Okay Starbucks, you pushed me over the edge yesterday. If I visit ten different Starbucks I’m lucky if one of them can make a Cappuccino. Nine out of ten end up serving a Latte when you order a Cappuccino. The idea that you have “baristas” is just a joke.

A Latte, by definition, is an Espresso drink that has steamed milk and a little bit of froth. A Cappuccino is an espresso drink with some steamed milked and foam. While there is no hard rule about the ratio of espresso to steamed milk to foam, it generally is talked in thirds. 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 foam. If you are in the ball park of thirds then you are fine. If you order a Grande Cappuccino and a Grande Latte you will notice that the latte is heavier. That’s because it has more steamed milk and no foam.

Why am I explaining all this? Because once again I stopped by a Starbucks on the way to meeting yesterday and ordered a cappuccino. What did I get? A Latte. Why is it your trained staff can’t either tell or make a proper Cappuccino? If I go to Lavazza or Caribou I can get one. Why can’t your trained “baristas” not achieve this?

If you can’t do it right then take it off the menu. Better not to server it then serve it poorly. This is a major reason why I refer to Starbucks as the McDonalds of coffee. And no, comparing you to a McDonalds is not a good thing.