Blog of Mick » Starbucks

All You Need is Love, Part 2

Mick — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:35:57 +0000

So apparently all around the world today, people are gathering at Starbucks to sing the Beatles song ‘All You Need is Love.’ Their hope is to change the world and make it a better place.
Although love is a good thing, I wish that people would realize that love is not sufficient unless God is involved.

Read a little more about what Starbucks did this morning here: http://news.starbucks.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=303

Interesting Experience

Mick — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:49:23 +0000

As many of you know, I used to work for Starbucks back in Cincinnati (Northern Kentucky to be exact). My store had many regular visitors, so we got to know about 30% of the people on a first name basis. The community was great.

One of the frequenters was named Joe. He was a very timid guy who always just got a cup of coffee. After several visits and conversations, I discovered the reason he only drank coffee was because he didn’t know what everything else was. And like myself, he did not want to spend $4 on something he may not enjoy.

So one night I gave him an americano for free just to see if he liked it. Being such a big coffee drinker, the americano suited him just right, and this became his drink of choice from then on.

Because of these events we actually talked more. One night he came up to me and thanked me for my kindness and wanted to return the favor sometime. He said that he offers entertainment for parties, and if I ever needed anything to just call the number on his card. As he slid his business card to me, the first thing I saw was, “Girls! Girls! Girls!” That’s right. He owned a stripper business.

I found the situation to be quite hilarious. There I was, a recent Bible College graduate getting handed a business card from a manager of a stripping company. Looking back, however, I wish I had more of these encounters. As awkward as the situation was, that is exactly what Jesus would have done.

“This man receives sinners and eats with them.” -Luke 15:2

I want to meet more people like Joe. We all should. But how will you go about building a relationship with such people? I’ve been wrestling with the idea of playing music at local bars. Maybe that will be my avenue.

4:00am

Mick — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:25:17 +0000

On days I open for Starbucks, my alarm wakes me at 4:00am. We are scheduled to arrive at 4:30, giving us half an hour to prepare for the day. Every morning I awake to slave myself away, I always say to myself, “God did not intend man to wake up this early.”

The thought is followed by another which reminds of the purpose for working there: insurance. Someday it will pay off, especially once we have a child. I know that when that baby is in my arms, all the hours spent making lattes and frappachinos will be well worth it.

At least Starbucks is an enjoyable experience. Not to many places are as fun to work for (at least in retail), which is rather unfortunate. If you hate your job, what’s holding you back from finding something better?

The Lack of Posting

Mick — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:01:38 +0000

I have been slacking, to say the least. Blogging has been set on the back-burner and other things have been taking precedence in my life. My hand-written journal, of which I usually post every other day, has even experienced some neglect as of recent. Let me state my case.

Starbucks is great, but it really takes away from my weekly routine. Granted, I work from about 4:30 to 10:00am, so my daily schedule is not interrupted. However, waking up at four in the morning requires me to go to bed around nine or ten so that I can be responsive and productive when coming to the office. I love the job, so do not get me wrong.

Going to three services has proven to be more of a work load than originally anticipated. I thought my part was going to be the easiest of them all, but that is simply not the case. For one, I am trying to make everything that happens behind the scenes run on a higher level. Doing so requires many hours of research and experimentation. We are getting there, but have a ways to go. Another great thing that has consumed time is starting up a youth band. Not easy work.

Lastly, most of my free time that is not been spent with my wife or visiting friends and family has been consumed by playing Final Fantasy IV on my Nintendo DS. Yes, a video game. Great game, great story. It is like reading a good book.

There. I have finally posted again. No, this is not a complaint. I love what happens in my life, but like I said above, blogging is on the back-burner for now. At least you know what my life looks like as recent.

I am a Snob

Mick — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:42:00 +0000

As you can see below, I have started to work for Starbucks once again. With the job comes an array of coffee knowledge and a taste palate trained for discerning notes in the drink. You could compare it to a wine connoisseur who knows the in and outs of each brew. It’s amazing how many different flavors you can find in a single cup of coffee.

My snobbery of coffee, however, is returning. The coffee of which I am drinking this morning is not appeasing what-so-ever, and is actually somewhat difficult to gulp. Canned coffee in a drip pot to fresh ground coffee in a french press is like Long John Silver’s to Red Lobster. There is simply no comparison.

I am grateful that Rhonda makes coffee for the office every morning. It is not her fault that this is not great coffee, it is just the nature of it. In the weeks to come I hope to provide this place with some good, fresh ground beans that are palatable.

About two months had passed before I could get used to drinking non-gourmet coffee, and it seems as if I have entered into the same mindset once again. It is something I both hate and love. I hate it because this severely limits the coffee I enjoy. I love it because I enjoy the coffee. What is this world coming to?

Starbucks: Round Two

Mick — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:03:09 +0000

Yesterday marked the start of my second go at Starbucks. I am re-entering a world of coffee, community, and great benefits. The company is great to work for, which is part of the reason for going back. Starbucks will be augmenting my current position at Crossroads, not replacing.

Why go back? I actually have a couple reasons. First and foremost is the fact they offer great benefits. Christine and myself want to have good insurance. And good insurance means bigger family… at least that is what we are hoping. Hopefully we will not get surprised like Matt has in the recent months. Plus, having a free pound of coffee every week is a great thing to receive.

Second, the community that a coffee shop creates is something I want to be a part of. You really get to know the regulars and make friends with people you would otherwise not even meet. Sometimes I wonder how we could create a similar community at Crossroads. Starbucks tries to become the ‘third place,’ which pretty much means the third place someone goes other than work and home. Someday we could have that kind of environment, but it will take lots of money and lots of planning to get there.

Hopefully this does not wear me down. This will be my first time taking on two jobs at once (at least to this magnitude). I have a feeling it will be much like when I was in college full-time while working 30+ hours a week. Everything should go well, however, and I have little worries.

So if you are ever driving on Jefferson St. in Joliet, stop by and see if I am working. I enjoy seeing people whom I all ready know.

Coffee and Rain

Mick — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:52:41 +0000

Today, the rain is falling. Days like this are always great days to enjoy nice cup of coffee and read a book. In fact, that exact thing is one of my favorite things to do. It roots back to my days working at Starbucks in Newport, KY. I would often show up a couple hours before my shift started so that I could sit outside in the rain (under an overhang) with a great beverage. I miss those days.

Unfortunately our apartment does not offer the same kind of protection from the rain like my old store. Settling for an open window will have to do until I own a front porch. Here is a haiku representing such a great day.

the rain is falling
lovely day for fresh coffee
time to sit outside