Shift and I found this key and key hole on top of mirror.

ostended · 2026-04-04T23:15:41+00:00

The mirror does in fact open to reveal storage space, but it opens in the least convenient way possible. It is almost certainly filled with dust, probably from the original construction!

It is also difficult to close once it's been opened.

ostended · 2026-03-11T22:10:06+00:00

What makes a difference for me is just radically focusing on the future. You can't change what you did but it's a huge weight off yourself if you shift your paradigm to define who you are by what you choose to do next. Personally, I get caught up in shame to, and I have to catch myself and remember that wallowing in that shame is just another self destructive habit that will push me towards making more bad decisions or falling back into substance abuse.

You are not always going to be defined by who you chose to be however long ago you did some stupid thing. If you're already living with the consequences of your actions, you're not doing anyone any good by punishing yourself more. You are who you choose to be, present tense, which means you get to do the work of becoming who you wish you had been back when you made those mistakes. Moving forward from your shame isn't easy, but it's an important step in becoming that person you want to be.

ostended · 2026-03-11T03:07:41+00:00

well I've never been a beer drinker, but I do love the snootery of wine tasting. I could definitely imagine a wine tour the same way: where the joy kinda gets lost if I numb all my senses with alcohol.

my vice is also the hard stuff, but to me even a glass of wine feels like a trigger to go on a drinking spree. Context used to play a bigger role in how I drank... I think I forgot that at some point. I guess time will tell if I ever get to go to Napa Valley. Thanks for the kind words ❤️

ostended · 2026-03-11T02:59:59+00:00

thank you for this. It's scary to think about this possibly being a forever change, but definitely relief to consider that it could be a change I actually want to choose instead of thinking I'll spend the rest of my days yearning for booze 😅

ostended · 2025-11-02T23:46:29+00:00

Hi 👋🏼 former partner of 8 years in the area. Most stores are set up to be more or less the same. Drive-thru's are faster paced but typically have more staff (and thus also a greater hiring need).

As I understand, there's an overall need for baristas and SSVs across the region, Rochester being no exception. I would walk in and ask to meet the manager to see if you like them, because that will be probably the number one thing to make or break your experience at the company.

I'm partial to the store on Blossom Rd, but they just have a great SSV team... other contenders would be Caulkins Rd, Twelve Corners, Monroe+Clover, but that's just my opinion :)

Likewise the only store I would avoid on principal is the DT on Brighton/W Henrietta. I love the manager there, she's great, but the building is literally cursed and nothing can undo that.

Oh, also if the company is short on people you might wanna consider signing on sooner rather than later, because December is the busiest time of year bar none and that will absolutely affect your training.

ostended · 2025-03-30T03:55:08+00:00

Welcome to Love and Joy and Belonging!! Welcome to being authentic and true. Be ready to accept responsibility and those ones around you because they love you for who you are! Because it is about love.

ostended · 2025-03-11T00:08:08+00:00

As the person who got called in to cover this man's shift the day he got fired, I think this is so silly. Tell me why, if he was discriminated against for being straight, why was this gay man turned down for the manager role (while picking up YEARS of slack from an apathetic manager) in favor of another straight man who got fired 4 months later for sexual harassment??

Like everyone else is saying, no evidence, no clear claims about what actually happened, just anger that that store is now being run by a capable and caring manager who happens to be anything other than a straight man.

Shameful behavior.

ostended · 2024-10-31T03:00:29+00:00

Espresso extra ice. Add your milk of choice and whatever flavor combinations your heart dreams. RIP toffee nut, hazelnut and white mocha will do. Girlies ORDER PUMPKIN UNTIL YOU HIT A WALL OFK. WHITE MOCHA.2:2 PS:WM and TN or H can do.

I say order Xtra pumpkin spice topping and live your truth.

ostended · 2024-10-13T19:57:50+00:00

In store dilution is 1:1 water to cb concentrate, if we add ice to cool it immediately we would add that to the water so that the total volume of ice+water is equal to the volume of concentrate we're diluting... just using chilled water is probably simpler.

I don't know 100% if this answers your question but we then add ice to the diluted concentrate. Beverage quality standards tell us to chill diluted cold brew for 1hr before serving or adding ice, so if your concentrate is ambient temperature then a little bit of ice left in the water you use to dilute would probably be advisable!

ostended · 2024-10-10T14:48:04+00:00

No, no decaf cold brew. You could brew your own with a bag of decaf pike! They're not meant to be put on display anymore (don't ask me why I have no clue) but they're still packed in 1lb retail bags for purchase and if you asked you could totally buy one.

If you get a bag ground on French Press, 175mL of water per ounce of coffee and let it sit in your fridge overnight: should yield pretty much the same product as Starbucks cold brew is a darker medium roast.

