Starbucks Re-Imagined
Hello again! While I originally intended for this blog to serve as a review for local cafe’s in Pennsylvania, I would also be doing you all a disservice if I did not acknowledge the one consistent coffee shop in my life, Starbucks. Starbucks has had its fair share of controversy, and it has also proven to be a consistent and safe place for me as a girl with several food allergens. Today I will not only be giving my general thoughts on Starbucks and their coffee products; I will also share my experience dining in with a reusable mug. That’s right - Starbucks has brought back the use of mugs and glassware when you choose to dine inside their café.
Today I was hoping to shop at one of my favorite local boutiques, Prussian Street Arcade. However, I was reminded that they are closed on Mondays when I went to open the door. Thus, I made a pivot towards the nearest Starbucks. Laptop in hand, I snagged a table near the window and decided that this was the day I would try their in store service. For today’s rating, I am choosing to use a siren “🧜🏼♀️” as it is a part Starbuck’s official logo. According to google, “The ‘siren’ in the Starbucks logo is a two-tailed mermaid, inspired by a 16th-century Norse woodcut, and is a metaphor for the allure of coffee, representing the brand's connection to the sea and Seattle.” In honor of this week’s coffee shop, ratings will be out of 🧜🏼♀️’s (1 out of 5).
The evolution of the Starbucks Logo. In 1971, the first logo was created by Terry Hekcler. The brown logo was inspired by a woodcut of a mythical sea creature, the siren. In 1987, the logo was redesigned as Starbucks underwent rebranding, With a new focus on just coffee, the siren’s nudity was covered with hair and the words “tea and spices” were removed. In 1992 Starbucks rebranded yet again, this time with a subtle difference. In both the earlier logos you can clearly see the Siren’s distinct two tail feature. The new iteration of the Starbucks logo features a zoomed in depiction of the siren. Finally, in 2011 Starbucks underwent their most significant logo change to the one we see in our stores today. Starbucks removed all lettering from their logo and instead opted for a simple depiction of its iconic siren.
My typical Starbucks order is a venti mocha with whipped cream. However, in order to keep this blog consistent, I opted for a grande mocha as a venti is significantly larger than most “large mochas". Part of why I enjoy Starbucks is because I know what to expect. It is very rare that my order tastes significantly different from one location to the next.
COST: 🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️
The goal is to find good coffee under $6; we were just under this week! At $5.65 for a 16 ounces of mocha, I am very pleased. By ordering in house i also received a whopping amount of whipped cream, which is always a plus!
SERVICE: 🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️
I cam around 10:30 am, so I thought that I would be skipping the morning coffee rush…I was wrong. It took about two minutes before my order was taken, despite being the only person physically standing in line. Grated, I could not tell how many cars were queued in the drive through, and once i was helped it was a pleasant experience. The nature of Starbucks is welcoming, but never to the extent that a local café will be. For this reason, this Starbucks earned 4 out of 5 🧜🏼♀️’s.
TASTE: 🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️
For some reason, today’s drink was a bit more bitter than I was expecting, That being said, I still drank every last drop. I am curious though, is it possible for your taste buds to change over time? Recently I experienced a period of not wanting to drink coffee at all! I know - SCARY!
VIBES: 🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️
I think I was spoiled with my Starbucks experiences in college, because the vibes were not what I was going for. The atmosphere was physically great and the decor was beautiful. It clearly served its purpose for other patrons as every table was taken. However, it was not the calm yet inspiring environment that i am used to writing essays in. Maybe I just need to redefine my Starbucks expectations, or find a different Starbucks in Lancaster County that better fits my vibe. That is to say, when I come here for a drive through experience, it is always pleasant. I just can’t say that I truly enjoyed my sit down experience — other than the large amount of whipped cream ;)
ALLERGIC REACTION: 🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️🧜🏼♀️ none!
Okay - so this rating is interesting. I was also feeling a bit hungry, so I ordered my usual apple croissant. However, it did not taste normal. It was almost like it was heated up next to a bagel. My confidence in this Starbucks immediately plummeted, but I stayed strong for my drink. I thankfully did NOT have an allergic reaction, but the moment of uncertainty that I expereinced at a tried and true establishment dropped the rating to 3 🧜🏼♀️’s.
Grande Mocha with Extra Whip!
