pilgrim in progress

Free refills on drip coffee…finally! I heard about this the other day but just read the TIME article about Starbucks going back to its roots. Along with free refills here are a few of the other things they are doing…

“We are doing everything we can to differentiate Starbucks from everyone else that is attempting to be in the coffee business,” Schultz said at the company’s annual meeting in March, alluding to McDonald’s,Dunkin’ Donuts and several convenience-store chains that have been making a run at Starbucks’ customers. Starbucks will once again grind beans in its stores for drip coffee. It will give free drip refills, offer latte upgrades and provide two hours of wi-fi to anyone with a registered Starbucks stored-value card. Soon the company will roll out its new armor: a sleek, low-rise espresso machine that makes baristas more visible and gives them more control over the process. It has launched MyStarbucksIdea.com for consumers to talk to one another and the company. “This,” says Schultz, “is just the beginning.”