“My divorce papers are done!” said a woman in her early 40s, wearing zebra-print, waiting for her latte at Starbucks this morning.
“I’m so sorry,” replied a young man making her drink.
“Don’t be sorry,” she said, resting her elbow on the bar before the baristas, as if it a therapy session—and she was the therapist. “For some, divorce hurts; for others, it heals.” Her messy blonde bun shook as she spoke. “After 20 years in hell,” she went on, “today marks a new day!”
The acne-prone barista in a red-and-green festive smock, meanwhile, was drowning in orders from customers in need of Christmas-Eve caffeine—yet he still found time to smile and wish the woman well as he passed her a Splenda-sweetened iced coffee. (A curious choice in this weather.)
I see this sort of scene all the time in New York City, but it’s a rare sighting in my suburban hometown—where folks are more akin to speak in the shallow depths of “small talk.”
Leaving the scene, I thought — by giving his ear, the barista made that woman’s day. It was a two-for-one deal: therapy and a drink. With a decline in alcohol consumption across the country, perhaps baristas have become the new bartenders.
Meanwhile, in stores across the country today, Christmas Eve, Starbucks baristas went on strike. About 300 stores closed down as a result, so says the instagram of Starbucks Workers United — which has slightly over 61,000 followers. Baristas “walked off the job to demand Starbucks bargain a fair contract from coast-to-coast,” the account wrote.
What’s The Deal, Mr. CEO?
Investors lost faith in former Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan, who was axed in the fall, paving way for a new man at the helm: Brian Niccol—poached from his gig as chairman of Chipoltle.
Niccol, 50, came in with a lot on his plate. Starbucks has seen declining sales, most notably in China. Also labor tensions were emerging across the U.S., which, the few times strikes gained media attention, negatively impacted the company’s standing with consumers — and its stock price.
The board paid Niccol $20 million to straighten things out, bring fresh ideas to spur more sales, smooth out labor tensions. One of his first ideas? Baristas should write more sharpie-scrawled notes on customer cups—things like: “Enjoy!” or “Today is gonna be awesome!”
It’s tough to know if his strategy — personalize the direct-to-consumer experience — and rolling back awards programs, are doing any good for the company. As of now, the markets say no. And with labor tensions making national news the day before Christmas, it can’t be an easy-night sleep for the Starbucks board, or Niccol.
Ashley Elizabeth Miller 
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