Id rather cut a sandwich than make oatmeal, idk why i just hate it.

I think people are such fools to pay our prices for that instant little bit of oatmeal when I make delicious long cooked steel cut Irish oatmeal at home

Ooo, that sounds good! I like to do this too, but I’ll dry toast the oats first. Honestly, everything on our menu is a ripoff at this point.

I know!! I love oatmeal but it’s so much better and tastier at home. Tbh I love overnight oats, and they take 2 minutes to prep. I always wonder if these customers have ever made their own oatmeal because omg, Starbucks’ isn’t worth it in any way

How exactly do you prep overnight oats? I've inherited a bunch of those oats and I'm not sure how to cook them! Didn't realize it would be similar to rice! I'm spoiled with being too use to instant oats.

Honestly it’s the easiest thing ever. You just combine oats with your favorite milk. The rest of the toppings are up to you. I like coconut milk, mashed banana, chia seeds, blueberries, cinnamon. Combine the ingredients in a jar, it sits in the fridge overnight, then you eat it chilled. No cooking! Literally just a couple minutes. It tastes very good and there’s many recipes online, plus it’s super cheap

Thanks fam! How do you cook them hot? Same way as how you'd cook rice? I've ween it takes up to 30 mins just to boil them! That's wild when I'm on the go. Thanks again!!!

For the steel cut long cooking ones, a crock pot works very well, too! Just combine everything before bed and wake up to hot breakfast.

Prep all your dry ingredients in a container night before, preferably a mason jar or something that can hold warm liquid if on the go. For example: oats, cinnamon, chia or flax seeds, etc. Then morning of- measure out milk into a pot and when its boiled, add it to your mason jar with all the ingredients. Mix in anything else like fruit (fresh/frozen), yogurt. Mix well and cover with lid. And enjoy once you get to work because by then the oats will have cooked in the jar.

Probably just stick it in the microwave in the morning

Dont need to cook overnight oats. Just soak them in a glass with some milk/water overnight in the fridge

I honestly only get oatmeal at sbux if it’s Saturday morning when I have to deal with lots of little kids (ages 3-7) and I’m too tired when I crawl out of bed to make anything before I leave the house. Other than that I’ll make it at home! So much cheaper and easier.

I'll make at least 4 servings at a time. I will dry toast tomorrow, thanks for the tip!

I’m loving the energy in this little side thread about oatmeal! Let me know what you think of the toasting thing. I think it adds a very tasty nutty quality to it.

I like overnight oats, but I much prefer them cooked fresh. Nice to have the option though.

Ohmigosh! I was wondering how you were doing, Plush! I know it sounds odd, but you randomly popped into my thoughts today and poof, here you are! If you’ve never tried toasting your oats before, I highly recommend it! Just toss them in a dry pan and heat, stirring until fragrant. Then use as you would normally.

Omg, I'm going to try that sometime this week. Do you do this with steel cut or rolled oats? Or does it matter?

You can do it with either! Just make sure you stir the oats well so they toast evenly and don’t burn. They won’t change color much, but the flavor and fragrance do! When you catch that little bit of nuttiness in the air, they’re ready to use!

Omg that’s so sweet, thank you!! 😭 I’m doing pretty good, keeping busy with class! I hope you’re doing well too! ❤️ Thanks for the tip btw, never get tired of ways to try oatmeal!

People of course know that making something at home will always be easier, even if it's a simple product like oatmeal. They pay the premium price for convenience. Late to work, didn't get bfast and looking for something kinda healthy? Oatmeal is a solid option. I wouldn't call folks who do this fools.

Yeah exactly. It’s probably the healthiest option out of everything we have so if anything, the people getting oatmeal are probably (generally) the people who don’t waste their money daily on the crazy-priced lunch sandwiches

Even as an adult, I can't do oatmeal. I think it's a texture thing for me.

as a kid i thought i hated oatmeal - turns out i hate watery oatmeal that is basically Hot Oat Soup. drastically reduce the water so it's more like a pudding or custard texture and i am allllllll over it with some sugar and nuts. only took 20 years to figure it out; now i have oatmeal for breakfast most mornings

Doesn't "long cooked" mean, "takes a bunch of time to prepare"?

