Inspired by this post at green LA girl, I decided to take the Starbucks Challenge and see which location will actually serve me fair trade coffee as indicated in their company policy.

I visited three locations in Toronto, each with varying results:

Bathurst & Wilson (October 30, 2005)
The barista at this location had never heard of fair trade coffee. She didn’t even know what fair trade was. So after a 30-second lesson on the concept, she went to the back to ask her manager. The verdict? Starbucks “doesn’t sell that kind of coffee.”

King & Yonge (November 1, 2005)
The barista informed me that they only serve one blend of coffee that was “certified” fair trade, but Starbucks ensures that all their coffee blends are obtained through fair trade practices. That being said, they didn’t have any of their “certified” blend available, so I settled for a cup of Sumatran.

Yonge & Eglinton (November 3, 2005)
When I asked for a cup of fair trade at this Starbucks location, the barista blurted out, “yeah, I should have some now too, I’m about to go on break.” Whether she was flirting or not, I can’t say, but she did look around and realize they had none in the back. The problem was solved when another employee went around the counter, grabbed the bag of fair trade whole-beans they were selling in packs on the display, and asked me if I could wait for a few minutes while he “grinds the beans and brews a fresh pot.” And wait I did, and then joined the lovely barista for a cup of fair trade coffee on her break.