Starbucks is having a bit of an overhaul at the minute, with new CEO Brian Niccol introducing a slew of changes aimed at reviving both Starbuck’s sales figures and its reputation as a third place.
That is, an affordable hangout spot.
New policies include a return to seating-focused sites, proper mugs, and a customer-focused attitude that’s seen a mandate for pithy affirmations being scribbled on every takeaway cup.
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Who knows? Maybe prescribed ‘have a nice day’ notes will brighten someone’s afternoon up at some point.
There’s one Starbucks US outlet, however, that might not be beholden to that new rule.
One of the essential components of getting a drink to go at Starbucks is being asked for your name and then having it either misheard or misspelled when you come to collect it. It’s such an expectation that it’s practically a meme, and it’s part and parcel of the Starbucks experience.
But for customers at the Starbucks branch within the walls of the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia – or ‘Store Number 1’ as it’s dubbed on receipts – giving names out for free is an absolute no-no.
The outlet, lovingly known as ‘Stealthy Starbucks’ was first revealed to the world in a 2014 article by The Washington Post. In it, various details were divulged, such as how its baristas undergo thorough background checks before they can man the till at Store Number 1.
They also aren’t at liberty to tell people what they do for work, giving those lucky workers a taste of what it’s like to be a real-life spook.
Along with that discretion, they also aren’t allowed to ask for customers’ names. Well, it’s frowned upon anyway.
After all, undercover CIA workers are under enough pressure without coming up with a fake name at the checkout – not least while they’re at HQ – and then there’s the risk they’ll forget what they said before they pick up their order.
“Spiced caramel macchiato for Bond, James Bond? Mr Bond? Mr Bond? Excuse me, are you Mr Bond?”
"They could use the alias 'Polly-O string cheese' for all I care," explained a food services supervisor at the CIA, who could only tell the reporter their name on pain of death.
"But giving any name at all was making people — you know, the undercover agents — feel very uncomfortable. It just didn't work for this location."
We'd love to know how that Starbucks got the green light in the first place. After all, isn't the CIA HQ supposed to be pretty watertight?
Rachael Davis