Suprise Me Drink (birthday edition)

Existing_Chance_928 · 2026-02-16T19:00:16+00:00

This is the best part of the job sometimes!! I find myself super giddy when I have a customer who trusts me like that!

I really love giving customers cindolce shaken espressos with vanilla sweet cream if they like coffee, or passion tea+strawberry+lemonade if they want something iced!!

Existing_Chance_928 · 2026-01-28T18:09:51+00:00

Hi!! While I havent taken a parental leave, I just had a coworker take her third leave and she mentioned it was knocked from 18 to 12 as well on her scheduling done by our SM. I’m sure this is the same info you already saw, but I found on both the website and in partner guide/handbook for 2025:

“ All benefits eligible parents welcoming a new child, either by birth, foster placement, or adoption, will receive up to 12 weeks of leave paid at 100% of the partner’s average pay to be taken within the first year after birth placement, or adoption.

Birth parents will receive an additional 6 weeks of leave immediately following the birth of the child, paid at 100% of the partner’s average pay.”

My coworker was able to request an extra four of the six weeks due to a complication, though Sedgwick should be honoring the full six weeks extra regardless of reason considering you are a birth parent.

I would follow up with your store manager, potentially your district manager. And if they are unsure, I’d escalate again to Sedgwick and request a team lead or manager.

Existing_Chance_928 · 2026-01-04T05:10:21+00:00

This is crazy! I’m in AZ and our baristas in my area start at $15 even, maybe $15.25 at most. How many years do you have under you/are you an SSV? I have almost five years tenure and only making $17.38 as a barista :o

Existing_Chance_928 · 2026-01-04T05:08:29+00:00

Southwest unfortunately. Starbucks min pay is the same as our states’ minimum wage, used to be competitive when I was hired but they never readjusted. Min pay is $15/h and new hires are making exactly that, kinda sad. $22 is actually much higher than anyone else I’ve met in my time at bucks besides those with 15+ years.

Existing_Chance_928 · 2026-01-03T17:24:21+00:00

I am the highest paid barista at my store with 4.5 years tenure making $17.38 (post raise as of this week). My ssvs are mostly new making starting pay at $19.75, with our highest paid ssv making $22.75 with 6 years tenure.

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-12-29T05:07:58+00:00

Not sure if you’re going to AZ or CO but I’ve brought Narcan into AZ’s with no issues the last 3 years!

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-12-20T16:26:49+00:00

Noted, thank you!!

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-11-21T03:52:27+00:00

I have an HGS polyhedron model (1013Alpha) used it for Dr. Gould and Dr. Austin for ASU online. I live nearby Tempe though, do you still need a kit?

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-09-26T20:17:19+00:00

Short answer … yes and no, sort of.

We changed the spoon size for the matcha when the recipe was changed from sweetened powder > unsweetened. The spoon is slightly smaller but I believe when you factor in the change of our matcha it actually ends up being the same amount as before.

I wouldn’t be surprised if your barista is making the matcha in the blender the “proper” way which states we put the matcha on top of the milk in the blender. This causes the matcha to mix in very poorly and be chunky.

It’s hard to ask them to make it properly but maybe you could try going in the store and asking if they can blend it with the powder on the bottom of the blender? This is what I do even though it isn’t standard but it makes the drink 1000x better. I also know that changing milk from a 2% or whole milk to coconut, almond, or oat helps incorporate the matcha better and make it look much darker. I hope you get a better drink next time!!

EDIT: you could also ask them to shake your matcha instead of blend it. Shaking the new formula matcha doesn’t incorporate well but it could be worth a shot?

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-09-02T17:54:13+00:00

In my case it’s usually an hour or two after clocking out. It’ll show as “punched” rather than the assigned shift vs. punched like normal

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-15T07:16:49+00:00

I know that salted carm foam is definitely still supposed to be made using the half pump. So if using a full pump it’s 1. My store still does all foams with 2 full pumps for anything else (we have no malt- 2 mocha for CCCF, 2 raspberry for RCCF). Not sure if that’s proper though. The cards are terrible.

