About every dozen or so emails, comments, or posts I’ve read in response to the Starbucks Challenge has had to do with how Starbucks drives out small local businesses. I’d take the challenge, these e-missives will say, but I’m too disgusted with how Starbucks kills mom-n-pop shops to even set foot in one of their cold, sterile stores.

And right now, I’m a lil inclined to agree with them.

For those of you who didn’t already know this about Starbucks, check out what’s happening over in Bozeman, Montana — painfully detailed in A Thought Over Coffee, a blog run by would-be-indie-cafe-owner Jason. He was all set to sign a lease for Cafe Evoke — an indie fair trade coffee shop-to-be — until Starbucks decided, again, that they might be interested in opening up yet another shop two doors down.

This is really painful news for me, because I’ve been tracking Cafe Evoke’s progress for some time now, cheering it on. Even from afar, I love hearing about these cute lil local coffee shops — cafes that not only care about the individual character of their immediate communities, but also care deeply about global social and environmental justice.

I’m still not saying that Starbucks is evil, or that Starbucks doesn’t do some good things. I’m saying that — if Starbucks is gonna drive out our good fair trade community cafes — they’d better be prepared to give us something at least as valuable.

This isn’t helped by the fact that the Starbucks in Los Angeles have had pretty much the WORST record of all cities in which the Starbucks Challenge was taken. Out of 18 challenges taken in the city proper (sorry, Culver City, Santa Monica, and Pasadena), only 7 fair trade cups of coffees were received — and most of those came only after much insistence, cajoling, and education done about Starbucks’ policies on the CHALLENGERS’ part.

Ok. So Starbucks admitted a “break down in customer service” and sent out some emails. But things haven’t improved since then.

And Ok. So Cindy of Starbucks promised to talk to Starbucks’ Retail Operations and Communications teams. When can we expect some changes? I asked, and got no firm dates — just that this would take some time. In fact, Cindy said Starbucks still has no idea why this “break down” happened — much less any idea as to how to fix the “break down” at this point.

I get that change takes time. I mean, if we’re talking about rewriting the barista manuals, changing barista orientation programs, and possibly making some less-than-motivated district managers’ heads roll, these aren’t overnight endeavors.

But still — When?

It would be one thing if we were pushing for NEW, additional fair trade-friendly policies. But we’re simply asking Starbucks to do what it already says it does — often said in order to shush fair trade advocates who raise complaints.

So as a part of Starbucks Challenge 2.0, I — with a lil sponsorship from Monkey & Son — will be offering 12 oz. of Velvet Hammer to whoever visits the MOST stores in LA COUNTY before Nov. 30. All challenges taken since Oct. 4, when the challenge launched, count toward the tally, so people who’ve been with us from the beginning won’t be starting from scratch.

And if we don’t see some changes by Nov. 30, I can assure Starbucks that they won’t know what hit them. They may think they’re popular now — that most consumers don’t give a shit about corporate promises as long as they can get their grande lattes, no foam — but I have a close-knit group of fair-trade loving English grad students and professors who’re itching to write passionate letters to the LA Times, LA Weekly, student newspapers, and local papers. I have a small but uber-motivated fleet of xtracycle riders who could flyer the city in no time flat. I have a handful of Prius-driving green friends willing to do the same. And I have myself — I’m willing to personally stand in front of a different Starbucks outlet every day, handing out info sheets to would-be customers about how Starbucks isn’t doing what it says it does.

And most importantly, I’m in contact with bloggers all over the world who’d like to see Starbucks live up to its promises.

So for now — Angelenos — take the Starbucks Challenge 2.0 at your local store. And let me know — either via comments or via email — what YOU think we should do if we don’t see changes by Nov. 30.

And to the non-Angelenos — There’ll be a contest for you too! Details to be announced shortly – City Hippy and I are just trying to hammer out some last minute stuff –

Filed in: starbuckschallenge coffee csr fair-trade fairtrade starbucks bozeman montana losangeles california

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