Starbucks closes to learn how to make coffee

People ride their bikes past a Starbucks store in Miami, Florida, on Monday. PHOTO: AFP

Americans to cope without blended Frappuccino and blueberry coffee cake for a few hours yesterday as Starbucks shut its 7,100 company-owned stores for a nationwide barista training session.

Starbucks Howard Schultz had ordered the unprecedented three-hour afternoon closure as part of an effort to improve coffee quality and revive the chain's flagging fortunes.

And prompted frenzied action by competitors hoping to snatch Starbucks customers. Dunkin' Donuts declared yesterday a cut-price coffee day with prices slashed to US$0.99 so that "no coffee lover is denied a delicious espresso-based beverage."

During the session, Starbucks' baristas were to get a "hands-on espresso training experience."

In a letter to staff, Schultz said: "Starbucks partners will have an opportunity to connect and deepen their passion for coffee with the ultimate goal of transforming the customer experience."

Schultz, the architect of Starbucks' growth during the 1990s, returned to hands-on management last month after shareholder unrest triggered the departure of chief executive Jim Donald.

"I'm not sure why it's going to take them three hours to learn how to press a button."

Mike Perry, owner of Coffee Klatch, a Los Angeles chain

The company's shares dived 42 percent last year on signs that consumers were falling out of love with Starbucks. Investors were alarmed by figures showing a 1 percent fall in the average number of transactions per store.

In a raft of changes aimed at restoring momentum, Starbucks is cutting 600 jobs, introducing free wireless Internet connection and axing hot breakfast sandwiches, which were criticized for interfering with the aroma of coffee.

Shultz he wanted to restore an "emotional connection" with customers. But the shutdown was mocked by independent coffee stores that had long suffered under the shadow of Starbucks.

Coffee Klatch, a small Los Angeles outfit, said it would offer free coffee to all customers while its bigger rival goes dark.

"I'm not sure why it's going to take them three hours to learn how to press a button," said Coffee Klatch's owner, Mike Perry, who described his own beverages as "expertly crafted" in contrast to Starbucks' machines.

Britain's Starbucks outlets was not affected by the closure. The chain's international stores are faring better than those in the US.