Starbucks

Update: Starbucks Coffee Co.'s Alan Hilowitz, director of corporate communications, responded to Massachusetts action: "Starbucks charged a $1.50 service fee for customers who request to purchase only a half-pound of whole bean coffee not pre-packaged in that quantity. That charge covered the additional labor and packaging needed to accommodate those customers' unique request. Starbucks regularly reviews our pricing and makes adjustments from...

Sunni Gilliam does, in fact, know how to read the tea leaves. In late 2005, when a Starbucks seemed to be popping up on every block, Gilliam opened Tea-ology, an "urban tea house" in Fells Point. The name was soon changed to Teavolve, and a few years later, she opened another, larger Teavolve in an up-and-coming area called Harbor East. "We were here before Legg Mason. We were here before Four Seasons. We were here before Chazz," Gilliam said. Now, Gilliam and her fiance, Del Powell, plan to open a new Teavolve in the Hopkins BioPark in the next two months.

It's 9:30 a.m. on a Friday, and a short line of cars has formed in the drive-thru of Java Divas coffee shop. Inside the small gray shed, barista Lauren Lucabaugh serves a frappuccino with a smile — and little else. The brown-haired, blue-eyed Lucabaugh sports a skimpy purple and black bikini, which her customer, Justin Hartman, glances at before thanking her for the cold coffee drink and driving off. "I've never seen anything like this," said Hartman, a 23-year-old who lives in Pasadena.

Coffee drinkers in Mount Vernon were graced Tuesday night with the presence of an ex-president: Bill Clinton apparently had to stop by Starbucks while in town for a talk at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Marcel Jagne-Shaw (@JagneShaw), who lived in Clinton's home state for five years, was studying late when he ran into the man himself. "I was preoccupied & caught off guard, I shoulda hollered out I was from Arkansas too Lol. Really down to earth tho," he tweeted. In case you're curious, Jagne-Shaw said he thought Clinton ordered a grande macchiato.

How about a caffeine boost before you stop by the bar for a drink after work? Starbucks is offering Frappucino Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Let's call it pre-happy hour. The smoothie-like drinks will be half price during that time through May 15. And not all the drinks are caffeinated by the way. The coffee giant has also added two new frappuccino flavors: Mocha Coconut Frappuccino - made with Frappuccino Roast coffee, whole milk and coconut syrup, blended with ice and topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and toasted coconut flakes.

Buy one festive holiday drink and get one (of equal or lesser value) for free. 11/17 - 11/20 only, 2-5 PM. For official details:  http://merry.starbucks.com/en-us/#/bogo/ .  For Starbucks offers on your phone, text MERRY to 697289. And for those wondering which drinks qualify as Holiday Drinks:   Peppermint Mocha: Peppermint lovers rejoice! Your holiday favorite is back. Caramel Brulée Latte: Warm up with sweet, caramel goodness. Gingerbread Latte: Enjoy the flavor of freshly baked gingerbread.

Update:  Starbucks has responded. Linda Mills, a spokeswoman from Starbucks, says: “Starbucks has a goal to minimize artificial ingredients in our products. And the strawberry base that we use  does have a cochineal extract, a common dye used in the food industry. It's in yogurt and fruit juices and a number of consumer products. It helps us move away from artificial  ingredients from our products.”  An online petition has been launched by a South Carolinian against Starbucks' red food coloring in its Strawberry drinks.

You can't walk into a coffeehouse anymore without seeing laptops open on tabletops. Tables near an electrical outlet are especially coveted. I like working in a coffeehouse sometimes myself. It gets me out of the house — I'm a freelance writer — and away from the disturbances of home (the dog, the telephone, the refrigerator, the piles of laundry). It also lets me see fellow human beings, which is nice if you're not a hermit by nature. Now, listen up, all you people who work at the coffeehouse.

SEATTLE -- Determined to show that it has taste beyond the espresso bar, Starbucks will market a new book to customers beginning in October. Called For One More Day, it is the latest novel from author Mitch Albom, who wrote the best-selling memoir Tuesdays with Morrie. The campaign marks the latest effort by Starbucks to connect its customers with entertainment recommendations, where it has compiled a mixed record. The coffee retailer began selling selected CDs in stores two years ago, and had a big hit with the Ray Charles CD Genius Loves Company, which it helped finance and market.

The Annapolis' Historic Preservation Commission decided last night to postpone reviewing a proposal to open a Starbucks coffee shop inside a historic inn on Church Circle. Commission Chairman William Schmickle said the coffee shop owners lack building code approval from the city's Department of Neighborhoods and Environmental Programs, which has decided that the plans do not meet federal wheelchair and disability access laws. Schmickle said the commission could not consider or vote on the plans for a coffee shop in the vacant basement room at the 18th-century Maryland Inn until the permit is obtained.

