Starbucks Closing for 3 Hours Today??? Who's going to Dunkin Donuts!
 

Coffee break for Starbucks' 135,000 baristas

Coffee chain to close all 7,100 stores for employee training. Dunkin' Donuts offers 99 cent promotion.


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Warning to Starbucks junkies who usually get a fix on their way home from work: You're out of luck on Tuesday.

Starbucks, which last week announced 600 layoffs, plans to temporarily close its 7,100 U.S. stores on Tuesday for three hours of employee training.

The coffee chain said the in-store training program which will begin at 5:30 p.m. local time, would foster enthusiasm in its 135,000 U.S. employees and improve the quality of drinks made by Starbucks baristas.

"We believe that this is a bold demonstration of our commitment to our core and a reaffirmation of our coffee leadership," said chief executive Howard Schultz in a statement.

Stores that normally stay open beyond 8:30 p.m. will resume service after the training session is finished.

But for those who still need their afternoon dose of caffeine, there is a cheap alternative.

Dunkin' Donuts - "to ensure that no coffee lover is denied a delicious espresso-based beverage" - announced that it will offer small lattes, cappuccinos or espresso drinks for a promotional price of 99 cents on Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) has seen rising competition from privately-held Dunkin' Donuts and McDonalds (MCD, Fortune 500) recently, and welcomed founder Schultz back as CEO in January after a lackluster performance by the company in the latter half of 2007

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/25/news...ex.htm?cnn=yes

Yea, I saw that at my Starbucks, but I just thought it was that one store. Interesting

there was just a segment on cnbc about it

i dont drink starbucks coffee often anyway. Im a DD fan

:thumbsup

Wonder how much that is costing them. Plus the three hours they are paying all employees to clock in.

I have a coffee shop across the street that I frequent on a daily basis. so no big lose to me.

I find it hard to believe that there are only 7,100 starbucks

I know, thats what I was thinking too. I know about 30 Starbucks locations off the top of my head that are near my house.

nice siggy moeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Moe, put the coffee cup down!!

bugaboooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tanks AirDawg!

Haha... no shit! I live in a relatively small area and it seems there are 7,100 of them here.

Good thing I love starbucks. We do not have dunkin donuts. I did buy some of their ground coffee a the grocery store for my coffee maker and it was very good.

really good move to improve their service and get some free pr and people talking about them

Starbucks is why people are losing their homes to foreclosure. hehe

:1orglaugh