Starbucks Promoting Free Pikes Peak Roast Coffee

Starbucks Hosted a Coast-to-coast Taste Test of Its Newest Blend, Pikes Peak Roast

On Tuesday, April 8^th Starbucks launched its newest brew, "Pikes Peak Roast" by giving away free 8 ounce (what Starbucks calls the "short" size). From 12pm Eastern Time (9am Pacific Time), Starbucks hosted a simultaneous coast-to-coast taste test of the new "Pikes Peak Roast." The taste test is Starbucks way of "showcasing our new quality standards for freshness - freshly roasted, hand-scooped, freshly ground and brewed with shorter hold times," according to a press release.

Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, said of the new blend, "Pike Place Roast takes us one step closer to achieving our goal of transforming the in-store experience by restoring the connection our customers have with our coffee."

I find it interesting that the CEO of Starbucks wants to restore the connection with customers and Starbucks coffee. For many years now, I have felt no connection with Starbucks or the "lifestyle" the brand promises. The stores are just high-volume, get in and get out fast operations. I never felt a connection with others while at Starbucks. No connection with the staff (Baristas as Starbucks calls them), nor with the crowd in the stores. That's why I've been going to my neighborhood's non-chain coffee house, The Coffee House of Thornton Park.

Although The Coffee House of Thornton Park is just one block from a Starbucks, it always seems to have an equal number of customers, if not more. So, how could a small, independent fare as well as a large, corporate backed coffee store? The answer is simple, they connect with their customers. The husband and wife team that own The Coffee House of Thornton Park know my name. They know what I like to order. They know what I might like and suggest new items. They get me and they connect with me. Whenever I visit, I feel that I'm visiting old friends and not some cookie-cutter store that's promising me a "lifestyle" one cup at a time.