Although each Starbucks Coffee location has the same logo, a similar menu and similar products, some employees say not every Starbucks is created equal.
Jackie Gonzalez expressed her discontent about not receiving the same benefits or pay as other Starbucks employees. Gonzalez is a part-time shift manager and makes $7.50 an hour at the ASU Main Starbucks.
"You're supposed to be representing Starbucks, but you're not being treated as a real Starbucks barista," said Gonzalez, an ASU journalism sophomore.
Gonzalez does not have any health benefits but receives health insurance from her parents' insurance, she said. She has been working at the campus Starbucks since the beginning of the fall 2003 semester. The convenience of the location of the ASU Starbucks was what drew her to the job, she said.
According to Julie Collier, manager of Starbucks at Mill and Fifth avenues, many of the Starbucks locations are not actually owned by Starbucks. Starbucks located at airports, bookstores, campuses and grocery stores are called "licensed concepts products," Collier said.
Licensed concepts products are businesses that have bought a license from Starbucks to distribute and sell Starbucks products, but are under their own management. The Starbucks that are owned and managed by the other businesses do not receive the same benefits or pay that other Starbucks' receive.
Employees who work for locations licensed by other businesses cannot transfer to a regular Starbucks location. Brooke Hovey, who does public relations work for the Starbucks Corp., said, "Company stores cannot actively recruit partners from licensed stores; however, partners from licensed stores are free to apply for any position within a company store."
The Starbucks employees at the Mill and Fifth avenues location start at $6.75 an hour, Collier said.
Employees of the Starbucks Corp. can receive health benefits, including medical, vision and dental insurance, according to Collier. Stock options are available for the employees.
Also, every week, Starbucks employees receive a free pound of coffee of their choice. These benefits and perks are not only available to the full-time employees, but also to any employees working 20 hours a week or more.
The ASU campus Starbucks, just a mile away, is one of the many licensed concepts products. The campus Starbucks is owned and managed by the Sodexho Company.
Sodexho is an international company that provides contract managements for dining establishments at various schools, colleges and universities. According to Ben Hartley, the general manager of the ASU division, Sodexho is represented in 87 countries. Sodexho has been an establishment at ASU for 50 years, said Hartley.
Sodexho hires employees for the licensed concepts products, such as Starbucks, Einstein's Bagels and Chick-fil-A. Sodexho subcontracts other businesses on campus, such as Jamba Juice.
Subcontracted businesses come to Sodexho for management on campus. Sub-contracted businesses are not owned by Sodexho and hire their own employees with their own policies.
According to Hartley, Sodexho employees are not limited to students. The hiring pay for a customer service representative at Sodexho is from $6 to $6.50 per hour, depending on experience.
"It's not that bad, but it would help if this barista did have the benefits that a real Starbucks barista would have," said Gonzalez.
Reach the reporter at rohanna.green@asu.edu.
