Going for Gold - Starbucks coffee houses

I arrived in Seattle during the Summer Olympics 2012. And as people were wildly cheering on athletes, I was trying my best to get GOLD at Starbucks. Coming from Australia, I had NO IDEA what getting a Gold Card at Starbucks meant. Firstly, you buy a gift card, top it up and use this gift card to make purchases at Starbucks stores. Every purchase you make at Starbucks (no matter what you buy) gives you one "star". When you reach 5 stars (within a year), you reach the "Green" level which gives you free modifiers in coffees (free syrups, soymilk, etc) and refills on brews/teas. BUT, when you reach 30 stars (within a year), you get all that plus a shiny Gold Card with your name on it. That was the prize!

So within 30 days in America, I am on the Gold Status!

The value factor
There are so many choices for coffee in Australia that I rarely visit Starbucks. Starbucks in Australia tastes weak and is very expensive. Let me give you a brief comparison.

Tall Latte: $2.65 (US) $3.90 (AUS)
Tall caramel soy latte: $3.85 (US) $4.90 (AUS)
Dirty soy chai latte: $3.85 (US) $4.90 (AUS)
Half decaf soy java chip Frappe: $5.45 (US) $6 (AUS)

Then enter the American Starbucks reward program.
At the "green" or "gold" levels, it brings your customized tall latte down to $2.65 (US) and with a Treat receipt (buy a drink in the morning and get any cold drink after 2pm for $2), it's $2.19 with tax. Amazing value.

The taste
Also, exploring the different coffee combinations at Starbucks is possible with the rewards card. So far, I'm a fan of the dirty soy chai latte (half a shot of expresso in a soy chai latte), soy latte (with either peppermint or caramel syrups) and vanilla bean ice blends. The snacks at Starbucks are also interesting, the raspberry flavoured yoghurt balls and tiramisu cakepop are amongst my favourites. I avoid the drip coffee at all costs as it is bitter but watery at the same time. But it's all up to individual taste and once you get familiar with the options, then you can customize the coffee, style, syrups, milk/soy, sweetness to your taste.

The atmosphere

In Australia, I would only go to a Starbucks coffee house with a friend to enjoy a nice afternoon, or by myself as a treat. But here, I find that Starbucks is more accessible (there are EVERYWHERE), there is free wifi (to be introduced soon in Australia) and you can sit here as long as you want. It's comfortable enough that I go down to do work at Starbucks with my afternoon coffee hit.
The service at Starbucks is nearly always friendly and helpful. I've only had two bad experiences- where the non-english worker could't understand what I was saying and when the girl kept calling me by another name (I'm a regular there).

My overall thoughts
Starbucks may not be a gourmet or cheap coffeehouse. But it's iconic and you NEED to have Starbucks at least once in America. The Starbucks coffeehouses in America are designed for young and old alike with free entertainment options (via the Starbucks entertainment network) and family friendly atmosphere. With the appropriate modifications to your drink, you are bound to find something you like.

My tip: Get a gift card and earn more than 5 stars then feel free to explore all the modifications of syrups and milk/soy to your desire. 


Background on the first starbucks stores in Seattle
I went to visit the first Starbucks store on my trip to Seattle. It's a tiny store located in close proximity to the Pike Place Market. Many tourists, like myself make the pilgrimage and hence you have to expect long lines. Sometimes there are professional buskers outside which makes the waiting less excruciating. On one of my visits they had a African American Quartet, they were AMAZING!

Once inside, you see that the store has signs stating that starbucks has been in existence since 1971, but few realize that this isn't actually the original store. Nevertheless, there is a range of merchandise on display against one wall (DISPLAY ONLY) and you line up to purchase merchandise/and or drinks. I bought myself a travel mug for $20 which displays the original starbucks logo but it's not very effective, I find my coffee warm to cold within 2 hours. But there is a range of things you can buy including mugs, t-shirt, coffee beans. On a subsequent visit I found that I could by-pass the line if I only wanted to buy a gift card!

There is actually no place to sit or stay in the "original" store, which makes sense considering the constant flow of people. My tip: visit during the late afternoons (after pike place market draws to a close ) to have less wait-time.