Latest news with #Starbucks
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
"It's Offensive": Starbucks joke leaves Hispanic customer feeling targeted
A Hispanic woman in Irving says a joke written on her Starbucks cup left her feeling targeted and unwelcome, raising concerns about cultural sensitivity and discrimination. Blanca Lopez visited the Starbucks inside a Target store in Irving on Monday with her two daughters, who had received Starbucks gift cards from school. After ordering her horchata latte, her daughters noticed a handwritten message on the lid of her cup. The message read: "What do you call a sick eagle? Illegal." Lopez said she was stunned. "And when I read it, I'm like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh or what do I need to do?" she said. Personal experience makes it painful Lopez, a Hispanic immigrant, said the joke felt especially hurtful given her recent experiences with people close to her being deported. "Why did they call me that? Why are they asking if I have papers or no papers? Why did she write this?" Lopez said. "For me, like, it's offensive." She said she immediately showed the cup to a manager. "I showed them the cup and they said, 'Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I apologize and I'm going to talk to the team so they don't do it again,'" she recalled. CBS News Texas Waiting for a response Lopez said she kept the cup as proof and is still waiting for a formal response from Starbucks. "It's basically saying that we are sick, illegal individuals that do not belong in this country," she said. Community response and protest planned Carlos Quintanilla, a Hispanic immigrant advocate with Accion America, has organized a protest outside the store for Saturday morning. "It's not just inappropriate, it's disturbing," Quintanilla said. "Especially right now when the narrative being thrown out in mass media is if you're illegal, you're a criminal, and if you're a criminal, you're illegal." Starbucks responds, Target silent Starbucks told CBS News Texas it is investigating the incident and has a zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory behavior. However, the company did not say what actions, if any, would be taken. Target did not respond to a request for comment. Lopez said she wants more than an apology. "I work as a manager. If someone on my team did something like that, I would fire her immediately," she said. She added that words matter, especially in immigrant communities already feeling vulnerable.
The Star
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
How Steve Jobs would have reacted to Apple's WWDC liquid glass redesign
There are two Steve Jobs keynotes that stand out in my memory more than any other. The first, of course, is the moment he introduced the iPhone in 2007. The entire keynote was a master class in storytelling, engineering, and showmanship. But my favourite part was when Jobs, in the middle of a live demo, prank called a Starbucks and calmly said he wanted to order 4,000 lattes to go. Then he quickly added, 'Just kidding,' and hung up the call. It was a small thing, but it was unforgettable. It was unexpected. It was … fun. But there's another moment that sticks with me. It's less iconic, but only because on the scale of the iPhone, everything is less iconic. It was, however, just as telling about how Jobs thinks about products and how to talk about them. It was 2000, when Jobs introduced Mac OS X's Aqua interface. The new design was fluid, full of gradients and transparency. It was colorful and reflective – almost glossy. It looked unlike anything else at the time. And when Jobs talked about it, he said something that defined Apple's relationship with design for the next two decades: 'One of the design goals was that when you saw it, you wanted to lick it.' Then he paused and licked his lips. I often think about the fact that the goal of designing a piece of software that millions of people would use was as much about how it made people feel as it was about being useful. Obviously, it had to be useful, but it also had to be fun. It had to be delightful. This brings me to this year's WWDC. Apple announced a major redesign of all its software platforms with what it's calling 'Liquid Glass.' According to Alan Dye, Apple's VP of human interface design, the goal was to give the system 'depth, vibrancy, and a new level of expression.' It's a very different look, especially on the iPhone – but there are real changes on the Mac as well. But the thing I keep thinking about is: Where's the fun? The keynote was impressive. It was polished. It was efficient. But it didn't quite feel joyful. It didn't feel like Apple was showing off something it loved. It felt like Apple was explaining something it had to get right. Dye used a lot of words to explain how the company studied the properties of glass and how it reflects and refracts light. The thing is, I think it would have been fine if he'd just said Apple thinks it's really cool. I've heard and read critics saying that Jobs would roll over in his grave if he saw the new interface design. That's the kind of thing that's easy to say for views, but I don't think it's true at all. First, the new design is still an early beta. Yes, there are things that don't work from a design perspective – but it's far too early to pass judgment. I have confidence that Apple will fix them as it gets closer to September when it ships them to the public. My point isn't that Jobs wouldn't have liked what Apple is doing with Liquid Design. My point is that he would have had a lot more fun with it than the company seems to be having. Perhaps it's harder now than in 2000. Perhaps that's because Apple is under intense pressure, now more than ever. It's been a year since Apple teased the arrival of a smarter Siri and its broader vision for AI, now branded 'Apple Intelligence.' Expectations are high, especially as it seems the competition is delivering on Apple's promises with more speed and consistency than Apple itself. But the Liquid Glass redesign – what should have been the most obviously delightful part – felt strangely sterile. During the Aqua introduction, Jobs said that 'when you design a new user interface, you have to start off humbly. You have to start off saying, 'What are the simplest elements in it? What does a button look like?' And you spend months working on a button.' The implication was that even something as small as a button can carry emotion, weight, and personality. I miss the company that wasn't afraid to get weird. To call a design 'lickable.' To order 4,000 lattes from the stage. I'm not saying Apple needs to recreate Steve Jobs's persona. That would be impossible – and probably a bad idea. But I do think it needs to rediscover a little of that energy. That sense of play. That design isn't just functional, or even beautiful. It's emotional. It's fun. A user interface doesn't have to be revolutionary to be memorable. It just has to make you feel something. Better yet if that feeling is: 'I kinda want to lick this.' – Inc./Tribune News Service
Buzz Feed
3 hours ago
- General
- Buzz Feed
24 Warning Signs A Place Is About To Get Expensive
For years, people have opened up about gentrification and how it's affected their own lives and communities. The Urban Displacement Project describes it as "a process of neighborhood change that includes an economic change in a historically disinvested neighborhood — by means of real estate investment and new higher-income residents moving in — as well as demographic change — not only in terms of income level but also in terms of changes in the education level or racial make-up of residents." Gentrification is a complex issue, and it has been known to negatively impact low-income communities and people of color, as it typically leads to forced displacement. And people online have shared the unexpected and clear signs it's bound to happen in an area. Here's what they had to say: "I live in the Nashville area, and this has been an issue for a few years now. We have a particularly bad case of 'tall/skinnies' here. Developers buy an old house, tear it down, and put up two tall/skinny houses on the single lot, and they look absolutely ridiculous. Some of them honestly look like they aren't much wider than a shipping container and are three to four floors tall." "Painted utility boxes are a huge sign of gentrification in PG County. Expect matchbox fancy $2K studio apartments next, and then a series of strip malls with the weird ash wood look." "When it happened in E. Austin. I noticed two things: the removal/replacement of anything frequented by poor people, and the lack of random roosters. It was already done by the time the vegan cat café showed up. But the developers will still tell you to move to the 'historical part' of Austin, even though all the history has been shoved out and painted over. And now, they call the cops on our 'historic' car club meetups." "When you start seeing/hearing a lot of positive press about a known-to-be-sketchy area. Gentrification doesn't work if the place doesn't become desirable to new businesses and residents. Investors want those who avoided the area before to start thinking of how great it could be to get that gentrification momentum going." NorCal resident here. I've been watching all these new (mostly gated and HOA) housing communities go up, charging upwards of $700K at minimum, but most are more than that, and all these people moving inland from the Bay Area willing to pay for it are driving up the cost for the locals. And you'd think that would bring more businesses, but no, just more houses and warehouses. Then there's competing with 'investors' buying the cheaper houses only to do the cheapest cosmetic changes and put them back on the market well above what they paid, or renting them out." "The FIRST sign is the first quirky coffee shop that isn't a Starbucks. See one of those, and grab you some real estate, because the bougies are coming, and they're bringing wild housing prices with them." "Old buildings get torn down. Before the beginnings of gentrification, the lots weren't worth removing the condemned buildings; renovation teams start showing up in neighborhoods that haven't been renovated in decades. Lawns start getting cut on a weekly basis. Once a neighborhood goes from condemned to livable, all the other stuff starts to happen pretty quickly." "At some point, an organic grocery store opens up. The crime rate goes down over time. Home prices/rents go up quickly. More coffee shops and breweries." "Recovering planner here. In the background, people look for parcels that are worth more than the improvements. If there are a lot of them in an area — especially an area with amenities and good transport bones, it is a good candidate." "Rent going up 300% over the course of a decade." "If an area is headed for gentrification, people who don't have children start moving in. Artists, musicians, writers. College students. Restaurants, especially trendy restaurants. Galleries and music venues. Bookstores. Coffee houses. All the kinds of places young hipsters like. Housing stock that is neglected but can be restored. Young people living in a cooperative." "One thing that has stood out is a new trendy name that has come out of nowhere. We live in 'insert name,' and it's been called that forever. Uhhh, no it hasn't!" "If you follow your local newspapers and you start reading about apartments being sold and the new owners wanting to renovate is a sign. This type of action by the new owner will usually come with mass eviction notices — especially, if they are rent-controlled and support certain demographics, like senior citizens or those who are lower income." "The 'artisan' restaurants that make a classic food (burger, taco, etc.) and make them 25 dollars because of their premium 'aiolis' or other fancy ingredients. They're usually decorated with a graphic of the parts of a cow or pig." "Mass buying of local properties by real estate investors, while pricing out local buyers." "Gentrification isn't random. It's an ongoing process. I live in Charleston, South Carolina. We've experienced significant growth in my lifetime. We've gotten to the point where