If you stop at Starbucks for coffee in the morning, save the receipt to get a discount in the afternoon. A receipt for any beverage in the morning will be good after 2 p.m. for a Grande cold beverage for $2, plus tax. At participating stores, customers can choose from iced coffee, iced tea or Starbucks Refreshers in the Grande size - 16 ounces. The Starbucks deal is good through Sept. 3.  

Baltimore County Police are reporting that two men entered the Starbucks on York Road in Towson on Saturday, July 14, took an iPad from a customer, then fled. According to police reports, the incident occurred between 3:55 and 4:03 p.m. in the unit block of York Road. Police said the men entered Starbucks after they were seen urinating near the building. One of the men stole the iPad, then they both fled to white Dodge Caravan that had been parked near the Marriott, according to police.

Buchannan Avenue 4400 block at 5 p.m. May 31. Red and white, 2007 Honda MC with no tags stolen. West Cold Spring Lane 200 block, between 3:40 and 5 p.m. May 31. Pocketbook, credit cards, license, cash, library card stolen from vehicle. Evesham Avenue 900 block, between 8 and 9 p.m. May 29. Cell phone stolen from vehicle. Falls Road 3700 block, between 11:30 p.m. May 29 and 11:08 a.m. May 31. Helmet stolen from vehicle. 4500 block, between 11:45 p.m. May 27 and 10:20 a.m. May 28. Cash stolen from Arlon's carryout restaurant.

Starbucks is offering half-off any flavor and size of its blended beverages starting Friday and running through May 13, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The blends, mixes of syrup, coffee, milk and ice, include flavors such as Mocha Cookie Crumble, Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème and Mocha Coconut. And if you're tweeting, tag your Twitter photos with #FrappuccinoHappyHour to win prizes. The top 10 best beverage-inspired photos will go into a daily photo album at facebook.com/Frappuccino.

Update:  Starbucks has responded. Linda Mills, a spokeswoman from Starbucks, says: “Starbucks has a goal to minimize artificial ingredients in our products. And the strawberry base that we use  does have a cochineal extract, a common dye used in the food industry. It's in yogurt and fruit juices and a number of consumer products. It helps us move away from artificial  ingredients from our products.”  An online petition has been launched by a South Carolinian against Starbucks' red food coloring in its Strawberry drinks.

A man walking near a Towson coffee shop was struck by a car early Saturday and seriously injured. The accident occurred at 12:52 a.m. near the Starbucks at York Road and Linden Terrace, according to Baltimore County Police Sgt. Benjamin Yohe. The man, who suffered head injuries during the collision, was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. No one was arrested immediately after the crash, but Yohe said the investigation is continuing. Text NIGHTLIFE to 70701 to sign up for Baltimore Sun nightlife and music text alerts

Coffee drinkers in Mount Vernon were graced Tuesday night with the presence of an ex-president: Bill Clinton apparently had to stop by Starbucks while in town for a talk at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Marcel Jagne-Shaw (@JagneShaw), who lived in Clinton's home state for five years, was studying late when he ran into the man himself. "I was preoccupied & caught off guard, I shoulda hollered out I was from Arkansas too Lol. Really down to earth tho," he tweeted. In case you're curious, Jagne-Shaw said he thought Clinton ordered a grande macchiato.

Maryland lost a five-state battle for a key economic-development plum yesterday, as fast-growing Seattle coffee chain Starbucks Corp. said it would open a coffee roasting and distribution plant in York, Pa. The plant could produce 500 jobs.The decision to move to York came at the end of a nine-month search that eventually narrowed itself to a choice between York and the Riverside Business Park in the Belcamp section of Harford County."The reason it was attractive was that, at a minimum, in the first phase they were talking 275 jobs.

Good news for Chipotle fans, aka dudes everywhere. New Chipotle stores are coming to Mid-Town Belvedere and the Southside Market Place in the Locust Point Industrial Area. The first Chipotle will open on Dec. 6 in a ground-floor retail space at Twelve09, the condominium complex at 1209 N. Charles St. in Mid-town/Belvedere. This is near the corner of Charles and Preston, where that Starbucks is. The next Chipotle opens on Dec. 13 in the Southside Market Place.    

Buy one festive holiday drink and get one (of equal or lesser value) for free. 11/17 - 11/20 only, 2-5 PM. For official details:  http://merry.starbucks.com/en-us/#/bogo/ .  For Starbucks offers on your phone, text MERRY to 697289. And for those wondering which drinks qualify as Holiday Drinks:   Peppermint Mocha: Peppermint lovers rejoice! Your holiday favorite is back. Caramel Brulée Latte: Warm up with sweet, caramel goodness. Gingerbread Latte: Enjoy the flavor of freshly baked gingerbread.