coffee shops oughta have a special line (with its own cash register) for customers who just want to order a regular goddam cup of coffee.
i’m sick of standing behind three people who collectively take fifteen minutes to order (and receive) their drinks, ’cause they want mocha-grande-extra-foamy-1/2 caf/half decaf-2% cream-extra tall-extra hot-crapuccinos.
attention Starbucks and the rest of you: some of us just wanna pop in, grab a simple cup of coffee, and leave — help us out, will ya?
This article appears in Feb 21-27, 2008.
Sorry but if you go to pretentious starbucks than that is what you are going to get…pretentious idiots paying 3 times what they need to for shitty coffee. You want fast no nonsense coffee service? GO TO TIM HORTONS and support a CANADIAN franchise rather than giving more money to an already bloated and putrile company like Starbucks…see them setting up summer camps for the disadvantaged?
yes, but Tim Horton’s coffee tastes like warmed-up barf. i agree with poster, the higher-end coffee shops — i.e., the ones with good-tasting coffee in a variety of flavours — should make an effort to serve the needs of their customers who just want a simple, straightforward cup of coffee. most of these places have two cash registers, it’d be simple for them to set aside one, during certain periods of the day, as an “express” line for coffee orders.
I don’t find Tim’s coffee all that much different, other than it doesn’t have all those added “flavors”.Would you rather your money go entirely to someone that probably doesn’t deserve it or know that some of it will go to helping out those that would otherwise be overlooked and left out?
um, i think the topic here is customer service, and not the comparative altruism of coffee shops. does anyone have a *relevant* comment to make, or am i the only one who feels the poster has a point?
Then my original post stands…Tim Horton’s if you want it solely based on the speed of service.
I’d have to agree with the poster in regard to peak times; particularly 8-10 am. Or be adequately staffed to handle the special orders. I believe the old Tim’s on Quinpool used to have a coffee only line???Christopher, I’m all for supporting Canadian business but I’m not sure how Canadian Tim’s is. I know Wendy’s was involved at one time but think they got out of it. Are they publicly traded?Another point about Tim’s is all the added products they now provide. With toasted bagels, breakfast sandwiches, soup, deli sandwiches etc. they can often be just as slow as the pretentious coffee shops. The double half caff decaf latte grande w/ soy and extra foam extra hot extra pretentious can be just as annoying as a breakfast sandwich at Tim’s …. paid for on MasterCard.Personally, I usually just grab a morning coffee at Sobey’s. It gets the job done, is cheap and Atlantic Canadian too.
It’s not about Canadian ownership rather Canadian community support, which Starbucks wouldn’t touch if they were forced to. Tim’s runs several program’s that give back to the communities it serves. The summerwinter camps just being one of the more publicly known, there are also Canadian Scholarships and various other rewarding program’s.”The double half caff decaf latte grande w/ soy and extra foam extra hot extra pretentious can be just as annoying as a breakfast sandwich at Tim’s …. paid for on MasterCard.” Hilarious AND true!
If you go to a real restaurant for supper, And I’m not talking Fancy, just Mid-ranged, you will find that you have to wait for the Waiter to take your order, bring that order to the Chef, have it cooked, then brought to your table. For those who want to minimize the waiting, we have Fast Food, where the waiting time is Considerably shorter. The Quality might not be as good, and personalized service may seem lacking, but you have so make sacrifices in life… Speed for quality and/or service. The Same does for Coffee Shops… Tim Horton’s is a Fast Food Coffee Shop, Starbucks or Second Cup would be the Mid-ranged to Higher end Coffee shops in Halifax. If you Want Speed above all else… go to Timmies… if Quality ant service is what you are looking for… then Starbucks is the Better choice. Unfortunately you simply Cant have it both ways.
Good analogy. Unfortunately, as mentioned, Tims is slowing down for all the extra stuff they have on their menu now, which leaves few truly speedy coffee alternatives.
Shit, I’m glad I take in a thermos from home. What a hassle. But the OP is correct – there should be a ‘just coffee’ lineup so a body doesn’t have to wait for some dip spending ten minutes deciding between a cinnie bun or a butter tart. They’ll both give you a friggin heart attack, mister.