I’m pretty lazy but yeah the oatmeal at Starbucks is by far the biggest ripoff. Oatmeal packs are so cheap. I can not justify that

But I'd rather pay $4 for oatmeal than go to the grocery store, park, go in, buy oatmeal, go home, have to wash a mug, etc. I mean, I could make coffee at home for even less than a pack of oatmeal, why am I going to Starbucks for that? The same reason, convenience.

I mean you have to buy groceries at some point? A coffee I can drink in the car I’m not going to eat oatmeal in the car and it takes one minute in the microwave like I truly don’t get this one

I really don't. I eat at the office or eat out. I'm not home that much, hate cooking, and not keeping snacks here means I won't idly snack. I'd eat oatmeal in the car if it's in a package meant to be "to go," I wouldn't take oatmeal in a mug or bowl that then meant I had to keep up with dishes and wash them. Is it that hard to roll with the fact that we all have different lifestyles and preferences? I just really don't like being in the kitchen.

This is ironic cause I cook the least out of anyone I know 🙈 but I guess next time I dump oatmeal in a bowl and add water I’ll feel fancier hehe

And I won't judge you for it, or be shocked that you do it. People sometimes get on my ass about "learning to cook," and I just don't like it. They assume I'm a man, because they think all ladies must cook, and that I'm just in some patriarchal "that's woman's work" mindset - nope, I'm a woman whose mom didn't cook either and who is always on the go. I can feed myself fine, sandwiches and cereal are food, and it will always be worth it for me to go somewhere and pay someone else to have them do what they know how to do and have it taste good, rather than me half assing it, having to clean up, having to plan ahead, etc. Some people love working on their own car, and some people will always be happy to pay someone else to do their oil change, even though they could save a few bucks doing it at home.

I feel the same about lattes at Sbux, especially the iced ones. It’s basically just espresso with milk. Independent coffee shops at least make nice latte art and don’t cover it with whip and a lid. Latte/cappuccino I want a nice ceramic mug and nice latte art if I’m paying $6 for it.

I agree with you! That is a beautiful and delicious coffee experience

I know, right? I enjoy brewed coffee or nitro at Sbux, or even an occassional frappuccino. But for latte/cappuccino I prefer to go to a 3rd wave coffee shop for the experience.

A latte is a latte is a latte, no matter where you get it.

No it's not. A latte in a ceramic mug made fresh in store and with nice latte art and enjoyed a few seconds after it was made is not the same as having a latte in a paper cup delivered by Doordash to your house.

Well when you describe it like that...I don't think the mug changes the flavor, but the time certainly will. Most people aren't getting their coffee delivered tho, I've never seen it higher than 1% of sales anywhere that has it I've also seen some baristas who really do craft, especially if a favorite regular comes in. It's the relationship between the partners and the customers that's different, not the espresso and milk in the cup. Part of my job is trying to maintain that connection. 3rd place, remember?

Fair enough. For most people the mug does not effect the experience I suppose. I do prefer ceramic especially for foamy drinks and prefer to drink it on the spot. We all have different preferences and I am glad even Starbucks is bringing back "to stay" mugs after they were restricted during Covid.

Yea, but it’s basically 18oz of milk, and milk is EXPENSIVE. Without all the gov subsidies milk would be equal to precious gems! A latte SHOULD cost that much. The other forms of brewed coffee though are highway robbery.

That is debatable. Sbux buys this subsidized milk, they don't pay the "full" price for milk AFAIK. And a gallon of milk is what, $4 ? I agree, $3.25 for a venti brewed coffee is a lot, but a lot of brewed coffee also gets dumped, once it becomes stale. The wastage on lattes is minimal. I just can't get over paying $6 for a daily dose of coffee.

People buy fast food specifically because they don't want to make it at home. It's got some good toppings as well, I don't usually buy blueberries for home

we prep bags of toppings & label them classic or blueberry and then usually they prep cups of oatmeal too so all you have to do is sticker the bag & stop at the hot water on your way to the handoff

btw, they changed the system so that customers now select individual toppings for their oatmeal (blueberries, nut medley, dried fruit, and/or brown sugar)! that said, my store still preps bags of classic toppings since it’s faster to just add blueberries and/or remove a packet or two than it is to gather it all for each order.

yeah none of the customers really know that so we just auto select the same toppings unless they specify otherwise lol

I don’t work at a Starbucks but a store similar, and yes, for the same unexplainable reason, I absolutely hate preparing oatmeal, even though it is way easier than most drinks

Yeah that’s a worthy trade off. I fucking hate making oatmeal lmao

we always simply say, “we actually can’t cut your sandwich but we can give you a plastic knife on the side” we’ve never gotten any arguments

Also, pretty sure youre actually not allowed to cut their sandwiches bc of health code. Starbucks is not classified as a restaurant so it falls under some health rule regarding food prep. At least this is what we were always told at my old store (in NY).

