Wherefore art thou, Starbucks Gold

As did much of the rest of the Starbucks blogosphere, I reacted with clutched pearls when the news broke last week at the coffee giant was changing up its rewards program.

Those ever-so-nifty Starbucks Gold cards - they're black, embossed with a gold Starbucks cup - probably to emulate those SUPER-EXCLUSIVE Amex Black cards, are (or rather, WERE) sort of like an uber-Starbucks card.

Ten percent off everything in the store. All the time. Every drink. Every pastry. Every sandwich. All day, every day. It was totally worth it. And if you bought beans or coffee, ten percent. As a bonus, if you used it JUST ONCE A MONTH, you got free WiFi. Are we clear on this? FREE WIFI AT STARBUCKS.

For spending money you were going to spend anyway. Listen. I'm at Starbucks all the time. You better believe I figured out real quick how to get some WiFi up in there.

There was also another Starbucks Rewards program - for "regular" Starbucks cards. This one got you free syrups, free soy milk and the free WiFi - but NOT the 10-percent discount. For the caffeine-addicted, like me - the lure of 10% was totally worth the $25 price tag for Starbucks Gold.

Apparently, most of America agreed - because the program must have exceeded all expectations. Because they're killing it.

They're hiding it under the usual blah-blah-blah about how "people want to be rewarded for getting a free coffee every xxx" - and Starbucks will indeed give you a free coffee every 15 coffee - IF YOU PAY WITH A STARBUCKS CARD. Cash or credit? You're out of luck. They want to track you and track you HARD baby. Buying patterns is what this is ALL ABOUT. Don't let them spin it any other way.

BUT I AM MISSING THE POINT. THE POINT. THE POINT. THE POINT. I ALWAYS MISS THE POINT!


I went to Starbucks this past weekend and felt the need to "freshen up."

Imagine my shock (and awe) to find that there, in the bathroom, lied the sad remains of the Starbucks Gold program.

I've been to this Starbucks a half-dozen times over the past month - and there's never been a basket in the bathroom. Now, it holds the sad, sad remains of the Starbucks Gold program and some random AT&T brochures. And a few Starbucks Duetto brochures - they better not cut that out.

Anyway. The Starbucks Gold program is officially kaput. I'm actually not out anything - because they sent me one for free. They ought to have - I probably kept at least one location afloat on the back of triple venti raspberry white chocolate mochas for about four years. And it has been nothing but iced mochas for the past year. Sometimes three a day. Add the donuts and the occasional sandwich, plus what I buy for friends, and I ran past $25 in savings in about a month. Of course, they made far, far more off of me.

Still, it isn't like I'm going to roll in to Dunkin Donuts. Or worse, McDonalds. *shudder* No outlets, no adorable baristas in the vein of Vintage Billy Idol and worse, no iced venti mochas and yummy pastries. McDonalds in the coffee game. I scoff at thee!
Alas, poor Starbucks Gold, I knew him, Horatio!