"When she was growing up, Adya said, she used to be a devoted Starbucks drinker. The 26-year-old's order in high school was a venti Caramel Frappuccino, extra caramel drizzle, extra caramel syrup, no whipped cream-a drink she bought so frequently as a teenager, she said, she even noticed the change in flavor when the chain quietly switched the caramel drizzle to a different kind."
"This was the vision that former CEO Howard Schultz had long chased: bringing Italian-style coffeehouses to the U.S. and transforming them into a ubiquitous "third place" for Americans. The concept of a third place is simple: If the home is the first place, and work is the second place, a third place would serve as an anchor of community life and social interaction, a spot where anyone could see familiar faces and meet new people in a comfortable, unpretentious setting."
Adya frequently drank venti Caramel Frappuccinos in high school and noticed a flavor change when Starbucks altered the caramel drizzle and syrup. Starbucks corporate responded in 2017 that it had switched to a non-trans-fat, clear caramel syrup and provided a $10 gift card. Adya reported tasting trans fats and eventually found the altered caramel less satisfying. She continued patronage for years because Starbucks offered consistently good workplaces across locations. Howard Schultz pursued a vision of Italian-style coffeehouses as a ubiquitous 'third place' where community life and social interaction occur during his long tenures as CEO (1987–2000; 2008–2017).
Read at Slate Magazine
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