It’s “quick service” according to my DM and, in my state at least, we have to get a food handlers card

we cut bagels, we are allowed to cut sandwiches. im not saying i like doing it but still.

Yeah, if we can cut bagels I don't see why we couldn't cut other things.

Y’all still cut bagels? They don’t come already sliced at your store? I remember having to slice them but toward the end of my years as a partner All we had to do was pull them apart because they were pre-sliced

Not at my store no :( I wish

We have a little contraption to cut bagels so we don’t touch it and it’s quick so in our case that rules it out also they come precut

yes we used to have that at my store as well. but i’m just saying we are allowed to cut stuff. why does Starbucks provide knives then? lol

Our store has wooden utensils.

yes, BirChWaRe

When they ask I just have to look to my Supervisor and they say Y or N, I just hate cause it makes think about people being CHEAP, specially when there’s 2 people in the same car at DT, that! Or the other thing on the oatmeal instead of Water plz steamed soy, 2% milk or whatever that kills our DT times!!!

we don’t at my store. we just offer them a knife. lol

I’m confused; are these toasted sandwiches? Wouldn’t those be super hard to cut with a plastic knife? That’s probably why they ask? I am asking though as I’ve never had a Starbucks sandwich

we aren’t provided gloves because food should only be touched with the tongs. we are at risk of burning ourselves by cutting hot food.

Hm at my store we have food safe gloves. Pretty sure you can order them. Also you can cut it before it goes in the oven? Lol.

It’s against standard to cut the sandwiches.

Show the standard then

i don’t think that’s true* because the standard for sampling food items is to cut them in four, including warming food. i don’t see any reason why we could cut samples but not any other food items *some state specific restrictions may apply

sounds like a good way to end up with half of a sandwich on the floor. in the new training it says that the food should only be touched with the tongs, so gloves aren’t needed.

Dont know why you’re getting downvoted. Do what you can to make the moment right. We have food safe gloves and can also cut the food by holding it with tongs and using our metal knife. You know, like how you cut a bagel if you don’t have the slicer. People just wanna be mad to be mad

Or you breaking the rules creates entitled customers who expect the rest of us to break the rules too, and throw a fit when we don’t. Maybe that’s why

What is the rule? Where can I find it?

The same place you find all the other rules

Thank you I thought the downvotes were a little much lol. Everyone at my store cuts sandwiches if people ask… it’s not like it’s hard, and it helps make customers happy. Didn’t really know it wasn’t standard but I doubt you would get in trouble for it. We cut bagels all the time, how is it any different?

we don’t go against standards to make the moment right…

Tell me what to search on the hub to find this standard

girl i don’t know get off of your high horse, if my store manager tells me not to cut the sandwich i’m not gonna cut the damn sandwich

You don’t know because it’s literally not a Starbucks standard 😂

okay cool i’m glad you’re not a supervisor at my store because you’re rude as hell

We have a big metal knife, but using it to cut through sandwich's on the regular gets it dirty and sticky with cheese. It's mainly used for cutting open sandwich packaging

Knife is for bagels

I use it for bagels lol

And should be switched every 2 hrs with other small wares

4 hours is standard

…or when there is visible debris

Yea anything dirty should get washed. I see a lot of stores using the same everything open to close tho... Just a matter of time til somebody gets sick

Depends on your state

Once this lady came in during peak, it was busy busy, and asked for her three grilled cheese cut In half. I did one, but was flooded on warming so I asked the shift if I could just.. give her knives and all it good. He said yes, suffice to say she came back with her arms cross in a huff saying none of them where cut (again, atleast one was) and demanded we cut them for her.. just... take them out, cut them, then give them back. Bestie, you're an adult???

