Starbucks - Alexandria

Why does my vanilla latte taste different when I come here?!?! Sometimes soooo good and sometimes soooo bad?!?!

First I didn’t even finish paying and he was helping the person behind me. We waited almost 20 minutes for a cake pop absolutely unacceptable. Now it’s been almost an hour and I just blistered my lip trying to blow on the hot tea it’s so hot I can’t drink it after almost an hour. To say I am unhappy is a huge understatement. I called customer service and as always they were amazing but I won’t be back to this location. We really need some Dutch Bros out here!

I placed an online pick up order otw to work yesterday 10/19 and went inside once my app notified me it was ready. There were two men waiting ahead of me at the pickup table. They were shuffling through drinks trying to find their own orders, unscathed by the woman, Samantha, who was managing the drinks. She was extremely kind to them as they continued searching for their drinks. Those two men left and I proceeded to search for my sandwich and drink. Samantha immediately began “scolding” me that this and that were not my orders. Obviously I know what’s not mine because I know my name. She then flopped my sandwich bag up dismissively….thanks. I was also looking for my drink and once again, she condescendingly tells me mine isn’t there. Fair, if it’s not there then it’s not there. I just did not feel the tone and aggression this employee was speaking to me with was warranted and it was pretty humiliating in front of a store full of other customers. As I waited for my drink at least two other women approached the desk the same way I did; looking through items and not being treated like they weren’t allowed to look for their stuff. I will say I am a lot older than people assume I look and often get treated poorly in my line of work due to generational entitlement by older people and even by people who are my age and don’t realize. So, Idk if this employee just thought I was younger than I actually am and assumed I wasn’t worth the courtesy she gave others or if it was just because all of the other kind interactions I witnessed her having were with fellow Caucasian people. Unfortunately, this is my nearest and most convenient Starbucks and I will have to frequent it. It’s important to be more cognizant of how we treat all people because she could actually be very kind outside of my experience but, if other people have had similar interactions as mine then it could be assumed by many that she isn’t.

Why is this location always so dirty?! The seating area is sparse and has only beat up wooden tables and chairs. It is not very inviting. I know there are people who like to sit in there all day so maybe the discomfort is the point? This is definitely and grab and go location. You wouldn't want to hang out with friends or a good book in here. Next time I'll try the bakery next door for my coffee.

Ugh. This was my go-to Starbucks back in the day. This one had comfy seating and used to be filled with friendly customers. Now it's a mess seating-wise with a few wooden chairs. It didn't survive the pandemic welcoming-wise. It deserves a serious update!