building new neighborhoods further out is an increasingly less viable option. Add to this, large employers moving into North Charleston, and you have a recipe for gentrification. This isn't because someone bought an old gas station and turned it into an art gallery. It's because people need a place to live, and industry is growing in our city. Those art galleries and taco shops are responding to the same economic conditions that the developers are. They see an economically depressed area in commuter distance to major employers." "People running or jogging, especially during the weekday mornings." "I've worked in Civic Center San Fransico since 2003, so I've seen its evolution for the past 19 years. This place went from a total wasteland to one of the busiest locations in the city. The first thing they did right when Twitter moved in? They started razing all the cheap hole-in-the-wall restaurants and parking lots for shiny new apartment buildings. Basically expect any old ma and pa businesses and parking lots to be the first to go." "You know a place is being gentrified when a lot more artists move in. Artists first go somewhere for cheap prices and then make it 'interesting' to richer people. We then — usually accidentally — attract monied people who want to either be associated with us or exploit us, and then, the dive bars flourish. Then, you start seeing artisanal coffee spots. From there, you give it five years." "Franchises start replacing local businesses." "Big demographic shifts. Not just the people of the neighborhood, but the local businesses as well." "I experienced this in Atlanta through the full process. I moved into a neighborhood that was mostly elderly residents who have probably lived there 20+ years. The house I bought needed repair, but this was in 2011, so the price was manageable. The first sign of things changing was an increase in racist judgemental posts on Nextdoor that were like, 'Sketchy AA male acting weird and walking in the street.' When I moved in, my neighbors were extremely friendly and let us know some of the characters in the area, like 'Watch out for the guy who tries to get you to drive him to Auto Zone then try to scam you for cash-type stuff. Then a new development went up down the street (my street was half in a nice city zone and half in the incorporated county). This is what really started the process. Another development went up a year or so later." "For restaurants, at least like 8–10 years ago, it was: Edison Bulbs, those metal bar chairs (you know the ones), reclaimed pallet wood facades, roll-up doors, and $15 for a handful of tater-tots with 'aioli,' which is just hot sauce mixed with mayonnaise." And finally... "I think by the time you start seeing it, it's already happened. Displacement and rent increases are mostly invisible (comparatively). By the time the new condos and bougie shops sprout up, it's already past the tipping point." What are some other signs that an area will be gentrified/is about to become really expensive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can use the form below.
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Nikkei Asia
7 hours ago
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Sampling the best of Seoul's booming cafe culture
Located in Seoul's Mangwon-dong neighborhood, HHSS is a quiet, minimalist cafe with a homey vibe, enhanced by the languid presence of the resident cat. (All photos by David D. Lee) DAVID D. LEE SEOUL -- In South Korea, where homes are rarely used for social gatherings, cafes offer more than just caffeine -- they serve as go-to spots for meeting friends, blind dates, group studies and other social activities. When the first Starbucks branch opened near Seoul's Ewha Womans University in 1999, it marked the beginning of a local revolution in cafe culture. The American franchise now runs 1,900 of the country's 100,000 cafes -- which is roughly double the number of convenience stores.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Starbucks unveils its latest plans to lure back customers – a more comfy return to form
Starbucks has unveiled its latest plans to lure customers back inside its stores, choosing to lean into comfort after focusing on convenience. In recent years, the coffee chain has geared its stores toward the type of customer who wants to grab a drink and be on their way quickly. They've built more drive-thrus and introduced mobile ordering. But as more people seek to get back to their pre-pandemic modes of work and leisure — a space that's neither work nor home, where they can also socialize — Starbucks is focusing on making its stores warm and inviting again. In the next year, Starbucks will renovate 1,000 stores with comfy chairs, couches and power outlets, CNN reported, in an attempt to get back to its roots. Some might recall in the early 2000s when Starbucks had stuffed purple armchairs. They were taken out of stores in 2008. 'You will see something similar to it returning to our stores,' Meredith Sandland, Starbucks' chief store development officer, told CNN. 'Will it be purple? I don't know. I'll tease that one out.' CNN got a sneak peek of the first store to be remodeled. It's located in Bridgehampton, New York. The store features tables with long couches on one side and chairs on the other. There are also low, cushioned chairs off to the side, perfect for a coffee date. 'It's creating comfortable seating where people want to come in. It's not just the quick grab and go concept,' Mike Grams, Starbucks' chief operating officer, told CNN. Grams admitted: 'Maybe over past years, we lost our way a little bit on that.' Starbucks has already renovated four stores in the Hamptons, with plans to renovate more stores in New York City in the next few months, CNN reported. If you've been paying close attention, you might have noticed other changes around your local Starbucks, like baristas writing on your coffee cup with Sharpie markers. Starbucks has also brought back self-serve milk and sugar stations and is offering free refills for customers who take their coffee to stay rather than to go.
