Even the short is too big. Midway through the article it talks about how it’s supposed to be five or six oz. short is still eight.
Thought when I saw the $4.65 or so ripoff flat white they’d figured it out until the barista asked “what size”, arg....
Really? How embarrassing can it be to order a short drink at a Starbucks?
presumably the natural worry of being caught asking for a drink that doesn't exist, or being thought of as pretentious for making an off-menu specialty order, or confusing the cashier and stalling the line, etc
just use the app
As a coffee afficionado and onetime Starbucks barista, I think the author is slightly mistaken. It’s not that anyone is embarrassed to order the short size; it’s entirely that very few know it’s an option. Excellent article, though, on a very real phenomenon. I enjoyed the comparison to railcars and am interested in reading more from that old economist.
Embarrassing would be ordering just the espresso shots, then adding the free milk yourself. I think some baristas call this the 'ghetto latte'. Learned from /r/starbucks
I dunno about the ghetto latte, but I do kind of dislike paying an extra $2, or whatever it is more for an Americano than an espresso shot considering the rest of drink is hot water. They also charge more for each larger size without adding more espresso which means you essentially pay more for more hot water. I've never done it, but i've seen a couple people order espresso and a cup of hot water before.
And unpleasant as Starbucks espresso is wildly inconsistent as far as taste goes.
There are always people out there ready to point out that you have done something different. For some, being different is a badge of pride. For others, it is just uncomfortable.
This was 2006. Starbucks was a lot higher end at that time. Now that its basically a fancier dunkin doughnuts people care a bit less.