Wow, end diatribe. Has everyone had a good month? Mine's been great. The two biggest things: 1) I'm transferring to another store; and 2) I went to New Orleans. Let's dive in.
1) This Saturday, I will officially take over as store manager at Starbucks @ Riverpark II. I am super-excited about this for several reasons.
- I was hired at the original Riverpark store (Riverpark I) over six years ago. This is a move home for me, and I can't wait to reconnect with old regulars I haven't seen in ages.
- Riverpark II is a cafe-only store, which means it has no drive-thru. While a drive-thru has its perks and I enjoy it as much as the next gal, cafe-only is my preference. It always for a singular focus and purpose; no one has to make a choice about which set of customers is more important. It also allows for more interaction with all customer and, because there are two bars side-by-side, baristas get to work together on bar -- my favorite thing to do at Starbucks.
- The change means more responsibility for me in a few ways. The newer store is busier than my current store. It employs more partners (employees). Most exciting (and daunting) of all, it was built and designed as a flagship store. A flagship store is designed to be the premiere store in a given area and to replicate and represent the experience one might have in our first store at Seattle's Pike Place Market. That's a lot of pressure and a lot of visibility, but I can't wait to get started. We have a lot of work to do to be ready to meet those expectations, and I can't get ahead of myself with big plans.
- But I do have plans! Art shows, storytime hours, evening concerts -- fun ways to connect with our community and highlight our beautiful stores. All in due time.
Cool architecture around the French Quarter.
Antique gun store Dad would like.
Door across the street from our hotel, and Fresno-State-marching-band-esque sign.
Hotel -- Pere Renaissance Marquette, outside and in.
Bourbon Street. To imagine the full experience, picture five or six more blocks of this, full of partying people.
Starbucks donated over 50,000 hours of community service during our three-day conference. Us easily-sunburned peeps got to stay at the convention center and paint artwork to be displayed at local schools ruined by Katrina. While I was disappointed not the have the opportunity to go out into the city, we met a teacher from one of the schools and had a great conversation with her about how the educational system has been, and continues to be affected by the storm.
Jodi, Julie, and Tricia hard at work.
The community came to us via a local marching band!
Works of art -- Keith, Erica, a joint collaboration with Rose. It took all three of us to finish the third picture.
10,000 people eating lunch in the Superdome. We were right on the 50-yard line!
Arena for General Session. With Howard Shultz!
And Project Red! And Bono!
New Orleans was a wonderful experience. I got to have my first beignet (and hopefully not my last), rediscover a love of crawfish, visit with Cleveland peeps, better get to my fellow District 482 managers (whom I've missed hecka much weekend), visit a beautiful city, and reignite a passion for the company I love. Now it's time to dive into a new store and an exciting holiday. Hope you're as happy as I am.
3 comments:
That's cool that you got to go there! And I'm glad you like what you do for a living :)
We're totally planning on coming home for Christmas this year. I can't wait to see you!!
What an amazing experience!!! Don't you just love beignets? Next time you go to Disneyland, the Creole restaurant in Downtown Disney makes some pretty good ones, they make do until you can get the real thing!
Looks like you had an aweseome trip! How exciting! Hopefully we'll get to visit soon!
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