One Luxury Latte Coming Up: Starbucks Enriching People's Lives

'Quad-Venti-Non-Fat-Extra Hot Latte,' sings Becky barista at your local coffee shop! One by one, these green apron artists expedite their lines in flawless
harmony. Greeting and chatting with the 'regulars' as they are called and welcoming the 'newbies.' Coffee houses have exploded in our society becoming a
place to unwind, relax, or stop in and get a quick pick-me up. Of course, with the variety of coffee houses available, you can have your luxury latte at a
neighborhood Starbucks, or for a fraction of the cost at another establishment.

What's In the Cup?
Have you ever asked yourself, "When did paying five bucks for a latte become the norm?" Starbucks, prides itself in offering a quality cup of coffee, with an
experience to match. Perhaps, you will pay an average of $1.80 for a regular cup of coffee or you may top off at $4.87 for the drink that was mentioned earlier.
Recently, the coffee giant, did some digging and discovered that not everyone wants the bold and brutal taste of their Sumatra coffee in the morning. They
countered this with a delightfully light roasted coffee called Pike Place Roast in regular and decaf. Also, they feature a third coffee until noon.

To step it up a notch, try drinking an America-no, this is a water-based beverage that consists of shots of espresso and steaming hot water. Espresso based drinks are generally more expensive due to the art of creating the drink. Espresso drinks usually require more time and energy as a high tech machine is used to create the beverage.

The Experience to Match the Coffee.

Recently, after surveying their stores, Starbucks made an announcement that would mean closing, for three hours. It announced that it would be retraining all of their partners on the basics of espresso. The next day, they opened up with a promise, "Your drink should be perfect every-time, if not, please let us know and we will gladly remake it for you." Interestingly, store sales that day grew tremendously due to the heavy media influence that was generated from their closure. They proceeded to retrain their partners two areas, Brewed Coffee and Cold Beverages. You should walk into any store and feel a sense of belonging. That is the ingredient that they try to stir into every drink.

Rising Costs Cause Consumers to Cut Back.

With the current cost of gas, food and other basic essentials, it is quite natural to cut back on luxury items such as a cafe mocha every morning. With this in mind, Starbucks has created an incentive program featuring rewards, like an extra shot in your latte, a new syrup or a new milk just for using your Starbucks Card. A Starbucks Card is a preloaded card with a specified amount of money. Once, it is registered, you can immediately take part in the freebies that are offered at any local store.

They even have, Free Coffee Wednesdays, part of a new promotion which allows you to enjoy a free cup of Pike Place coffee on Wednesday with your VIP card. In order to get full value for your dollar, I recommend going into your local coffee shop and ask what's available. You may be surprised to find that your luxury latte may not cost as much as you thought.

Starbucks in the Future.
Reports suggest, that the coffee giant will close an undetermined amount of stores by the close of this year. It plans to broaden its international market and delay future store openings for an unspecified amount of time. With the sagging economy, we can expect to see more creative initiatives by the coffee giant to lure in customers. Focusing on their partners has always been the strength of the company. What is next to come we do not yet know, but with the strategies and initiatives set forth, let's see if their stock goes up!