The smell of coffee fills the air. Behind the counter, baristas are hurrying to get drinks into the hands of upper to middle-class America. Their haste doesn’t feel like enough for the shift supervisor’s demands. On the last management call, the district manager’s words were clear, and the supervisor parrots them now: the store needs a faster drive-thru time, the word “yum” or another “friendly” message written in marker on every single cup, and ultimately, higher profits. “Back to Starbucks!,” the managers all chant—the name for this corporate branding effort, which is supposed to bring the company back to its “old-school values.” In practice, it just means more work and stress.

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