Starbucks is one of the most famous coffee brands in the world.
Starbucks not only offers coffee but also provides a huge variety of products such as coffee beans, mugs, coffee makers, thermoses, and several others.
Starbucks also offers a drive-through format.
The drive-through format is convenient for the customers who want to pick up their orders from the car when they are on a long drive or on a journey.
When we go to a Starbucks outlet, we often tip the barista for good customer service.
But the main question in this article is should we tip at a Starbucks drive-through also?
This question is really debatable and every customer has a different opinion about this.
The barista at a drive-through makes sure to deliver the right order to you while working in such a rush.
They work under immense pressure and try to deliver your order as fast as they can.
This helps in saving your precious time.
In my opinion, the baristas at Starbucks can be compensated a little in terms of the little tip by appreciating their efforts.
But yes, there are other people who think that Starbucks coffee is already very costly and they are not ready to spend extra money on the tip.
In the end, it all depends on your preference and budget.
In this article, I will further explain how does Starbucks drive through work and how to properly provide tip at the Starbucks drive through.
So, stay tuned to know all the important information that you have come here to seek.
Table of Contents
- How Do You Drive Through at Starbucks?
- How Does Starbucks Drive Through Work?
- What Time Does Starbucks Drive Through Open and Close?
- Can You Order Starbucks Coffee in the Drive Through?
- Should You Tip for Coffee Drive Through at Starbucks?
- Can You Tip with a Card at Starbucks Drive Through?
- Final Thoughts
How Do You Drive Through at Starbucks?
Starbucks drive-through makes it easy to grab a cup of coffee when you are traveling.
You can simply enter the outlet in your car and can give your order on the speaker.
The barista will take up your order, prepare it, and deliver it to you through the window.
You can receive it from there in your car and enjoy your fresh cup of coffee.
You can also order your coffee through the Starbucks mobile app and pick up your order in the drive-through.
How Does Starbucks Drive Through Work?
The person taking your order in a drive-through enters your order details into the computer sale system.
It directly prints a sticker for each item you have ordered.
Then the barista prepares your order, puts the sticker on the cup, and delivers it to you at the window from where you can pick it up in your car.
Everything is basically communicated through stickers from taking orders, preparing them and delivering them to you.
You can also order through the Starbucks mobile application beforehand and pick up your order at the drive-through.
This will save you a great deal of time and is more convenient than ordering at the outlet.
What Time Does Starbucks Drive Through Open and Close?
Starbucks Drive Through opening and closing time differ from place to place across USA.
In some large cities, like New York and Chicago, Starbucks drive-through opens at 5:00 am especially on weekdays to catch the morning rush and stays open till 11:00 pm.
In some smaller cities, it may open at 7:00 am.
Sometimes on weekends, it can open as late as 9:00 am and stay open until 6:00 pm.
Some outlets even provide 24-hour services so you can get your favorite Starbucks coffee anytime you want.
It’s best to check the opening and closing times beforehand in the Starbucks store locator which will provide you with all the details about Starbucks individual coffee shops at a specific location.
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Can You Order Starbucks Coffee in the Drive Through?
The drive-through outlet provides you with the same list of items that are available at any Starbucks store.
You can purchase their wide range of products from the drive-through and receive them at the window.
You can pre-order your coffee from the mobile app or directly at the drive-through and get your desired Starbucks products.
You can also buy a bag of Starbucks coffee and even ask a barista to grind it for free.
Should You Tip for Coffee Drive Through at Starbucks?
This is a controversial topic as many people have different experiences at these Starbucks drive throughs.
Many of the times, people go through the bad experience at such drive through because in some cases, the barista don’t come to the car to take orders or to deliver them.
This makes people think twice or thrice while providing a tip to those baristas.
Actually, a tip is given for the table services where they take your order and serve you the food and for other follow-up services.
But the other opinion is that drive-throughs are majority in a rush, and baristas work their best in that pressure to deliver you the right order on time.
They make sure to remember the usual order of their regular customers and prepare custom orders in a rush to preserve your precious time.
In some cases, the baristas are not paid enough and are expected to earn their wages from tips.
In my opinion, the tipping and not tipping is solely based on every individual’s preference and it should not be forced to do so.
If you feel that you should tip the barista then go ahead and if not it’s still your choice.
Can You Tip with a Card at Starbucks Drive Through?
With the new update, you can tip your server through a Starbucks card from the Starbucks mobile application.
But you can’t tip at the time when you are placing your order.
You can only tip to the barista only after you have placed your order.
To tip, you have to visit account history and then to recent transactions.
There you find your purchase and the option to leave a tip.
You can leave a tip up to 2 hours after the following transaction through the mobile app using a Starbucks card.
Final Thoughts
Starbucks drive-through offers a great range of products that are offered at any Starbucks store.
Drive-throughs are really suitable when you want to grab a cup of coffee while traveling or when you are for an outing.
Drive-through is a very convenient option for you.
Because you can easily place your order through the mobile app or directly at the outlet and pick your order at the window while you are in a car.
Starbucks drive-throughs are usually in a rush and the barista has to work under immense pressure to deliver the right order to the right individual.
They constantly work in a rush to save your precious time and hence they are expected to be tipped.
Because of some of them are not paid enough and are expected to earn their wages from the tip.
You can either tip them with cash or with a Starbucks card using Starbucks mobile application.
Tipping the barista is solely based on every individual’s choice and they should tip the barista only if they want to.
References:
https://www.mashed.com/307802/workers-reveal-what-its-really-like-working-at-a-starbucks-drive-thru/
https://www.quora.com/Should-you-tip-when-using-Starbucks-drive-thru
https://www.theinternetpatrol.com/how-to-tip-with-the-starbucks-app/
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/what-time-does-starbucks-open
https://www.reddit.com/r/starbucks/comments/2p2x0q/how_does_drive_through_work/