Proposed Jackson Square Starbucks to Serve
Organic, Fair Trade Beignets

The Starbucks Coffee Company announced plans today to open a new location in Jackson Square’s Lower Pontalba Building.

The space at the corner St. Ann and Chartres—previously occupied by bakery La Madelaine for 23 years—is just one block from one of New Orleans’s most cherished institutions and tourist draws, the world-famous coffee shop Café Du Monde.

So how will the new world-famous coffee shop compete? By bringing a Starbucks twist to an old favorite: the beignet.

“The new Fair Trade Certified Starbucks Beignets are certified to be made of 100% organic flour and deep-fried in 100% organic lard,” said Starbucks Southern Region Spokesperson Sheila Trandy.

To become Fair Trade certified, a beignet must meet stringent international criteria. Producers must pay a minimum price of $1.26 per pound for powdered sugar and flour, providing much needed credit to growers.

Fair trade guidelines also ensure that certain criteria are met, including decent working and living conditions, freedom of association, access to capital, and environmental practices.

None of which are currently available to New Orleans residents.

But beignets are not the only nod to local culture Starbucks plans on making. They’ve been studying Café Du Monde for years and are sensitive to what local customers are looking for.

“We will also have special training for our baristas in this special location,” says Starbucks spokerperson Trandy.

“Our Jackson Square training program will train each barista to let customers wait at least 5-8 minutes before taking an order, mumble barely comprehensible English, and take a smoke break every half-hour before returning to work without washing their hands.”

Related Story: Letter to the Editor: New Orleans Needs Starbucks

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