True, But it was Tim Horton’s that changed their service to Match themselves up against places like McDonald’s. Starbucks style of service remains the same as it has always been. The OP was criticizing the was Starbucks serves customers, and I was trying to illustrate the difference in styles. The Criticism about Tim Horton’s service is a whole other BITCH IMHO.But to the Original Poster, don’t forget that most Convenience Stores and Gas Stations also sell coffee, and there is rarely a large line-up there.
I don’t even drink coffee, but I do know that Starbucks offers benefits and, at least in Toronto, they paid more than minimum wage to their employees. If you don’t want to wait, you could also buy a coffee maker and thermos…just a thought.
Tim’s is owned by Wendy’s. What’s worse, an American company or a Canadian sellout? I’ll take the American, thanks! Funny, the “fat” guy at MacDonald’s in Sackville gets ridiculed for his choice to buy breakfast there in the morning but the minute someone mentions Starbucks people get all whipped into a frenzy over how “pretentious” it is. Fuck, there is no winning in Halifax!If you don’t like Starbucks, don’t go there, make your own damn coffee. I happen to love Starbucks and am amazed at how friendly their staff are but I know if I’m in a morning rush, I’m going to need an extra 10 minutes.
I am wondering if anyone is turning their pick-ups into coffee stands, there seems to be a huge market for coffee, :)! Local, privately-owned coffee vendors, :), dunno whether the city will issue the permit though! I mean, I saw some people selling hotdogs at Dal’s pavement. Maybe there are fines for offenders? I am just wondering why there aren’t start-ups, serving coffee and muffins.
Why the focus on national and international chains of coffee vendors? There are lots of localy owned and operated coffee shops in Halifax who will not only fix your itch, they’ll do it while keeping the money you spend in your community. Not to mention that you’ll receive service and product that are well above that offered by the big league operations.Some suggestions might be:Local Joe’s (north Oxford St.)Java Blend (North St.)Carlito’s (Quinpool)Common Grounds (South Park and Argyle)The Paper Chase (Blowers St.)and of course…..Steevo Reno’s (Brunswick St. and Robie St.)plus many more that deserve mentionAll the above businesses will provide you with fast, courtious service. If you purchase on a regular basis you’ll find the servers will be already preparing your drink of choice as soon as they see you enter the door. You’ll also find that if you have any concerns or complaints that a localy owned coffee shop will be far more attentive to your opinion. There is the additional bonus of knowing that the money you spend will, for the most part, remain in your community rather than be whisked out of the province and country to feed some faceless corporation’s executives and shareholders.Every time you spend your money you’re casting a vote in support of a business. Make your vote truely count by supporting those that support you, and give you good value and service in return.
Oh, and by the way….The only time that I ever go into a Starbucks is to check out what the world would look like if Hitler had of won WWII.
Fucking Coffee Nazi’s
Egon, you made a lot of going points. I agree that its always better to support local businesses over big corporate chains but I guess having worked in coffee shops all through uni, I became a bit of a coffee nazi and can’t handle when people don’t make my espresso the right way- packed too lightly or tightly=watery or bitter, unrinsed tools, burnt milk. I go to Starbucks because their machine dispenses the espresso- not so great but not much room for error. A lot of coffee shop employees don’t pride themselves on making great coffee like I did (but don’t know where it came from)- they get shitty pay, awful a.m. hours, maybe don’t genuinely care about great coffee, low tips. Aside from Cabin Coffee, I have never had a consistently good latte in Halifax, unless I made it myself. Geez, I am a coffee nazi- time for another!
opps good points!
There’s a fuckin Tim Hortons just down the street.
There’s a “fuckin” Tim Hortons down every street. What’s your point?
Buy your own coffee, coffee maker and save money making you’re own at home. It can be programmed so that you can wake up to a nice warm cup of coffee waiting for you to sip. It will cost you less than $1 per cup. You can make your own flavor that you like without waiting in line. I never understood this whole thing with paying $3 for a cup of coffee!
I agree with Egon, I walk by 5-10 coffee shops on my way through the downtown of Halifax every morning, which generally only have a few people in them. If you’re going to Starbucks, I know you are spending a fair amount of cash on your coffee, so you can easily find yourself a higher end shop with no lines, great service, and great coffee.
Theres only one place in Metro that serves Coffee, its called JAVA BLEND, 1.40 for a large and its roasted in the shop dailySHAME ON THE COAST READERS POLL FOR 2ND PLACE!@!!Tim hortons!, support a Canadian Franchise!! haha just like Wendy’s huh?