In the US while shopping at a mall we would frequently stop for a break at Starbucks for coffee and a muffin. We enjoyed the atmosphere; the coffee was good and the muffins tasty. It’s a different story at Starbucks in Chiclayo’s Real Plaza.
This Starbucks opened about two years ago. We visited it shortly after the grand opening and were disappointed with both the coffee and muffins. Thinking that maybe they needed time to get their act together we didn’t visit again for many months. The second experience was no different. We left believing that we probably wouldn’t return.
Yesterday, for absolutely no good reason we once again found ourselves in Starbucks. And once again were disappointed. The coffee continues to taste bitter, and the muffins we ordered tasted as you would expect a dry, stale, reheated muffin would taste. I once again vowed never to return. Maribel took it farther than that. She put her mostly uneaten muffin in her purse, brought it home, took a photo of it with the receipt and sent an email to Starbucks along with the photo, lamenting more so than complaining about the sad state of affairs concerning Starbucks in Chiclayo. This morning she received a reply offering a refund. I don’t think that’s what she’s after. She’s on a mission to help Starbucks help themselves!
On a different but somewhat related matter, last week while wondering through the dairy products section of a nearby Metro food store we were momentarily stunned to see a large selection of brick cheeses from Crystal Farms located in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. An employee told us they had been offering the brand for two months. We bought the remaining five bricks of mild Cheddar along with several bricks of Monterey Jack and Marble Cheddar. At $4.40 per 8oz brick the cheese is a bit pricy, but damn!... it’s Wisconsin cheese! Now if only the importer; E. Wong SA would add Redwood Creek Pinot Noir to their imports life would be complete!
**NOTE**
As I was about to publish this, Maribel received an email from a Starbuck’s representative in Lima offering to meet with us for coffee in the Chiclayo location to discuss our views. Frankly, because of different suppliers and other concerns I don’t think they have the ability, nor do we expect them to be able to replicate conditions in the US, but we’re both impressed with their handling of the issue so far. We will meet with them and report back on what transpires.
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Sorry to comment on a very old post, but which Metro had the Wisconsin cheese and do they still have it now?
ReplyDeleteTo our sorrow no...the Wisconsin cheese disappeared over two years ago, and just recently the Wisconsin bratwurst sold at Tottus has also disappeared, we're told permanently.
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