on this beverage to cure my cold symptoms. Commonly called the “Medicine Ball,” this drink is the Honey Citrus Mint Tea. It combines jade citrus mint tea, peach tranquility tea, steamed lemonade, and honey packets to provide a soothing drink to calm the throat following a sickness. Calling it simply a medicine ball will get the drink across with the baristas. Thank you for reading, and I hope this drink will get you through your next sickness.

Sources:

• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/meet-the-starbucks-ceo-who-has-to-follow-howard-schultz-11570708802
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-food-industry-looks-to-turn-garbage-to-gold-11570662300
• https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/starbucks-at-home-holiday-line-2019
• https://www.delish.com/food-news/a29502082/starbucks-first-turks-caicos-store/

This week, the weather finally decided to match the season, leaving Villanovans with runny noses, bundled clothing, and a thirst for anything pumpkin themed. Autumn calls for consumers to find interests in the chilling weather that is not-too-cold. It allows us to drink hot coffee without relying on it as a necessity for survival in a winter blizzard. Overall, fall brings a sense of relaxation. However, looking at the activity of the Starbucks stock in the past week, the coffee industry was not necessarily relaxed in their efforts.

The first glimpse at the declination in the Starbucks company is the declining slope of the stock over the past week. Below is a representation of the stock over the Monday through Friday period.

The stock appeared to take one of the lowest dips it has seen since the beginning of the blog. However, to gain more of a perspective on the stock, I looked at the trends of the company for the past year to date. After looking at the trends, it appears as if the stock grew from the beginning of the year until the beginning of September.

Oddly enough, I believe that the declination in the stock might be a result of the seasons changing. Most people turn to Starbucks to enjoy a cold beverage over the summer. Now that the weather is beginning to drop into sweater weather, the frequency of cold drink purchases is beginning to decline. As previously mentioned in one of my past blog posts, Starbucks tends to dominate the industry of cold brew and iced coffee. With less purchases of these goods, this could be a contributing factor to the declining stock.

Other than the stock, Starbucks has mostly stayed out of the news this week other than one story. A Starbucks customer filed a lawsuit against the company because their drink was made with almond milk, a product that the customer was allergic to. Most clients have “their drink,” meaning that baristas know their customized order whenever they enter the store. Below includes an infographic about what goes into each beverage and the opportunities available for a customer to customize their drink.

Customers can change any detail about each of these drinks, and this specific customer knew exactly what to change about their caffe latte to avoid a severe allergic reaction. The barista, on the other hand, did not pay as close attention to the request to change the milk. Unfortunately, this will have negative consequences on the company in the coming weeks, and it will be interesting to see how this issue settles.

Overall, I believe that this controversy is a prime example of how corporations overall are responsible for the actions of their employees. Of course, Starbucks does not plan on putting their customers’ lives at risk, but one mistake from an employee can put the entire company in jeopardy.

With the conclusion of that story, I believe that the recap of Starbucks’ activity this week has come to an end. This week, I suggest for all of you coffee lovers to enjoy a salted caramel mocha frappuccino. I personally am a fan of salted caramel, and the mocha adds more dimension to the flavor of this drink. Below I have included my sources for this week’s post. I look forward to recapping next week. Happy caffeinating!

• Sources:
• https://quotes.wsj.com/SBUX
• https://kwwl.com/news/top-stories/2019/10/06/oregon-man-sues-starbucks-for-10000-after-barista-used-wrong-type-of-milk/