greenlagirl

11:52 pm: Starbucks Challenge in Marina del Rey, CA -- 3 locations
Take the Starbucks Challenge!

I'll be posting the unblogged reports from participating challengers here :)


Samuel (Sheshina) of fogbound.net in Marina del Rey, reports about his experience requesting fair trade coffee at hislocal Starbucks:

My sister did volunteer work in Honduras, and, when she came back, educated us all to Fair Trade (not to mention shade-grown) coffee. She also told me that Starbuck's promises Fair Trade to those who ask for it.

I've tried to get the Fair Trade at the Starbuck's at Lincoln and Maxella in Marina del Rey, the Starbuck's at Washington Blvd at the Costco complex, and at the Starbuck's at Barrington and National.

In all three cases, I was told I could have it if I was willing to wait, because they need to brew it specially. At the Costco complex facility, I was told I'd have to wait until they served all the customers in the (8-10 person long) queue, because there was only one person working counter.

At the Barrington/National facility, I was offered coffee grounds for my garden as a consolation. I guess Fair Trade, environmentalism, and gardening are all interlinked :) ... I ended up using the grounds for texturing pottery, which is probably not the best environmental application.

Trader Joe's now carries at least two kinds of Fair Trade and organic/shade grown beans. So they get my business.

Cool idea, by the way. Give 'em hell!