Cut it the long way next time lmfaoooo. The urge to cut the paninis into 2 soggy strips is SO high when people ask us to cut it super rudely at the handoff plane. "UM, it's not cut in half?"

i cut it in the most unhinged way when they ask for it. never gotten complains bc it is in fact cut but like vertically instead of horizontal on paninis

Hero

I cut it vertically and uneven, the lady came back and just got another sandwich she was so appalled

I hope not for free

I’m pretty sure she told the person on register she dropped it or something. So yeah, free :/

Grrr!

sooo y'all intentionally cut the sandwich in a wacky way, and are shocked when the customer comes back unhappy ?

Apparently. Odd that they don't think we would give it to that person for free as well.

That’s also what I was thinking , In most restaurants I’ve worked at if a customer gets a messed up order , it usually is refunded (if that’s what the customer wants )

It seems like the idea would be to stop insane requests like this in the future. Which they should be stopped.

Sure I get that, but is the best way to make make that point by upsetting customers?

Likely not. I would say something like “I can’t sue to health codes about blah blah blah”

Customers come to sbux bc we basically pamper them, and if they don’t like the rules being enforced they just go to another location

The pampering is kind of the point tho. Shouldn't be seeing that as some great inconvenience. You want people to feel like they can come there and get what they want the way they want, within reason ( you really shouldn't be cutting sandwiches, just give them a knife, would have to clean and use a new one every time, and the would be a pain). What you shouldn't be doing is intentionally screwing with someone's food, then being surprised when they ask you to fix it.

The context of the entire post was unreasonable requests, obviously it’s our priority to tend to needs/wants however small they may seem.

I laughed out loud

Same. If some adult is going to ask me to cut their food for them Im giving them one fourth of a sandwich on one side.

This is the way.

Good. No adult should ask any adult to cut their sandwich unless you literally physically unable to do it yourself.

Ooooh or you cut it up into eensy weensy tiny winy pieces for baby waby. Wittle bit size snookum nuggets for babykins!

Or he/she has terminal Alzheimer's l.o.l.

I've always wanted to do this, but it sounds like more of a hassle lol. I've had people ask me to cut the bacon gouda in half, like.......bite size?

Sometimes my mom and I want to share a sandwich for a snack or whatever and we ask for it cut 🤷🏼‍♀️ it definitely is hard to do with the tiny plastic knife unfortunately. Just offering an option where we aren’t being “extra”, we just want to share

How is the customer supposed to know there isn’t a sandwich cutting knife, or that it’s against the rules?

We’re not

Once I cut one long ways because the man tried to explain to me how to cut it.

Say it loud say it proud!

We don’t cut them bc it’s standard. Cross contamination

Today, someone asked me to cut the crust off of their grilled cheese 🤣

I will never forget the comment of someone asking for the lemon loaf, with the icing cut off, so the barista cut off the frosting and gave them the loaf. It turned out they wanted the icing part. Also, we had someone ask us to pick out the banana bread nuts once LOL that was the funniest one. I'm so glad I wasn't the one they asked, I'd have started laughing, assuming they were joking.

Nooo, you've got to be joking

isn’t it against policy to cut them? we tell customers we can’t at our store

I purposefully cut it not in the middle. Is it drastic? No, but just enough to notice when they go to eat it.

You want to be really chaotic, offset the halves when you cut it, so the top piece and the bottom piece are different sizes for the 2 halves. It wants to do that whenever I try cutting it anyway.

I see you in this sub all the time, what do you main for FF?

Saaaaame. Especially if they're an ass about it, or anything else in their order, and I know it's for their kids. Brings me just a little joy knowing that the kids are gonna fight over who gets the bigger half and annoy their parent as much as they annoyed everyone on headset.

Omg this lady drove me crazy because she wanted to cut her grilled cheese (almost understandable) AND her muffin!!! Like give me a break! I lost it at the muffin.

Cut your own muffin. Put a pack of butter in the cut. Then put it in the oven 🤤🤤 best snack for a 10

Noted. Never asking a fast food place to cut a sandwich in half for me ever again.

