Starbucks
Let's Come Together, America
There are moments in our lives when we have an opportunity to ignite tremendous positive change—not just in the lives of the customers and communities we serve every day, but in our country. This was evident in the outpouring of support in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary that claimed 26 innocent lives, including one of our partners (employees), Lauren Rousseau.
This spirit of connectedness and humanity is powerful; so powerful that if we unleash it, we can make a difference on a much grander scale.
In the spirit of the Holiday season and the Starbucks tradition of bringing people together, we have a unique opportunity to unite and take action on an incredibly important topic. As many of you know, our elected officials in Washington D.C. have been unable to come together and compromise to solve the tremendously important, time-sensitive issue to fix the national debt. You can learn more about this impending crisis at www.fixthedebt.org.
Rather than be bystanders, we have an opportunity—and I believe a responsibility—to use our company’s scale for good by sending a respectful and optimistic message to our elected officials to come together and reach common ground on this important issue. This week through December 28, partners in our Washington D.C. area stores are writing “Come Together” on customers’ cups.
It’s a small gesture, but the power of small gestures is what Starbucks is about! Imagine the power of our partners and hundreds of thousands of customers each sharing such a simple message, one cup at a time.
Never before have we asked our partners to write something specific on our customers’ cups. These words express the optimism that’s core to the holiday season, to our country’s heritage, and to our Starbucks Mission. This effort is also being amplified by our friends at AOL and Patch who are joining us in activating their hyper-local network of websites to share the “Come Together” message at patch.com/fixthedebt.
My hope is that this simple message will serve as a holiday reminder from Starbucks of the spirit that has always bridged differences and that we all have the power to come together and make a difference during every season of the year.
I wish you the warmest holiday wishes and a very happy New Year.
Howard
Helping Sumatran Farmers Respond to Climate Change
The effects of climate change are far-reaching, and farmers around the world are especially sensitive to the impact. Traditional farming strategies may not yield the same results, and farmers now contend with an increasing number of variables that can affect coffee production.
Bursting with Blueberries
As a kid, I always tried to sneak in extra ingredients while baking: chocolate chips in the cookies and blueberries in the blueberry muffins. I figured if it was a yummy ingredient the more the better, which makes our new Bountiful Blueberry Muffin a deliciously tasty idea.
Of course my technique did have some pitfalls, namely unstirrable batters and exploding muffins in the oven. Thankfully our master muffin baker was better prepared to take on the challenge of packing our muffin full of blueberries.
America’s Future Depends on Jobs
I have a program on Sirius XM radio called “American Voices” in which I interview people about their lives. Each show, I talk to someone who has an unusual job – a boat captain at the mouth of the Columbia River, a groundskeeper at Fenway Park, a public health nurse in the Aleutian Islands, or a man who washes the windows of New York City skyscrapers. Each conversation is about the dignity and nobility of work. When you work at something you love, whatever it is, your chances for self-fulfillment and prosperity dramatically increase.
Today there are 22 million Americans who want to work but can’t find a job. And 46 million people live in poverty. That’s the highest number in history – higher even than during the Great Depression. Real median per capita income in the United States in 2010 was the same as it was in 1996, which means that the middle class is stuck and losing ground.
An Open Letter: How Can America Win This Election?
On Independence Day, our country celebrates the promise of America.
It’s a day to remember that the principles that bind us together vastly outweigh what keeps us apart. The freedom to dream and the opportunity to create a better life – not just for ourselves, but for each other – has always defined our great nation.
I am a product of that American Dream. As a kid who grew up in public housing, went on to get an education at a state university and build a business, I am grateful for what this country has made possible for me. In turn, at Starbucks, we have always tried our best to honor our responsibility to the communities we serve.
And on this Fourth of July, our communities need all of us.
Across the country, millions of Americans are out of work. Many more are working tirelessly yet still unable to adequately care for their families. Our veterans are not being welcomed home with the level of support they deserve. Meanwhile, in our nation’s capital, our elected leaders are continuing to put ideology over real solutions. I love America, but we all know there is something wrong. The deficits this country must reconcile are much more than financial, and our inability to solve our own problems is sapping our national spirit. We are better than this. America’s history has showed that we have accomplished extraordinary things when we act collectively, with courage, creativity, and generosity of spirit—especially during trying times.
As we celebrate all that is great about our country, let’s come together and amplify our voices.
