What is up with Starbucks nowdays? Our household has been very busy the last week or so. We have been running here and running there, doing this that and whatever. To make a long story short, we didn’t have any coffee in the house this morning. No problem, load the kid up and run to our local Starbucks. I’m going to get a venti size cup of coffee and a bag of beans to take home.
OK, I’ll have a venti Sumatra and this bag of beans. Yes sir, oops, sorry sir, we’re brewing that, how about Pike Place? uhh (I hate Pike Place, their new house blend, I don’t know why, but I find it awful, but still) OK, give me a venti Pike Place. Ooops, sorry sir, we don’t have any of that either, how about an americano?
(I hate their americanos. I love them elsewhere but Starbucks just doesn’t get it.) So, no thanks, I’ll just take the bag of beans. Ohh we’re sorry sir! No problem. So I get the bag and come home and brew my own.
This type of exchange happens a lot these days when I go to Starbucks. They are invariably out of the coffee I want and either have to get the Pike Place or an americano. Come on folks, if you want to sell coffee, then keep it on hand.
And while I’m whining, I don’t like their afternoon policy. Pike Place only for caffeinated. Uggh.
Enough whining. Lets talk about their logo. I generally like to have a visual on my posts so I googled for their logo. Wow, talk about a lot of hits. The history of their logo is very ineresting. The logo above is their latest version. Below is the older version.
Come to find out that the lady is not a mermaid but a siren. Sirens are those mythological creatures who lured sailors to their doom with promises of a good time. A siren is different from a mermaid in that sirens have split tails and mermaids have one. I know that you get the idea. Do I have to spell it out for you? Hope not.
An even earlier version of the logo is below. The siren is a lot less stylized, but “rounder”, and in my opinion, much sexier.
I got most of this information from a post from the blog “Dead Programmer’s Cafe.”
Now, the Queen Esther part. Those Bible scholars among us (not including me) know that Queen Esther was the Queen of Jews in Persia way back when King Xerxes chose her among 7 beautiful virgins to be his Queen. It is quite the complicated story and it is all covered in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament. It turns out that many people in the Middle East including Muslims believe that the siren in the Starbucks logo is Queen Esther, a Jewish Queen, and the crown she wears is the crown of Persia. Muslims find this offensive. This rumor has caused Starbucks all sorts of grief in trying to get their business going in the area.
Of course, I’m not sure that the Muslims would appreciate the story about sirens either.
I like the older logo, too. I love posts that tell me something I didn’t know. And, I’m not surprised about the problems. They grew to fast in Oklahoma and as sure as they built, they closed stores. Weirdness.
This was interesting! I learned something new.
I’m taking the Beth Moore study on Esther right now. Quite a fascinating book! She (Beth) brings it to life!
I’m always perturbed with businesses that don’t have what they should have on hand. Our local Popeye’s, before it closed, would sometimes be out of chicken strips!?! Geez! I even called the manager at one point and talked with him about how I REALLY wanted them to make it in our town because we loved Popeye’s. I told him they wouldn’t survive if they didn’t have good customer service or get orders right. Literally six months later it closed. It wasn’t even opened two years. Sad.
Really interesting. I am also taking the Esther study right now.
I don’t drink coffee or tea so I really haven’t looked at the logo or thought about it.
I never even thought about the logo! You need to haunt a new Starbucks. The one on 71st and Garnett gave me a free drink once when they didn’t have what I wanted. No drive thru – but they are great there!
I never really looked at the logo, but you’ve presented some great history. Fascinating that the Muslims are offended.
hmmm had never really looked at their logo before. I’ve never had a problem when I go into Starbucks but thats only because I order the same thing each time, a Venti mocha extra shot. Don’t need anymore coffee the rest of the day. =)