Starbucks recently has added a few more cards to the series of “destination” cards. These cards feature a city or state, and are only available in select regions. Usually, Starbucks only produces a limited number of these and so they’re highly collectible also.
In May 2011, Starbucks launched a limited number of these cards including Florida, New York City, Vancouver, Chicago, Hawaii, San Francisco, and Seattle. If you want to collect those cards from the May 2011 series, you’ll likely need to find them on eBay.
Here’s the official blog post on the May 2011 destination cards: Keep Your Travel Memories in Your Wallet.
One year later, in May 2012, Starbucks launched the second round of destination cards with new images, and refreshed looks. Once again, Starbucks has produced only a limited number of these cards. So if you see one of these cards in a store, you should grab it now before they are gone!
The 2012 destination cards are as follows:
- Washington D.C.
- Florida
- Texas
- San Diego
- Los Angeles
- New York City
- San Francisco
I’ve heard that the Texas card is the most popular, and it definitely is a very fun looking card! I like the cowboy boots on it! I’m partial to the San Francisco card, having lived briefly in that city a while back. I’ve walked past the “Seven Sisters” houses many times, near Alamo Square, which are now featured on the 2012 San Francisco card. Here’s the official 2012 destination card Starbucks article:
New Starbucks Cards in New Cities.
Here are the new cards! Get them while you can! Which one is your favorite?
Thank you so much to my readers who sent me cards. Much appreciated!
By the way, don’t forget that if you’re looking for collectible Starbucks cards, the Evolution Fresh card is collectible too.
This is an open thread. I’ll be slowing down on blog content for about a week or so, as I am swamped and heading on a short trip out of town too. Please keep reading! If you’ve missed old articles, you can find interesting old articles by searching the “archive,” or using the “categories” tab. Please don’t forget that I love tips about test beverages and products. You can reach me with the “contact me” form.
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I’m glad they’re doing this but why the duplicates…as opposed to expanding? (NYC, SanFran, and Florida?) Just wondering…..
There are so many places that would LOVE one…..state or city.
I enjoyed looking at the cards and it seems odd to me that not all the stores in the areas covered are selling them. Told it is because SB feels a particular store would not have the sales to warrant placement. Odd to me! I think it would be nice to expand the city/state card choices. Since this is an open thread, Denise R you were on my mind yesterday as I went to my local SB and there was the DM. I have chatted with him before and he knows me. I think he is a nice guy, but the little I read about your DM it amazes me how different their approaches and attitudes are. Somehow, I get the impression from various discussions with this DM that he tows the line and does provide a certain amount of attention to the customer but not what I feel he could do. But, then again is this a subjective or objective opinion. Denise R your DM sounds wonderful for sure.
@purple1: you’re right, our dm is really sweet but that is from MY point of view, s a customer. I have the feeling some of the baristas think she’s a bit ‘strict’…? BUT, believe me, our store needs this..she’s only ever trying to keep the store up to par…and she doesn’t stand around and order them to do it all…she gets her hands dirty! also, re what stores carry the cards; I was told last yr, when the Chicago cards came out, that they were only at the Sbux here that also sell the Chicago mugs..which does seem to be true. However, I can’t see why ANY store in the area would not carry the cups and the cards. ??? seems simple to me! They do sell very quickly!
I picked one of the Texas cards up yesterday and loaded it to send to my daughter who is serving in Japan for 3 years in the Navy as it is a little bit of home for her.
Love that they are doing these cards and I will be using them as gifts throughout the year.
There is also a Vancouver card.
Hmm, it’s a tie between San Francisco and New York.
@MichaelWang – Hi there. I listed the Vancouver card as a 2011 card, but as far as I know, in the recent May 2012 release of destination cards, Vancouver was not included as a re-designed/new card.
@SandraTrollinger – Be sure to stock up on the Texas cards! They may not be available throughout the year.
@Purple1 and Denise – I find that DMs are all very different from each other – Just depends on human personality. I suspect that the role of the DM is considered a little more corporate-oriented than customer facing, though I too certainly appreciate a friendly DM who doesn’t mind a little social conversation. Seattle has a very large number of districts. Near me, I have five DMs. And two of them, I’ve never met!!(I’d very much like to correct that and meet all the DMs near my stores). Over the years, I’ve met a few DMs who would kind of scare me if they were my own boss! All I can say, is that knowing 3 DMs pretty well, and several who have been promoted into other positions, that they’re all as unique as can be because that’s just human nature… ((Oops … I should clarify that I haven’t met 2 of the DMs because of staffing changes, and some that moved on to other corporate positions. It’s been a couple of months … I’m amazed I don’t run into them, but eventually that will happen.))
Melody,
I only have SF and Hawaii. I really need to step it up and get the rest. I love collecting SB cards I can get my hands on. I’ll be in Los Angeles next week so I will surely look for the new one there.
~Allie
At our store they are promoting $2 off a bag of Veranda, House or Italian blend until 9-13-12 on the chalkboard which brings the price down to $9,95 to $11.95 per pound.
Allie, since you collect the cards send me your address to my email and I will send you a Texas card if you need/want one. Put STARBUCKS in the subject line in case it goes to the junk folder. 😉
sandra_thurman at hotmail.com
Denise, I realize that I think most DMs arent really strict enough, either that of the idea of regular lobby slides is becomingly unfashionable and hot required. Here I sit in a quiet orange county Starbucks. It is so slow. Two partners giggle a lot behind the bar but the lobby looks horrid and it is ignored for an extended period of time. Ive seen evening partners do this now and then. It is slow so it becomes social catch up time, not work time.
Obviously that should say not required, not “hot” – hard to type on a Kindle.
