The days of grabbing a latte "real quick" on your way to work may soon be over.
Starbucks has announced they will soon be telling baristas to slow down and make only two drinks at a time.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Starbucks is reacting to recent complaints from brand loyalists that they have reduced the art of coffee-making to "a mechanized process with all the romance of an assembly line."
So Starbucks wants to bring back the fine art of making a lovingly-crafted cup of joe.
Baristas will soon be expected to start a drink, then only start the second drink as the first one finishes. And no more than that at a time.
They will also be expected to steam milk for each drink individually rather than steaming an entire pitcher to be used for multiple drinks, to rinse pitchers after each use, to stay at the espresso bar instead of moving around, and to use only one espresso machine instead of two.
On one hand, you may end up with a fresher, tastier drink. On the other, you may have to wait in a long line to get it.
Baristas are already wary of the new policy, citing the longer it takes to make drinks, the longer patrons wait. And baristas are probably not looking forward to telling caffine-deprived customers who are running late to work their no-foam cappuccino is going to take a couple extra minutes.
Starbucks executives seem unfazed the new changes might cause a ruckus. "As with any new behavior, it will take time for baristas to become comfortable with the new method," Starbucks spokeswoman Trina Smith told the newspaper.
When asked about the possibility of long lines, Smith said she didn't have "that level of detail."
The new slow-down policy is said to start rolling out next month in all U.S. and Canadian Starbucks locations. Plan your morning commutes accordingly.
