since sbux focuses on speed than quality it is a ff sbux chain 😑 coffee shops are very sit down date kind of deal

Starbucks is definitely fast food, especially in recent years. I’ve worked at several Starbucks locations since 2016, and the company has gone from a somewhat coffee shop vibe to full blown fast food. The company’s main focus is drive thru times, mobile orders & money, money, money. The “third place” mantra that the company used to focus on has flew out the window… now they only care about kissing every customer’s ass & doing it in a timely manner. “Customer connection” scores matter more to the company than its employees, even though those scores are wildly skewed. Now it’s “every customer is ALWAYS right, no matter what”…. I personally wouldn’t buy starbucks if my life depended on it. Frozen food & enough sugar in drinks to induce a diabetic coma for $7+ ?? No thanks. I’d choose ANY other coffee shop in my area or make coffee at home.

starbucks is 100% fast food but with their “low drive times/high customer connection” they are pulling in two different directions and trying to be both. they’re eventually going to have to pick one or the other and i guarantee they will choose fast food bc it maximizes their profits

It is a fast food place that serves coffee. I’ve seen people on here go but fast food workers don’t have to make all the drinks. Yes but instead of a lot of food with a some drinks.. Starbucks is a lot of drinks with no some food.

The industry hates the phrase "fast food," so it calls itself QSR (quick service restaurant). Starbucks is 1000% a QSR.

Traditional cafes don't have drive-thrus and quick heat ovens.

Fast food for sure. As soon as drive thru was introduced and then especially after mobile ordering

The vibe and the way corporate sells is is an Italian-style coffee shop, but by definition it’s fast food.

Sad, too, because Starbucks used to truly be an Italian-style coffee shop. Back in the good old days when it only sold brewed coffee and traditional espresso drinks and the only sizes were short and tall.

Unfortunately they lost that distinction when they decided teas, refreshers, frappuccinos, cold brew, flavored drinks, etc. are a good idea.

We're a McDonald's with a muted color pallet

I can get you from the box to the window and put in 45 seconds flat with a good crew. Regardless what you order (6 drink and hopefully less than 4 food items)
If that’s not fast food idk what to say

it’s a fastfood that tries hard to imitate the coffee shop vibes with the whole “third place” thing. from my understanding most fast foods have a limit to how long you can be sitting in there (whether it’s enforced or not). starbucks also has curated playlists for music because they wanna create a certain vibe or whatnot and most fastfoods just have some corporate radio station that plays. basically they have these props that are set up to make it feel like you’re getting the coffee shop experience, and I would say most people do buy into it

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It’s fast food with a poor coffee shop mask on. At the end of the day especially for drive thru locations it’s about speed more than anything.

It’s fast food…

Starbucks is fast food

10 years ago I would have said a coffee shop, but now there’s no doubt it’s a fast food joint. When “out the window times” and “speed of service” are the most common phrases you hear from management then obviously it’s “fast” food. When customer connection has been turned into a “score” you know it’s no longer about creating a third place for “nurturing the human spirit” or “creating inspired moments.”

It used to be a coffee shop before they added drive thrus and ovens with breakfast sandwiches. That's where all the 3rd place crap comes from that just doesn't work anymore.

100% fast food no question about it

100% fast food. quantity over quality is pushed as well as under 50 second drive thru times; it is insane to me. local coffee shops are real coffee shops

It is food service but if you’ve ever worked at BK, McD, or KFC…. You realize it’s not the same

Fastfood no questions asked

It’s definitely both. It’s a fast food model for a coffee shop. It’s still a cafe

it’s a fast food place in my opinion. focus on quantity rather than quality

it’s fast food full stop

Glorified fast food has always been my answer.

Having worked at SB and other cafes? SB is fast food its not a cafe.

Fast food for sure. I love going to local small business coffee shops and spend my time studying coffee pretty much, and compared to how actual coffee shops make drinks (taking their time, focusing on quality and perfectly crafting the drink) vs how Starbucks “sequences” drinks (pushing drinks to be made in seconds, poor quality ingredients and drinks) Starbucks is far from a real coffee shop.

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