@Melody: I agree…..they’re human (the dm’s) so there is quite a variety, it seems, when it comes to what standards they ‘enforce’ at their stores etc. And/or their personalities. Our’s happens to be very sweet BUT that’s my perspective….she’s not my d.m. I see her trying to keep the lobby clean (which is the ONE area I have always felt my regular place needed help), expecting partners to be working etc. But, she also is always moving and (seemingly) helping out.
And, as much as I really care for 99% of our baristas, there are too many times when the lobby REALLY needs attention and SOME of them are just gabbing. ??? so, I appreciate the attention to detail and ‘work’,
Absolutely there are DM’s with different personalities and some work with some regions while others do not. Last night at my local SB for the first time that I can remember there was an open mic night and people could perform. The SM asked me if I was coming and we did. Overall, it was a nice night but the store is really too small to hold a night like this. And in some ways (without being there it is hard to describe) as a customer you sort of felt out of place. There were more performers there than customers. But, I did appreciate the effort of holding this.
Im on my phone so it is super hard to type. Yesterday, I visited 3 Starbucks. I went the Disney-Starbucks with my mom (whole blog post to follow as soon as Im in Seattle again); one Starbucks in Orange; one in Anaheim. The 1 in orange had the dirty lobby & gabbing, giggling, partners. The disney one will be its own blog post The one in Anaheim on Tustin Avenue was pretty good. There wasnt any attention to lobby slides but the store was pretty darn clean already when I walked in. I was surprised that that Anaheim store had 2 black apron guys working – and while there was some small talk, the Anaheim crew looked like they were taking their job seriously – pride in their work. I think it is great when partners have fun, but it just looks bad if you spend 30 min giggling with other partners and the bf who has dropped by, and all the work aspects fall to the wayside. Since the districts in Seattle are geographically tiny, the DMs can be in their stores often – they can walk their districts litetally. It is possible that all 12 stores or so are within a few square miles.
Melody besides the issue of partners connecting with customers I think their chatting amongst themselves is a big issue. I often find that they not only chat amongst themselves but find myself forced to listen to things that one I do not want to hear or two should not be shared on the floor. I would love to hear more from others about their experiences with this issue. Enjoy your trip!
Totally agree – I think that a lot of retail employees think that while they are at work, they are supposed to be having fun all the time, which means lots of talking, laughing, giggling, and socializing. Work is work and the reality is that all that conversation – much of which should not be shared as you correctly states – often just gets in the way of actually getting work done! I was extremely tempted to email the DM of the Orange, CA, store, but since I actually know that SM, I thought I should approach her if I get the time on this trip. I’m still undecided.
Oh purple1 – I was also mortified to hear the register barista (at the Orange store) explain to a customer that you get free refills all day so long as you paid once that day, and come in with an empty cup! No way! And to think that some partnes will get mad if a paying customer drinks a tall frappuccinno, and then wants a tall iced coffee (having stayed in the store), yet customer can wonder in with empty cups and who knows what or WHEN the cup had its last beverage. Whether or not you just say yes when the moment is there, please explain the reward perks right!
Purple1 Just a follow up: I know the asm for the store in Orange that wasnt so great last night. I KNOW she really cares about her store. I had a great conversation and she genuinely appreciated the feedback. Starbucks needs more partners like her.
I’m of 2 minds about DMs, and just how much they do/enforce in store. On the one hand, they’re not really paid to be in store serving customers – they have a LOT to do, and as the number of stores they have in their districts grow, these things will only multiply further. For the most part, I would rather have my DM use his time to really read through a report, and send me some information that will affect my business that only he has access to, rather than doing a bus, or wiping down garbage cans.
On the other hand, my team likes my DM, because when he is in our store, he makes himself useful – he’ll put on an apron and make drinks, or call the line, or brew coffee or whatever. It make him human to them, and then they are much more apt to listen to his feedback, and work harder to meet district goals. They’re also much less afraid to approach him for any reason, which keeps me accountable, and also means that he has some frontline knowledge of stores not just from *my* perspective 🙂 So, maybe that time on the front lines is worth it’s weight in gold. I just like to see it balanced with their other responsibilities :), and often time it’s either too much or too little, and not a happy medium.
In terms of how much DM’s enforce though, usually a store’s lack of adherence to standards has much more to do with the SM – a DM can be as strict as they want about standards, but unless an SM has bought in too, it’s likely to only be happening when the DM is in store.
It’s nice to know that they’ve got new city cards in circulation, since I’m absolutely obsessed with collecting the cards! I’ve got the LA one, which is a design I absolutely love. I would really like to get the SF one as well, but I do need to get on top of trying to obtain the others. There is also a new Canada card that is beginning to circulate, if anyone is interested!
The 2012 Vancouver card is identical to the 2011 version except it includes the words “Celebrating 25 years” in the upper left hand corner (This year marks Starbucks’ 25th anniversary of it’s first store in Vancouver, which was also their first store outside the U.S.). There is also a new Canada card released yesterday. It features a stylized Maple Leaf with the word “Canada” in the upper left.
I just got my hands on the new Canada cards, so if anyone wants a trade, just let me know!
@fsc – Lucky you! I thought I’d heard that the new Canada card officially has a July launch date. I was planning on getting a blog post up as soon as I got one, and a friend just said that she put one in the mail to me! Congrats on getting it so early. The pictures of it that I’ve seen are very pretty.
@Melody – My friend got her hands on it early in the month (lucky her), but I believe they were launched on Friday last week and I’ve been seeing them pop up in a bunch of new stores in the past couple of days. Indeed, I think the design is really pretty as well!
@fsc, I would be interested in trading for a LA card. Lemme know!
@kiara, sure! email me at f.s-c@hotmail.com