Starbucks opening in Jamaica

From DNA Info:

Jamaica is getting its first Starbucks, and it's looking to hire from the community.

The coffee chain is set to open a new cafe in a recently renovated building at 89-02 Sutphin Blvd., across the street from the Queens County Civil Courthouse in downtown Jamaica, the company announced Thursday.

The new store is launching as part of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, a plan in which more than a dozen American corporations commit to hiring 100,000 unemployed young people by 2018.

The Jamaica location is slated to be among the first five stores scheduled to open in 2016, according to Starbucks.

The cafe on Sutphin will include an employee training center, and the chain plans to hire about 20 to 25 employees from the community, the company said.

Elmhurst Starbucks manager has a bad attitude

"On 5/12/2015, 86-51 Broadway, Starbucks store in Elmhurst, manager Melissa seems to have the anger management issues.

She took my order of one Frappuccino and one special straw. I didn't hear her coworker asking my name to put it on cup at first because I was opening my reward app on my phone to pay, then Melissa started to shout at me saying hey helloooo with a very bad attitude. The only thing I said to her is "sorry I didn't hear you but you don't have to yell." And till now, I haven't figured out which word aggravated her. Then she took the scanner away as I was trying to pay then told me to leave and never go back. I was trying to ask other employees who I can speak to. She thought I am leaving with the straw on my hand (I picked it up before everything happened), she said I am stealing the straw.

Really?! Accuse me of stealing! And you say call the police to get me out of the store?! I felt so bad for what happened, especially since there was nobody I could report her to because she is the manager. I am glad that other customers in the store saw how I was treated and told her "you need get fired". Then she switched the target and started to argue with them. I thank this customer who took this video and sent it to me.

I have filed a compliant with customer service. I hope the district manager will take this seriously. This is such a terrible experience."

Ruby Chen

From strip club to Starbucks?

From DNA Info:

It's a new type of grind for Queens Boulevard.

A drive-thru Starbucks — the first in Queens — is being eyed to perk up the site of a long-shuttered and notorious strip club in Rego Park, part of a retail complex also includes a gym, sources said.

The two-story retail space is planned for 92-77 Queens Blvd., where Goldfingers — a strip club that closed in 1999 after numerous complaints from residents and elected officials — was located.

Sources said that the deal for the Starbucks has not been finalized, but if it is the java joint would be only the second location in the city with a drive-thru.

Be careful what you lobby for; you just may get it!

This appeared in City and State yesterday morning:

"9:30 a.m. – New York City Councilman Daniel Dromm and state Sen. Jose Peralta call on Starbucks to clean up their garbage, in front of Starbucks, 37th Avenue and 79th Street, Queens."

Here is some of the press coverage:

Local Starbucks Dumps Trash Near Apartment Buildings, Residents Say

Pol, residents call on Jackson Heights Starbucks to clean up its garbage

(You'll notice Peralta didn't show up.)

I received this e-mail:

"This is a freaking joke. Of all the trash in Queens, this is where they start? I go to this Starbucks. I honestly don't see what the big deal is, and I'm not saying this to defend Starbucks. Meanwhile, Peralta lobbied for the Starbucks to come to Jackson Heights in the first place!"

Oh damn!

Elmhurst Dairy may lose a lot of jobs

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Union workers came to City Hall Wednesday to plead for their jobs ahead of a potentially devastating move by Starbucks.

Workers from Teamsters Local 584 are afraid of losing their jobs if Starbucks goes ahead with its plan to stop buying milk from Elmhurst Dairy in Queens and switch to a non-union plant outside of the city.

Chanting “keep the jobs here,” workers stressed the importance of keeping the last New York City dairy in business.

“If we lose our jobs, I don’t know what we’re going to do. So I’m just talking to the world, to New York City, to elected officials. Help us keep the business here in New York. Let it remain where it belongs,” one worker told reporters, including 1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks.

Some City Council members are supporting the protesters and stressed that Starbucks’ threatened move could lead to the loss of over 700 jobs.