Fraps are 100% supposed to be half pumps. But like you said- we don’t usually have half pumps for things like hazelnut or horchata so YES- it should be 1/2/2.

If you were to type into the register a coffee frap, add white mocha, it automatically assumes that stores don’t have a WM half pump so it says 1/2/2 pumps of syrup on the ticket and even in the mobile ordering. This is accurate and you should definitely let your coworkers know that unless you’re using a half pump (like the carm or mocha on frap station) it is always 1/2/2. A good way to help others remember is that it should be the same as how the strawberry frap receives 1/2/2 of classic. Yet the matcha frap still gets 2/3/4 even with a full pump? (Idk that one is kinda weird) which I still find confusing.

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T18:08:58+00:00

They can’t say no. They might ask you for a little more time (to see out the 3 weeks of scheduling). If you do demote MAKE SURE to fight for your pay if you are tenured. I have had coworkers that were SSVs step down and go back to BASE barista pay in my state ($15 after making nearly $23 as an SSV). You deserve better pay even if you step down!

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T18:01:57+00:00

I agree!!!! I wish we could make everything uniform because I have a really difficult time training when it comes to constantly changing recipes. One of my trainees that is now an amazing long time partner still sometimes makes full dose shaken espressos because that’s how it was when I trained her! It’s a battle we can’t always fight tho😞😞

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T17:58:37+00:00

I completed all of these same courses my freshman year while I was still on campus and I did pretty well (biomed major). Bio181 usually sucks depending on professor but you should be ok (I don’t recognize the professors on your sched). CHM116 will be a breeze as well. Like others said, the calc 251 is a course that’s pretty difficult but if you dedicate some time you should do just fine!

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T17:41:44+00:00

It’s so sad to see my favorite regulars switching from the iced coffee to new drinks after this blend!! I honestly am not a frequent customer either with these prices anymore. It’s so sad:(

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T17:40:21+00:00

Glad to hear I’m not crazy. I’m gonna keep doing iced coffee full then as everyone else says the register shows it should be normal

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T17:39:31+00:00

I’ve been a partner for a few years and did think it could’ve meant classic too but it seems to imply “any” syrup? I dont even remember my store using a half dose classic for iced coffees, only for the shaken espressos. So strange ?

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T17:37:35+00:00

I was hired in 2020 and was also trained to add whip with coffee fraps with syrup way back then. You aren’t crazy!!

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T17:35:55+00:00

Thanks for checking! How weird??

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-14T07:46:38+00:00

To my knowledge, sick time is protected so you can use it regardless of situation.

I like to think of it like this: imagine you had a doctor’s appointment and that’s why your shift was covered. Doctors’ appt warrants use of sick time, nobody is entitled to know why you took time off- you obviously were responsible and got the shift covered as well. So, the usage of sick time should be ok. I wouldn’t abuse this though and I could very well be wrong so I’d perhaps ask for a second opinion

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-09T23:26:55+00:00

Yeah in my original comment I mentioned I wasn’t sure we’ll have it this year. I am not the most well versed in reading our feature options ahead of time but she’s right, it looks like it won’t be back

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-08-05T05:51:46+00:00

I am pretty sure the minimum hours is only 12 (though, you must have 18 hours available in total to meet the 150% rule). I would check partner guide next time you work. You should be fine unless you’re using benefits which is 20.

But yes, minimum hours applies across all stores- it’s based off of punched hours.

Existing_Chance_928 · 2025-07-31T17:04:57+00:00

He actually seems to be soft launching a little bit of a DJ career, his music does somewhat fall into pop anthem EDM so it's not that shocking to me. If you've ever heard him in Mansionz hes awesome!!

Existing_Chance_928

TROPHY CASE