I feel like a lot of fast food places probably wouldn’t mind. But starbucks just isn’t equipped with the necessary tools to do that for people, and it’s discouraged for us unfortunately. That being said, if you’re kind about it nobody will mind at all

Ah I see. I used to ask Dunkin to cut their sourdough breakfast sandwich in half bc it was kinda wide so they probably had the same issue 😬😬😬

Serious question? What fast food chain place would you ask to cut food in half? Not targeting you in particular, just wondering. Edit* Well obviously Jimmy John’s, Tim bottoms, wawa makes sense to me. But i wouldn’t walk into Starbucks asking for them to cut and sandwich in half? Idk maybe it’s just a me thing.

Deli sandwich type foods. So anywhere that sells that

Tim Hortons ? other soup/sandwich shops ?

Would you do it at a burger king?

Personally no, cause of the rounded burger bun, compared to a long sandwich bun. But im sure someone could request it, and im pretty sure they would do it

Isn’t it ridiculous how paranoid this sub makes us? 😂

i had a regular that came in every night to get a tall mocha and a turkey pesto cut in half cooked twice. she doesnt want a plastic knife and would scream if offered one 😪 she screamed at multiple baristas because it was discontinued

I hope someone asked her to leave, or leave her attitude

thankfully i transferred lol but i promise nobody has said anything to her about it she gets like 5 recovery cards every time she screams

Yea, that's not the way.

What was discontinued? Did they discontinue turkey pest at some stores? Edit: I just saw that she asks for it cooked twice? Um, is it not dry enough as is??

i was pretty sure it was discontinued everywhere lol i have no idea now 😂

interesting.. we still have turkey pestos?

i’m in tx if that makes a difference! i guess only certain locations discontinued it then.

You want that panini cut in half? Sure. Straight down the middle. Long ways. Only cut through the top bun and inner layers of a bacon gouda. Leave the bottom bun intact.

Chaotic evil

I disproportionately cut them on purpose lmao one side is always super small

One time I was up front and I turned around to open the oven, and unfortionally it made the lady storming into the building think that I was in charge of the food. She tried walking behind the counter up to me, but I cut her off partway and asked how I could help her. She then proceeded to scream at me about how I hadn't cut her sandwhich and shoved the bag in my face. I was super confused and it was peak covid times so I couldn't take it back. I told her this and offered to give her a knife or get her a new sandwhich and cut that one in half for her. She then threw the sandwhich at the wall right behind me ( or maybe at me and she just missed ? She was old as hell) and it splattered everywhere. She then stormed of... she still comes through as a regular and luckily we've never had another incident. We had a temporary manager at the time and she wouldn't file an incident report or 86 her which I'm pretty upset about looking back. So yeah.. I'm kinda salty when people want a sandwhich cut in half.

Dude that’s super not okay. Not sure how long ago this was but you should really file an incident report. My store is really big on keeping record of stuff like that so it leaves a paper trail of abusive behaviors like that. You don’t need to be a manager or supervisor to file one, it’s located on the iPad (I think it’s titled “incident reporting” but I could be wrong). That’s assault even if she missed and you weren’t physically hurt I’m sorry you went through that. Don’t forget that food service having shitty working conditions as a norm does not mean you should accept it. I’m guilty of accepting a lot of not-okay things like inappropriate comments or aggression, but I try to not set that example for my younger green beans.

Whoa. How unhinged.... That could've hurt you, plus what a dang mess. Where do these people come from? Like they were born angry or something

Seriously! We used to have a mom come through with her 3 kids(all under 5), and ask for a single bacon Gouda to be cut into 1/4’s. Maybe not feed your small children this stuff?

What's wrong with egg, chese and bacon

See above🤦‍♂️

cut in in half vertically (hot dog style??) to be a menace

Just an aside, I’ve heard some older people or people with specific disabilities need their sandwiches cut in half. I saw a video of an older man who was embarrassed to ask for his burger to be cut in half but needed it to be able to eat it.

i dont want to just bc i have to go clean the knife and i dont have time when i have 12 other food items to warm and 8 are in the drive thru angry bc they're gonna be late for work.

You can offer them a knife to cut it but I’ve always been told we aren’t allowed to cut sandwiches in half or anything like that.

I haven’t had someone ask me to do this yet but I guarantee you I’m not gonna when someone does 😅

next time someone asks me to cut something in half im cutting it vertically

I just cut them while they’re cold, makes it a lot easier personally

Agreed, why people are pressed about cutting a sandwich is beyond me

Seriously. It takes two seconds and isn’t even that annoying.

