After shutting down yesterday to get baristas on-board with fixing what has become a broken commodity experience, I didn’t really expect to see any changes during my routine coffee run this morning, nor did I experience any.

I don’t remember when Starbucks entered my life. I suppose it was through mid-morning coffee runs with co-workers back in Cincinnati, when the first location opened its doors downtown on 4th St. It was a novelty back then, something new and different, seemingly high-end. As more and more Starbucks locations were opened, and I after I moved to San Diego, I began to realize that no two stores were really all that different. Just like a McDonald’s hamburger, you could expect the same consistent quality of service from one location to another, and that was fine with me.

The popularity of Starbucks is probably what changed my perception of the good old morning coffee run. Something that I enjoyed, to some degree, had now become a chore because of crowded stores with long lines - all for a grande cup of coffee (black and nothing fancy). My fellow customers were changing too. Mothers with crying babies, city construction crews, a herd of cattle. Things had definitely changed, and not for the better.

When the breakfast sandwiches rolled out things only got worse. The lines got longer and the stores smelled like burnt hair. Still, I showed up at least once a day. It’s probably because of what is now required caffeine intake, convenience, a habit.

Starbucks probably won’t go back to what I once felt was a unique experience, something valuable. It’s simply too big for that now; however, subtle changes might get Starbucks closer to its former self. Getting rid of the convection egg sandwich ovens is a good first step. A meaningful brand would be another.