The Starbucks everyday coffee is called “Pike Place Roast.” This entire blog post is nothing but a lesson on the correct name of the current Starbucks everyday brew.
It is not called “Pike’s“.
It is not called “Pike’s Peak“.
It is not called “Pike’s Blend“.
This coffee is called “Pike Place Roast”.
The label on the bag says what it is. Starbucks doesn’t sell “Gold’s Coast” or “Verona’s” either.
As I visit Starbucks, I frequently encounter stores with chalk signage that says “Pike’s“. This is wrong. Baristas often incorrectly call it “Pike’s“. Many customers often make the same mistake.
The coffee takes its name from the Pike Place Market. It is not called “Pike’s Market”.
When in doubt about what this coffee is called, look at the bag.
For the visual learners who are reading this blog, just look at the coffee stamp image associated with this blog post.
For the auditory learners who are reading this, I’ve included a little snippet of Cliff Burrows, President of all U. S. Starbucks, talking about this coffee. For the auditory learners reading this blog, you can click the replay button and listen over and over again to Cliff correctly call the coffee “Pike Place Roast“. Cliff has got it right. Thank you Cliff for helping out the StarbucksMelody.com blog.
There is a different coffee called “Pike Place Special Reserve” that is NOT the same as “Pike Place Roast.” And if you’re selling “Pike Place Special Reserve” at your store, it is NOT called “Pike’s Place Special Reserve.”
And now here is Cliff: Thank you Cliff! (There is no requirement that baristas acquire a cute little Welsh accent when pronouncing the coffee name. 
)
*Edit: Previously I had called it a “British” accent but I’ve been corrected by a twitter follower that it is actually a Welsh accent. I didn’t know that. Sorry! I didn’t mean to mess that up!
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
When I saw this post come into view in my Google Reader, I couldn’t help but laugh in agreement. I too, get irked when people pronounce it as “Pike’s Place.” Why add an unnecessary ‘s’ to a coffee’s name?
Interesting post. Melody why do you think there is such confusion over the name? And the funny thing is that my interaction with people at my local SB tells me that this coffee is still not as popular as the bold choice of the day.
Had to laugh! I thought I was the only person bugged by stuff like that! Glad I’m in good company!
HA HA HA! I once had someone ask for Pike’s PALACE LOL I guess they think Howard Schultz lives there IDK
it’s serioulsy about as bad as when people say.. “i’m buying groceries at wal-martS..”
why oh why i wonder!
You can have as many tutorials about the proper pronunciation as you like; people will still call it “Pike’s Peak” because they are stupid.
These are the same folks who call whipped cream “cool whip” or just “cream,” frappuccinos “frappes,” Splenda “splendors,” and our medium size drinks either “grandee” or just “grand.”
I’m reminded of Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, who does the same kind of thing.
Meatwad (doing a crank call to Master Shake): “Violent criminals have put…”
Frylock: “Prince Albert.”
Meatwad: “…Fat Albert in…”
Frylock: “No, it’s Prince! Prince Albert!”
Meatwad: “…F…Fat Albert in a can! In your can!”
It’s fitting, too, since most of these folks display about the same level of intelligence as Meatwad.
I don’t know where adding the s comes from, but I hear it a lot. Like Kroger’s, Aldi’s, Meijer’s, etc. None of these have an s on the end, but they all get it added on. Annoying, but sadly, I’ve come to accept it.
Hi mel, great lesson..as we’re gonna launch this coffee next month, thank you for reminding
My guess is that it’s caused by confusion over “Pike’s Peak” and the “Pike Place Market.” My assumption would be that most have experienced neither so they see the names as one or related.
After all, we’re not the best at geography here in the states and as we (phonetically) say in Chicago, “The Pike’s Peak, the Pike’s Place Market? They’re over dare by dare.” ;-p
I just say PPR.
I write on all the tags for Pike Place Roast, yes Pike Place Roast not Pike, not Pike Place, Pike Place Roast.
I learned it. Thank you.
Before right pronunciation, Starbucks Coffee Japan don’t have them.
Pike Place Roast
Pike Place Blend
(This was released for a limited time only.)
Pike Place Special Reserve
(The original store visitor must buy this? I think so, YES!)
Pike Place Roast.
Pike Place Roast.
Pike Place Roast.
Got it!
@CD – Agree! (I’m from dat dare Chicago too!)
I’ve heard Pike Place Roast called “Pike’s Peaker,” “Pike’s Peak,” “Peak’s Pike,” and “Pork’s Place.” Not to mention “AmericanAs,” “splendors,” “Vainti” instead of “Venti,” “Cuppuccinos,” and the best – “MOTCHA CARE-UH-MELL FRAPPE.”
@Karl – I just say “I’ll pass” or “no thank you.”
Baroosta, lemme guess: you’re down South too? Sounds like the Carolina / Georgia drawl we have here.
Y’know, I can excuse a lot of these for first-time customers, who come in and see these weird Italian names. “Lemme try a…how do you say that? A m…mac…mockacheeto?” But when they’re a regular who has the drink repeated back to them correctly each time, you’d think they’d learn the proper pronunciation.
(And, to be honest, I wonder how well we’re pronouncing it. I wonder what an Italian would say if he heard our standard pronunciations of these drinks – if we’re close, but with an American accent, or if we’re just totally butchering it.)
The conversation in here is great. CD, I love the “I’ll just say ‘no thanks’”".
For some reason people put an “s” at the end of things because they think it sounds right, but it isn’t. (You may shop at Nordstrom, but it is not correct to say I’m shopping at Nordstroms). I generally hear a million and one grammar mistakes in conversation with people, but if I corrected them, I’d annoy the heck out of people. Most people don’t know a subject from an object, when to use an adverb versus the adjective, and that “is” is an intransitive verb, thus it is correct to say, “this is she” not “this is her.”
But cycling back to Pike Place Roast: It’s a proper noun, and you can just pick up the bag and figure out what it’s called. And then add accent as desired.
I don’t understand! Aren’t you supposed to ask “can i have today’s bold brew please”
I admit I initially had difficulty with it simply because “Pikes Peak” is a place I visited in my childhood.
Now it’s easy “Pike Place”.
ha, ha
Nice to see another stickler, Melody. ^.^
Haha AmazonV! Love it!! Yes, that is exactly what you are supposed to ask!
sorry, off topic but: sat. 8/14, 8:30A cst: is anyone else finding ‘msi’ down??? or can’t get in?? just wondering.
@DeniseR – Late last night I’d tried to get into MSI and so the same error. Yep, MSI is down still.Btw, do you realize that the moderator sbx_jcar is gone? Makes me very sad. He left Starbucks after a long history with them…years and years.
Also am off topic but I too cannot get onto MSI August 14 at 10 am est. I have to say that your blog Melody far outweighs MSI so I am totally not upset that they are having problems. They need to update their site.
It’s 4P cst (sat.) and msi is still down. I did receive a note from Cecile they are working on it. ???
Melody: surprised about Jeff. Is your computer ‘fine’ yet?
I use the pronunciation of “Pike Place Market,” and thus, “Pike Place Roast,” as a barometer to tell how long someone has lived in Seattle. Tourists and newer transplants will invariably refer to the market as “Pike’s,” implying that it belongs to some man or fish. No. Nope. The street name. The street is Pike Place. Sadly, many of my fellow partners at 1st and Pike still refer to it as “Pike Place Street” when attempting to direct a hapless tourist to the first store. I chuckle and quietly correct them, then listen as they continue to make the same mistake with each subsequent customer. I’ve given up all hope of setting them straight.