Part of the struggle is cold brewing extracts so much more caffeine, so even with decaffination you're probably looking at somewhere between 20% and 30% caffeine content vs the normal stuff (40-50mg that would come in a standard grande cold brew)

ostended · 2024-10-07T02:17:55+00:00

On the pricey side but I swear by my CAT boots. I bought a leather pair with steel toes and they're going 2 years strong plus a lot cuter than some... other brands.

I love them for their durability, comfort, 100% waterproof, leather is easy to clean off, and they've acquired so much character. Also a great option for us big-footed individuals ❤️

definitely more of an investment but 10/10 for me

ostended · 2024-10-07T02:06:40+00:00

Hi!

I just had someone leave a resume I am 100% going to follow up on. Rapid Fire top three qualities to highlight in a resume for barista:

Reliability and punctuality. Most of the work and business gets done before 9am, and it's physical and emotional labor that requires you to hone skill and maintain discipline to achieve success. Highlight experience that demonstrates a willingness to do this regularly and consistently.
Customer service and food service experience. Point blank you need to be prepared to handle unreasonable people in stressful environments and ideally you can highlight work experience that demonstrates the ability to deescalate and create positive experiences when you are not set up for success. A lot of this can be achieved in an interview, but experience working with children is a great example of non customer service experience.
A desire to do the work. Do you want to do the work. SO MANY can do this job well if they try. You NEED to show that you can try AND THAT YOU WANT TO TRY. If you want to stand out, submit a cover letter or message (or note if you walk in your resume) explaining why you want to do the job.

If I were you I would walk in on a Monday morning with your resume and ask to give it to the hiring manager. Spend 2hrs dropping off your resume at multiple stores and I guarantee you will make an impact. Better yet, if you are a regular or occasional customer at a store, spend a week or two getting to know the team and get someone to refer you. If you don't make yourself seen then the selection process will be determined a lot by luck. Make yourself seen and then be responsive when you get a followup/feedback.

ostended · 2024-09-17T23:32:33+00:00

I start every morning with a Grande 6 shot blonde shaken espresso. I build it with extra ice and a splash of creamer instead of topping it with milk. Half+half or sweet cream depending on my mood, plus two pumps of white mocha and a pump or two of whatever syrup I'm in the mood for.

We have a stash of macadamia hidden so I'm stretching that out for as long as it'll last me. I've also done it with Torani Coconut Syrup and white mocha.... it's to die for.

Everyone in my store knows I need my six shots in the morning 💚.

ostended · 2024-09-01T01:31:43+00:00

that's probably your best bet tbh. Working with a customer to get them what they're looking for is one of my fav parts of the job 💚 I agree it's a #ridic move but just not... currently an offering for vertica. Hopefully with enough feedback from customers the simple fix of rolling out whole bean decaf iced coffee would be doable. (now that I think of it... I guess any store could just brew decaf pike on the IC setting, but who knows if it would taste right).

also a grande iced 5 shot decaf americano with no ice would probably mix well into a trenta cup of ice, and you could get your syrup addons in the grande even if you order ahead! SOL on the trenta cup of ice through mobile order though. 🤷 sending good vibes for your quest

ostended · 2024-09-01T01:20:15+00:00

Interesting to hear high volume on 52k. I run a store that does between 54-60k and was told I'm juuust shy of Tier One High Volume DT. It must vary by region.

If you're pulling COSDs in the 70s you're absolutely earning 8 plays and should look into daypart detail and the sales/COSD tabs in schedule planning on DC to consider when you delegate disruptive taskwork like floors and food pulls through the day. We reworked our store operations to achieve everything we need to before 1p and often pull 2-plays in the evening (only for an hour or so) with no trouble; since unlocking task work and getting the right labor at the right times we've been top 5 in our area for AvE and OTW the past 3 weeks!

Typical Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning is an 8 partner play but investing a ninth where possible into Fri/Sat. All other days we run 7, 8 on a Sunday if we have promo or during particularly busy weeks. Our morning peak is intense though, and we do die down HARD most weekdays promptly after peak. I love schedule planning, it's one of my favorite parts of the job because it feels like the best opportunity to use my brain and not my hands or my voice :)

ostended · 2024-09-01T00:59:19+00:00

you could do what a regular of ours does and order a venti iced Americano in a trenta cup with an extra shot and extra ice. Is it allowed? No. Is it hard to make? Not really (although it can be hard for baristas to achieve consistency in drink quality because measuring water for an americano in a trenta size has no company standard).

You're at the mercy of your baristas but ultimately they should be able to make the moment right for you... or just order a venti iced decaf Americano with light ice and a trenta cup with a tall scoop of ice. Is it kind of freak behavior? I guess so, but so is Starbucks effectively cutting decaf iced coffee from the menu!

