Starbucks Coffee
London Orbital Motorway South Mimms, M25, Potters Bar EN6 3QQ, United Kingdom
3.5
248 reviews
8 comments
MQPH+X9 Potters Bar, United Kingdom
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Monday: 6–21
Tuesday: 6–21
Wedneasday: 6–21
Thursday: 6–21
Friday: 6–21
Saturday: 6–21
Sunday: 6–21
Tuesday: 6–21
Wedneasday: 6–21
Thursday: 6–21
Friday: 6–21
Saturday: 6–21
Sunday: 6–21
Coffee seems to be extra bitter, even by Starbucks standard.
It’s a shame because this is a new building and could be nice.
Avoid if you can.
I was at the Starbucks South Mimms (London Orbital Motorway South Mimms, M25, Potters Bar) this morning at 8:10am (July 1st '22). I asked for 2 Balck Americanos, the lady at the cash counter asked my name I told her and she entered into the system. I was waiting for the coffee, when the coffee was ready, there was another lady calling the customers by their first names written on the cup. She called "Chris", then she looked at next the cup and said "Chai latte", then looked at the next cup and called "Steven". Next one was my coffee cup, getting ready to be collected; she looked at the name written on the cup and called "Black Americano". I didn't know why she didn't call me by my name? Though I collected the coffee and went back to my table, it started bothering me slowly. So I went back to the counter and asked for the manager. The same lady came forward saying she is the manager. I asked her why she didn't call me by my name, she said "I cannot read it", I looked at the cup it is written clearly "*vivek*", aksed the guy next to me if he can read he said "yes". I asked her again, why did you call the previous other Brown guy "Chai Latte" and then the two white guys as Chris, the next Steven, and then me as "Black Americano". She said "there you are!", I don't know what that is supposed to mean, then she said "this conversation is over". Standing at a Starbucks counter, she is doing a racial profiling in a cheap and petty way, and then when someone asks for an explanation, she says "there you are!" and "this conversation is over!". Is this why Starbucks is asking names from the customers so that they can be discriminated based on their race/origin? I have been thinking about this whole day and been feeling so bad, as if someone has the right to treat me that way and then brazen it out saying "so what?", that too standing in a Starbucks coffee counter. This is not fair. If this was just an innocent mistake she would have immediately said sorry, but she didn't. She was completely unfazed when I protested. She knew exactly what she was doing there and she knew what I was protesting about, but she just didn't care, maybe she knows she would easily get away with it. Maybe she did it before, maybe this is the norm at that counter. Maybe someone else protested in the past and nothing happened. I am aghast! This was not necessary at any level. I hope Starbucks management takes notice of this and does something about it so that brown guys are not addressed as "Chai Latte" or "Black Americano" instead of their names when their white counterparts are addressed by their first names with a smile. I never thought I would have to write this review but this incidence has shaken me from inside. The brazenness of the staff was astounding!