It's no secret that Starbucks isn't cheap.
And if you're thinking about also getting something to eat, you can plan on shelling
out at least 10 to 20 bucks.
There's an old saying - you get what you pay for - that you'd hope would apply here, but
according to Starbucks employees and managers, that's not the case.
When asked about the food at Starbucks, one Redditor and former Starbucks employee said,
"All Starbucks food is reheated frozen food.
[…] Doesn't mean it doesn't taste good, it's just not fresh at all and incredibly
overpriced."
Another Redditor volunteered a little insight into Starbucks' entire marketing plan, developed
to keep customers happy with their pastries, claiming,
"[Pastries are] thawed overnight.
The warming is so you feel better about paying $3 for a single f---ing cookie instead of
going to the grocery store across the parking lot and paying the same price for a dozen."
"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision making ability
whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee."
Of course, you expect to pay for convenience - that's why fast food is so popular - but
Starbucks has always marketed themselves as above your average McDonald's Dollar Menu.
That may be true of their coffee, but when it comes to pastries, you're definitely not
getting anything baked fresh in store.
Another Redditor confirmed,
"Everything is frozen and comes in individually wrapped packages.
Pastries are taken out of the freezer the day before to thaw overnight.
Same with sandwiches, except those are put in the walk-in fridge."
Other commenters asked a very legitimate question: How do they do it so well?
We all know that frozen pastries and bread don't taste like they're fresh, so how is
this such a well-kept secret?
According to The Daily Meal, Starbucks offerings have to taste good, of course, but they also
have to be made in a way that accounts for the fact they're going to be frozen, transported,
thawed, and possibly re-heated — if you're the kind of person that likes a warm biscuit
sandwich.
So Starbucks has strict controls in place all along the line, to guarantee pastries
go from factory to freezer to store in the most efficient way possible.
"What I like about the popular cheese danish is that they don't indicate what kind of cheese
this is, it's just like cheese.”
Still, slips happen.
Foods aren't packaged properly, trucks break down, and people get distracted.
So how can you be sure that your $4 pastry hasn't been thawed out and refrozen a few
times before it reaches your hands?
Well, just like anywhere else… you can't!
Starbucks has also partnered with a range of small businesses to make their products
available in stores.
Surely, the local offerings are fresh, right?
Not so fast.
Bon Appetit spoke with Meghan Ritchie of Megpies, who started out making her jam-filled pastries
for a food fair booth.
They were super fresh and labor-intensive - and when Starbucks approached her, things
had to change.
Now, Ritchie contracts with a "co-manufacturer" she won't name, who makes Megpies on a large
scale, flash freezes them, and ships them to various Starbucks locations that thaw them
as needed.
If you're still jonesing for a pastry along with your coffee, consider this Redditor,
who warns:
"Never get a pastry on a Friday.
It has been on the shelf for a week, and it tastes like stale death."
Others were quick to point out that pastries do in fact have a shelf life.
But that isn't what some customers want when they're paying top dollar for a muffin.
One Redditor shared,
"Once a customer overheard me telling a new barista the pastry shelf lives.
[She] stopped me and asked, 'Do you mean to say that this danish could be two days old??'
[…] It was two weeks old before it came in the door, please calm down."
So should this global brand be more transparent about their baked goods, or have they already
been forgiven?
At least now, if you want to order the food at Starbucks, you'll know exactly what you're
getting - and it's probably not "your money's worth."
"Coffee on me.
Ladies and gentlemen, free coffee and donuts and danish and bagels, anything you want,
on me, I got it.”
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