Cashflow Blog

Starbucks (sbux) stock has been beaten up quite a bit in the past year. Back in happier times, say November 16,2006, Starbucks stock closed at $39.43 Let’s see…today Starbucks closed at $27.96 The company has been trying to expand too quickly without regards to the bottom line. But not to worry, here in Denver, Colorado they are rolling out the breakfast menu and other assorted revenue producers in the next several months. Libby Havice, is the District Manager for my Starbucks in Greenwood Village-located at Belleview and Ulster. Libby is doing everything to cut costs and shore up that bottom line….even though the Starbucks in Greenwood Village has the largest outdoor patio, we have no quaint Starbucks umbrellas. Libby, what are you thinking??? Is this good customer service-if you would leave your air conditioned office once in awhile and come visit me at my store you would notice that your cost cutting efforts have reached ridiculous measures. I know, you are just being a good employee and it’s just not in the budget-right?

I’ve met Libby before so I am going to offer some constructive criticism. What if you Libby, contracted with some entrepreneur here in Denver. They would be responsible for locating corporate sponsors for those umbrellas. They would get the sponsors, get the umbrellas made with the logo of the sponsors, collect the money-payable in advance on a 12 month contract and give you a cut. Starbucks has no cash outlay and your customers at belleview and Ulster would stop sending you the hate mail don’t answer yet-I want you to sleep on it and then meet me at my store with your answer. Just think-if it’s successful here in Denver you could have Starbucks roll it out nationally and you could take all the credit.

PS The employees at the Greenwood Village, Colorado Starbucks are the best and most friendly-even though we customers bitch about Libby Havice and no umbrellas!

PSS Your stock chart is too ugly to put in this post…..