It’s not the worst place to end up, imo. There’s plenty of stores to transfer to and it’s fairly easy to do so. There’s a pretty even split of high/average/low tip stores, just depends on factors like neighborhood and store location (stand alone, strip mall, kiosk, etc). If you’re willing to travel a bit, some of the stores make damn good tips, for a sbux. The coffee market here is super saturated, so your clientele tend to be a mixed bag of loyal Starbucks customers and self proclaimed coffee sommeliers, but everyone has an idea of how there coffee SHOULD be made. If you’re not super hung on the (arguably many) benefits of working for Starbucks, there’s also plenty of barista jobs here that likely pay more.

I’m a 5 year former partner, about half of that time was spent here in Portland. I’ve worked in CA, IN, and OR. My last store was a kiosk in one of the busiest malls in America, Washington Square. I transitioned out of sbux and into a kitchen job, which was the best move I’ve ever made. Not because there was anything particularly wrong with the company, but because I’ve gained invaluable culinary experience because of it. I would have stayed with the company through the end of my education, if ASU offered better options for my desired career path.

Hope this helps :)