Let’s tell our government leaders to put partisanship aside and to speak truthfully about the challenges we face. Let’s ask our business leaders to create more job opportunities for the American economy. And as citizens, let’s all get more involved. Please, don’t be a bystander. Understand that we have a shared responsibility in solving our nation’s problems. We can’t wait for Washington.
At Starbucks, we are trying to live up to our responsibility by increasing our local community service and helping to finance small-business job creation with Create Jobs for USA. Our company is far from perfect, and we know we can do more for America. But we need your help. We need your voice.
Join the national conversation with #INDIVISIBLE. Starting today, I invite you to share your view of America, and how we can all put citizenship over partisanship. On Instagram, post a photo of the America we all need to see. On Twitter, provide a link to an innovative idea. Blog about who’s making a difference in your community; or on YouTube, share how you made your American Dream come true. No matter where you post, if you use the tag #indivisible, Starbucks will do its part to collect and amplify your voices.
To spark the conversation in our stores, your local Starbucks will proudly serve everyone a free tall hot brewed coffee on the Fourth of July.
Together, we can set a new tone in America. We hope you agree that doing so is a powerful way to celebrate our nation’s birthday.
In 2012, America needs to win the election more than either party does. It is time now to join together as Americans. It is time, whatever our differences, for us to strive and succeed as one nation – indivisible.
How to Throw A Perfect Tea Party
Whether your girlfriends are secret want-to-be princesses (me!) or more casual girls who love to hang out, throwing a tea party is a super fun way to enjoy some time together.
At first, the idea of throwing a tea party overwhelmed me because I don’t own a fabulous hat, but soon I realized that all I really need for the perfect tea party is a tasty menu, flavorful tea and great girlfriends.
This easy-to-prepare menu features some of our tastiest baked goods, which are super-easy to pick up at your local Starbucks when you grab your tea. To round out the menu, grab some fresh fruit at your local farmer’s market.
Tea Party Menu
#HanginwithMaroon5
We had a great time hanging out with Maroon 5! If you missed it, you can watch the replay on our Google+ page, or if you don’t have a Google+ account, you can also watch it here.
Venti Iced Coffee with Milk. Check.
Headphones and video camera. Check.
Google+ Hangout with Maroon 5. Check!
There’s just something wonderful about video chatting with friends online: hearing them laugh, seeing what’s around them and knowing you are miles apart, yet you still feel connected.
We understand that, and we’re happy to offer something special online and broadcast it live across the interwebs.
Café Con Música
At Nacional Records, we’re thrilled that Starbucks is carrying our exclusive compilation of Latin alternative music Cafe con Musica. It’s a 16-track album, in both Spanish and English, featuring a diverse group of artists like the Colombian fusion act Aterciopelados, hip hop artist Ana Tijoux and electronic DJs Nortec Collective.
Nacional Records focuses on the music world that is sometimes called 'Latin,' sometimes 'bilingual' and sometimes 'World' – but can always be called ‘cool.’ I have always wished there was one name for this music. Words like jazz, hip hop, salsa and heavy metal are all so perfect for their genres. Each gives you a flag to fly.
Rethink How You Re-Energize
It was Friday afternoon and the work week was over, but I still had a handful of errands to run before meeting friends for dinner – and I was beat. I needed a pick-me-up, not something filling that would spoil my appetite for dinner. So I decided to swing by my local drugstore to grab a Starbucks Refreshers™ beverage (I’m an Orange Melon girl) for a little boost.
Made with natural energy from Green Coffee Extract, Starbucks Refreshers™ beverage contain about a third of the caffeine from a freshly brewed cup of coffee and none of the roasted coffee flavor. I love having an energizing option that contains vitamins, ginseng and natural sweeteners. It also doesn’t hurt that with only 60 calories I’m not un-doing my time at the gym!
Celebrating an Indivisible Nation with an Indivisible Brew
One of the reasons I decided to work at Starbucks was that I knew I would have the opportunity to work on some really cool community-focused projects. But I didn’t know that I would have the opportunity to work on a product that would have a positive impact on one of the most pressing problems facing America today: creating jobs.
Indivisible Blend is a Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffee that represents the spirit of America, past and future. Like our indivisible country, this coffee celebrates our history through world-class blending expertise; and our future through our new Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffees, and it’s delicious both hot and iced.
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