Starbucks Coffee Seminar

March 28, 2013

Today, NSMH, Jes specifically, held a Starbucks Coffee Seminar. What is this? Today's event consisted of six representatives from Starbucks who came to speak with us about the journey of their coffee. The six people were:


-Marcus Eckensberger, Regional Director New England, Company Operated Stores
-Shari Eaton, Regional Director New England, Licensed Stores
-Peter Torrebiarte, District Manger
-Lisa Randolph, District Manager
-Stephen DiNisco, District Manager
-Paul Pinto, Partner Resources Manager
-Peter's father, 2nd generation farmer

Okay, so I just added that 7th one in there.

To be quite honest, I don't enjoy coffee all that much. I drink it occasionally, but not even from Starbucks. However, this session left me craving Starbucks--not their product, but rather more about who they were. The representatives who came were just so passionate about coffee, Starbucks, and all that they do.

Did you know that there are 305 Starbucks in Manhattan alone? That's only 7 square miles of land!

This company grew so fast and they always strive to remain sustainable. It really makes you wonder, "Hmm...how can I work for this company?"

Anyway, I heard a lot about the coffee bean harvesting (Did you know they're green at first?) and the roasting process. Peter explained that the roasting process is almost like popping popcorn in a dryer. Weird image, right? It made more sense as he went on, because the equipment they use to produce all that coffee is huge! One mixing bowl is supposed to be 8 times the size of our boardroom! I'm not sure if he was exaggerating, but based on the volume of business Starbucks does everyday, I wouldn't be surprised.

One of the things that has always been on my mind about Starbucks is "Why is the Starbucks at Barnes and Noble so different than any company-owned or licensed Starbucks?" So a couple things. First, I learned that Starbucks does not franchise any of their stores, but they do license them. The difference is that franchising can be to individual owners, but Starbucks only licenses to other large parties. By this I mean they license to Marriott, Westin, Aramark (contract food service), airports, etc. Interesting. If you notice, most of these licensed stores serve a very similar menu as a company-owned store--sometimes a limited menu. So why is Barnes and Noble so different? They are different because they are neither company-owned nor licensed. Whaaaat? Barnes and Noble actually have a different contract with Starbucks. They "proudly brew" the Starbucks brand coffee and sell certain items from their menu, but they add in their own choice of products. The facade looks similar, which is why so many people give a puzzled look when the person at the counter says "Oh, I'm sorry, we don't take Starbucks cards." I always wanted to know why. I'm glad I finally have an answer. Sheri, who is in charge of the licensed stores in the region, says that she hopes one day it will change. However, the Starbucks-Barnes and Noble relationship has been this way for so long and it is not a priority to change, so it will probably remain this way for a long time to come. Regardless, I'm sure B&N does a huge volume of sales, which benefits both parties. Don't fix what's not broken, right?

Well, I think I'll end it here. There was so much more that we learned, but I just wanted to give you a glimpse of this fantastic event and also keep it for myself to remember. Hopefully I can take the relationships Jes formed and repeat this again next year!

3 Words

Have you ever been in a position where an interviewer asks you what are three words you would use to describe yourself? Do you know how to answer them confidently?

I was recently in that position. I know that people say you should have these three words prepared, but to be honest, I didn't. I do not know how I would describe myself. Should I describe myself as a person? Or as an employee? Or in any other scenario imaginable. I suppose people that are confident in their talents and achievements would have a better grip on who they are because they have stories and experiences to back up the adjectives. But what about me? That just-turned-20 year old girl who still has yet to figure out what she wants to do. I can use generic words like hard working, team player, etc. But everyone uses those and I don't think it does justice to who I can be. I think I can rise up when the situation presents itself, but how can I convey that in 3 little adjectives? I guess I ought to figure out an answer before my next interview.

For those who know me, what words would you describe me with? Why those?
And for anyone, what three words do you use to describe yourselves?