Starbucks

I recently moved a few blocks away, which means that my beloved CWE «home» Starbucks has been replaced. With that sorrow, however, comes some measure of joy. The layout of the Wydown Starbucks is open and accommodating, far more so than the locations found in the city. There is more than ample seating, and tables are spread far enough apart to avoid knocking into your neighbor.
The small outdoor patio on the southern side of the store provides a view of the Botero while sipping your coffee.
As others mentioned, this store can get very loud during the weekdays after school lets out. Sunday afternoons, I’ve found, are calm.

Typical Starbucks I guess but I must have confused the cashier with my mind bending request to transform 15 pennies into a dime and a nickel so I could use the meter. She took this baffling question with much confusion as she made her way up the mental Everest. Dumped my changed in the drawer and said have a great day. Oh jeez.

This is a starbucks from the old standby days when their footprints are large. Today, new Starbucks that are rolled out seem to be focused on counter space and are almost takeout in nature rather than sit and stay shops. This starbucks surely fits into the sit and stay column. This place can be crowded but the staff is very efficient and the line tends to move quickly. It can get rather busy in the early mornings of weekends with all the weekend warriors finishing up their road bike rides. There is some nice seating outside and just down the hill in wydown park. This is definitely my favorite Starbucks in town.

So glad to have this Starbucks right here in my neighborhood! Everyone that works here has always been friendly and eager to get your order right. Service is always fast and efficient, but if not completely accurate, they work hard to fix your order ASAP. The best Starbucks I’ve ever been to! They’re always busy but always friendly.

Pretty much your typical Starbucks. Nice outdoor seating area. They get my order right and are quick.
It can get quite busy when the school kids all storm in the store at once.
If the weather is good, venture down to Wydown Park just a block east on Wydown. Its usually very quiet and has a lot of nice benches.

Your not reading this review because you’ve never been to a Starbucks before so I am not going to begin to tell you about the menu.
This Starbucks is not just a coffee shop– it is a lifestyle shop. If your single and want to meet a runner– check out Starbucks between 7 am –10 am on Saturdays. If you want to meet moms of elementary aged kids – go between 1 – 3 during the week. A church-​goes… go on Sunday between 9 – 10:30 or again after 11:15 for the Central Pres crowd. THIS STARBUCKS IS ALWAYS HOPPING!
Service is good, parking can be a bit of a pain (bring quarters!) and finding a quiet table can be a problem on the weekend mornings.

I tried to do some work here today and I couldn’t even with ear buds on. Maybe I should have brought my larger surround sound headset instead.
One of the reviewers who said that there a lot of ladies from nearby who like to talk really loud and obnoxiously to draw attention to themselves or talk loud on their phone inside was spot on. I left this afternoon after about 30 minutes after this couple of bleached and Botoxed middle-​aged women with their trendy yoga pants were way too loud at the table next to with a seemingly never-​ending torrent of petty complaints, gossip about other women and their kids, and name-​dropping.
I came here for some coffee and to get some work done. Not a headache.

it’s a Starbucks. for me, great location. parking can be a problem. but the biggest problem by far are some of the loud pretentious women that come here. the type that talk loud to get attn, I guess they want it known that they live in Clayton? who knows. dont misunderstand, i’m not saying that everyone is, but there’s enuff that are to make it annoying. it’s so bad that I’ve stopped going to this location. i guess its their starbucks, not mine. A friend referred to them as geese and not swans. perfect description.

Note to everyone, this Starbucks doesn’t have the coffee cake & vanilla bean scones. :(Other than that, I like everything about this place. Just not the fact that they don’t have my favorite vanilla bean scones anymore. Don’t park in the Public Parking on Wydown about half a block away. There’s no meters, & you must have a parking sticker. Odd I say.

hanging out in a coffee house/​café to do some work while sipping a drink and possibly a snack? Having to feed a meter the entire time is not the best plan. This place you have to find a metered spot and then feed it. Meters are expensive here.
The store is not as warm and inviting as many other of these and it’s not as nice looking inside either.

As far as corporate coffee houses go, this my be my favorite in the city. Its a great location to meet my clientele and it just has a nice vibe to it that doesn’t exist at other city or county locations. You know you are getting a good coffee and this location is spread out enough… more than most places.

Alright, here’s the deal. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize I prefer local coffee over corporate coffee. I think it tastes better, I like the look and feel of local shops, and the warm and fuzzy feeling you get when supporting a local biz owner trumps all the cake pops in the world (although damn, those cake pops are good, SBux.) That being said, sometimes I have to make a choice based on where I am and how much time I have. Occasionally (not often) those factors land me at the Wydown Starbucks.
It’s not a bad place to be for a few different reasons, #1 being the space. This Starbucks is huge and there are many seating options, including couches, tall tables, big tables for groups, and also seats ideal for people working alone. There’s also a cool little setup of tables outside which I can appreciate on a nice day. Secondly, the employees are so nice and efficient. When I throw my order at them of a doubletallicedsoysugarfree vanilla latte, they don’t even flinch and it comes out quick and just how I like it. Obviously, also, the free & reliable wi-​fi doesn’t hurt.
The trouble happens in the 3:00 hour. Whatever schools are nearby let out sometime around then, and it’s as if someone opens the doors to the schools and says «release the hounds!» Students from middle school aged to high school aged come barging through the doors of Starbucks, likely looking to consume more sugar ’cause they probably haven’t had enough already, and it’s literally the loudest place on earth for about an hour. Girls crowding over each others phones yelling «OMG! I CANNOT BELIEVE HE SAID THAT!» Boys poking girls in the side causing the girls to shriek at scarily high levels. It’s bad. It’s funny to look around at everyone in there working because they literally can’t believe their eyes (and ears.)
If you’ve gotta go corporate, this Starbucks is a fine choice. Just go in the morning or early afternoon, and if you choose to go around 3… well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Look, we all know what Starbucks is like. This ain’t no franchise, ladies and gentlemen, and there’s nothing I can tell you about the selection that you don’t already know.
What I CAN tell you is that this Starbucks is my absolute favorite nearby (half block away) establishment, with total credit due to the absurdly awesome manager and staff. Who else can I expect to harass me for being a bum freelancer, wearing the same baggy cutoff jorts every summer morning, and the same ripped jeggings every winter day? I mean BESIDES my mom.
No one, that’s who.
I wouldn’t have it any other way. These guys are friendly and fabulous, and make the morning drudge that much better.*
I happen to make an amazing cup o’ joe — beans purchased from a «source» who gets them from Rulli of Marin County, California… fresh grinds every few days… single cup cone drip — and on most mornings, I am happy to make my own. But at least once a week, when I’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed and need a friendly face, or I’ve slept in and can’t find the kettle (let alone those little cone filters) Wydown Starbucks comes through.
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* To be fair, when you’re a freelancer in cutoff jorts, there’s not much «drudge» to the morning routine.

This is a nice big Starbucks with lots of seating as well as a few kiosks with Starbucks drinkware and gift idea items. The staff are very friendly. I was afraid there’d be a long wait in the morning, but it was fairly quick and I was off on my way.

Starbux as it was meant to be! Real neighborhood feel with smart staff friendly with locals – even know people by name.