Starbucks: the hegemonic language

For any one travelling to Australia and ending up at 'Starbucks' in Miranda, Sydney, the coffee is O.K. but before you eat any of their pastries, especifically pies, ensure thay are heated all the way through
On 2 x seperate occasions myself and work colleagues have experienced Starbuck pies here with frozen centres and warm pastry which we have taken back to the office to heat.
How-ever, if you are searching for excellence,try Starbucks in Elizabeth Street, Sydney opposite Hyde Park. This is well worth a visit should you be in the centre of Sydney. Staff and food quality 100% each and every visit.

God bless knowledgeable and talented baristas, whether they be at Peet's, street carts or independent roasters popping up all over the NW (and, hopefully, beyond). Starbuck's robot corporate-speak drives me insane. Hope you left a nice tip!

In my part of the world there is a chain of coffee places called Port City Java, after Wilmington NC where the company started. One reason I started going there was that they tried to avoid coffee-snob language. Not only is the coffee (and other drinks and foods) excellent, and the leather couches comfortable, but I all I need to remember for size options is small, medium and large.

"Starbuck's robot corporate-speak"???
1.The use of Tall was not originated by Starbucks
2.Starbucks started using Tall when it had less than 10 stores (way smaller than Peet's is today)and way before it became "Corporate"
If you visit Seattle's various other Coffee/Espresso-shops/bars/cafe's, you will find many Independant, "one-of-a-kind" "mom&Pop" operations using way more contrived coffee lingo for their "Coca-macca-Mocha's" than you will ever hear at a Starbucks.

Christopher,
My point isn't that there's anything wrong with the Starbucks lingo, or that it's contrived. My only point is that it's the ruling dialect, and that there's a certain reaction against it in other quarters (that feel threatened by the hegemon).

This reminds me of experiences I've had in the Spanish region of Catalonia. They're very proud of their language there, and although almost all of the Catalans speak fluent Castillian, they often resist it.

My story about Peet's goes back to the early days of Starbucks. While I awaited my latte I asked the barista, "Is Mr. Peet worried about competition from Starbucks?"
"Hell, no," said the barista. "He owns stock in Starbucks.
I later learned that the late Mr. Peet was on the board of Starbucks, too. He may even have trained the founders of the company.

Funny story! The world is big, Stephen!

Cheers,
Pierluigi Rotundo