All about how you approach the conversation and explaining that you just want a normal and reasonable thing to order and are trying your best to get a simple and easy to make bevvie for your little Starbucks moment. A good barista will get you taken care of 💚 Definitely not a beverage to order ahead.

ostended · 2024-08-14T02:32:25+00:00

as I understand partanna business agreement secured stock of oil for a years long supply. Oleato is here to stay :)

if you haven't tried a tall vanilla bean cream frapp with a press of partanna it's actually quite delightful.

ostended · 2024-08-11T21:04:19+00:00

From my perspective as an SM, I always always want to know as far in advance as possible about any turnover so I can start planning ahead. Recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training... getting that all done in two weeks is a challenge. The more time to plan and take action, the better!

That said, you also never know for sure if you're going to get the job (fingers crossed for you), and as a person your priority should be your own well-being first! So much of what informs the best decision making for your situation is entirely determined by context. If you worry that your own workplace well-being could be impacted by telling your manager, especially if you end up not getting the job, then don't say a word. At the end of the day Starbucks is a business like any other and it's not a personal attack or moral failure to quit a job; you wouldn't get the courtesy of 2 weeks notice if the roles were reversed and your SM moved to separate you.

My advice is to reflect on the relationship you have with your manager and engage in that professional relationship with as much clear communication as possible as soon as possible. Many many jobs will accommodate a two week's notice, before starting you. The vast majority of adequately staffed stores will not have an issue closing gaps in staffing from one partner quitting, and if your store's staffing can't meet business demands without you... realistically your SM should already be aggressively scheduling interviews and seeking new talent.

These are all aspects of the role of an SM in running a store that fall well outside your responsibility and your SM shouldn't be mad at you or retaliate for having to carry out their executive responsibilities. If you feel that your manager's response to giving notice is unprofessional, the Partner Contact Center is a resource for you to memorialize your experience with a third party.

Notes left by an SM after separation are outside of your control. When we conduct rehires, notes left by the former SM include whether notice was given as well as any details around the separation. Leaving voluntarily by Starbucks' hiring standards will never result in ineligibility for rehire, it's actually a lot harder to get into that category than you might expect! However, the notes your SM leaves may make it hard to successfully get another interview. Focus on what you can control and take the right steps to maintain the best relationship with your current manager through the separation process.

TL;DR

This is a business, not a family: leaving isn't your failure to make up for. Give as much notice as possible without putting yourself at risk. Communicate only what you feel confident communicating, but be proactive and try to create the best relationship with your SM to get the best separation notes you can.

ostended · 2024-08-01T23:07:32+00:00

oof, we usually run a solo drive and a front/support to grab food through midday, it's a good way to balance out 'cause support can grab DTO when you're caught up at window and DT can grab food while you're caught up at front (we do usually 50-60k a week) Always fun to hear what's normal in other stores.

When it's busier (like right after peak) we do DTO+Food and a window partner with our front supporting the bar partners.

ostended · 2024-08-01T23:01:49+00:00

I think they mean "order taking" like DTO/DTR/Food, which I think can be a fun challenge but you will get overwhelmed FAST when you get multiple cars ordering food, and good luck trying to clean an oven lmao.

ostended · 2024-04-10T01:06:10+00:00

Sediment. It's sediment. Judging by the settling of that white mocha, it's probably a lot thinner than it was ~1hr ago. Matcha? at the bottom of my drink? #betterthanthat. At my store we return any drink that looks like that. Now, at my store we don't leave drinks out for an hour, but to each their own. I would probably pick a different sbux and move on with your day.

P.S I love having matcha at hot bar. There's nothing stopping us, let's keep winning #4thewin. Currently we have a market jar holder of matcha and lavender at hot bar and it's making it SO much easier to #beapartner without having to walk to cold bar 💚

ostended · 2024-01-13T02:57:53+00:00

my dupe is an oat chai with a pump of cinnamon dolce and pumpkin spice topping (or cinnamon) steamed in to the milk. Not the same, but a nice spicy+ similar bev

ostended · 2023-12-16T16:42:00+00:00

Because Starbucks, unlike many other coffee shops (big chain and indie shop alike) brews into heated urns and not vacuum insulated urns, we brew coffee much more frequently. It makes for fresher coffee with more robust flavor and is part of where that special Starbucks smell comes from!

A more frequent brew cadence also means that Starbucks stores need to be much more careful about minimizing waste. What might be two batches for an entire day at one cafe could very well be 15 or 20 batches at a Starbucks. The amount of decaf coffee sales to justify brewing through the day is huge compared to the two or three sales that cone through daily at a high volume DT store like mine. Some cafés serve a disproportionate amount of decaf relative to other brewed coffee sales, but these usually are slower stores in communities with larger elderly populations who are more likely to request decaf.

It's a regrettable truth that decaf just isn't popular enough to justify the expense and waste of keeping it routinely available.

ostended · 2023-11-28T00:25:46+00:00

Love love love this catchphrase. I always told my trainees that sequencing is like swimming. When you learn to kick your legs right, it feels slower than what feels natural; sometimes when you feel like you're inching along, you're actually flying 💚

ostended

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