Hello all! My name is Sabra and I am currently a Starbucks barista. Before working at Starbucks, I had NO idea what went into my mystery drinks. I also NEVER deviated any orders from anything on the menu. Being behind the scenes I finally get to learn all the neat and easy tips and tricks to save you money and your time ordering with us! I meet fantastic people daily and every day I learn something new.
First of all, ever wonder how we make our drinks? This simple chart shows how many syrup sweeteners, to how many shots, to how many oz. are in every size.
You can always customize the sweetness by cutting down or by adding syrup pumps to your favorite drinks. You can always subtract or add however many shots you want to any drink.
Are you in a hurry one day but see an enormous line? No Problem! To save time, order with the mobile app. If you are way too rushed or passed the time to order online, you could also change your order to get a blonde, medium, dark roast, or even a hot tea. We have to give you those before you leave the register. Same goes for loaf breads, cake pops, and scones. None of those food items require warming and we must give those to you at the counter before you wait to go sit down.
Want to save a bit? I recommend ordering whatever size you want but in a larger cup. You still get the same amount of syrups and shots for the size of the drink you are paying for, but we often give more drink in a larger cup. I have people come in all the time to order a Grande in a Venti cup. Also take advantage of the 50 cent refills! We refill cold brews, iced drinks, and brewed hot coffee! Also cups of iced, filtered water are FREE. So if you are on that bike ride in the city, please stop by for free water. I would never waste my money on the bottled water.
Do you get frustrated with the long drive thru lines only to go up to the speaker to hear a barista struggling to hear your orders? I deal with this a lot seeing as I am hard of hearing to start with. Instead of repeating over and over your order and hearing the barista repeat the same mistaken order, you can always ask to drive on through to the window to order. Your order won’t take any longer than if you ordered at the speaker.
I hope these tips are helpful to someone! I love my job and it's a lot of fun to learn stuff daily. I get to meet tons of fantastic people and the work environment is truly positive!