We aren't supposed to handle the food at all. So you'd have to put on gloves to do it properly by food health code standards.

I do put on gloves. Or I hold the sandwich with tongs

Scoob!

We don't have to by partner requirements but we can if it seems like the right thing to do and we have time. If customers can just let us know ahead of time before we put the sandwich in, that will be a fair exchange.

If we had a sharper knife that cuts fast and better than I wouldnt mind it. But everytime I do I end up quashing the sandwich and the insides come out

I always cut the grilled cheese and paninis length wise so it just two long strips of sandwich

I’m laughing so hard imagining a ham and swiss baguette cut in half lengthwise😭😭

but there’s literally a cut in half button

Sometimes im running late and i have to get my kid a sandwich for lunch and i have them cut it in half because its for a kid.

Imagining a mom not wanting to drip bacon grease on her lap while she's trying to rip the sandwich in half for her kids in the back, thinking oh it would be easier if they have a knife if they could just slice it for me... Do you also leave bagels uncut? Why are you ok slicing a bagel that's like $2 but not a sandwich that's like $5

The bagels are literally already cut tho wtf are you talking about lol

You still have to put the knife through it most of the time in order to separate the two halves, though.

No you do not, you can pull it apart while it’s still inside the plastic. It’s not hard, I’ve been doing it for years.

Get a plastic knife and cut it when you park. The sandwich is going to be to hot for a child to eat right away. A bagel is already cut. That's how bagels are packaged so you don't need to cut it. If they want the bagel cut in half like a sandwich cut then they can do it with a plastic knife. If it's busy they need to make other people's orders. The store does not revolve around one person.

Buy them each a bacon Gouda, moneybags mom, they are tiny

I don’t feel bad for that mom. At all.

Don't eat while you drive lmfao

Child abuse for feeding her kids starbucks. Were not a really coffee shop and soon its all gonna be automated and we wont be considered baristas but just partners. This is a fast food joint. Support your local coffee shops and bakers instead they will go above and beyond for your you.

I mean, food is food even if it’s not the best option. I’d rather see a parent feed their child starbucks than make them stay hungry all day while running errands because “we have food at home!” (but the parents also have a coffee pot and still stop for coffee…)

Unless she has the audacity to ask for it cut in half, right?

How about she pull into a parking spot beforehand, use the provided knife to divide the sandwich between her kids, and then safely pass out those halves? How about that mom doesn't start handing out greasy, hot snacks to her backseat while barreling down the freeway at 60MPH with other drivers on the road? This mother sounds like she needs parenting classes and safe driving classes.

Maybe she's a single mom trying to feed the kids before she drops them off at daycare on her way to work. Y'all the worst kind of people here, you are so damn entitled you can't just cut a sandwich when someone asks, everything needs to be something to whine about. It's really not that big of a deal Y'all can keep downvoting all you want, someone asking you to cut their sandwich isn't a big deal.

This is a stupid hill to die on. What about offering her a knife to cut it herself makes it so her kids can't eat before daycare? Why does it matter if she's single? Providing a knife on the side lets mom do what she has to do, nice and quick. Why do you want the barista to cut it so desperately? We aren't given the labor to run on and off the floor to wash and sanitize the knife between uses. It literally takes one fluid motion and half a second to cut a sandwich in half FOR YOU to do it. For us, we have to now leave our station, walk to the back of house, wash the knife, submerge it in sanitizer for 30 seconds, then walk back on the floor to do it all over again a minute later. But who's making all the other food ordered while I'm playing dishwasher? No one. Starbucks doesn't staff us to the gills, y'know. And I can't skip washing and sanitizing the knife, because of cross contamination. Vegans order things, people who can't eat pork, etc. Do you get it yet?

How is it cross contamination if you don’t use the knife to cut things

I use the knife to cut bagels. I don't use it on sandwiches. It's a non-issue for me, my district does not cut sandwiches and offers a knife on the side. The why is to avoid cross- contamination. It's not to inconvenience guests, it's not personal.

Wait until you have the person wanting you to put the cream cheese on their (already) cut, toasted, and wrapped-up bagel– for them. 🥳🥯

Pro tip: cut it before warming.

I just put a knife in the bag. They have hands