What's your Starbucks name?

by Bob Sassone, Posted Jan 18th 2007 @ 4:02PM

Starbucks name on cup Photo: catatronic, Flickr

You know how Starbucks (and other coffee shops, pizza places and other food outlets) ask for your name when you order? Do you give them a real name or do you make one up?

Giving fake names seems to be a growing trend, especially at the coffee giant's many outlets. Instead of giving their real name, people are being pretty darn creative: Frankenstein, Ben Affleck, Bartholomew, even Darth Vader and Chewbacca have all been given as names from customers. Some girls go by the name "Bob" (hey!), and one man just goes by "The Man."

I usually give my real name at places like this, mainly because I don't want any screw up in my order, especially if they're busy. Though I do admit that one time at a restaurant I used the name "Larry Tate." That's Darrin's boss on Bewitched.

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Filed Under: Coffee Shops
Tags: coffee drinks, espresso, fake customer names, frappuccino, grande, tall, venti

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Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)

1-19-2007 @3:44AM kelly O said... good point MADAM... I think you deserve a kudos there...I still deep down want someone in a parking lot to call me Mary lou.....lol...unless they want me to go back into my work and do another friggen flambe'........ KELKEL
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1-19-2007 @4:37AM v20 said... As far as I can tell, at my local starbucks, everyone is a regular. When the whole name thing first started, I assumed it was a clever ruse by the particular store manager to get past the awkward stage of regular-ness where its the 18000'th time they've served you coffee, and they don't know your name: Too late to ask, but also too late not to know. Once, before the name thing happened, they had to close for some renovation or something, and were handing out giftcards to their regulars. Mine came in an envelope addressed to the drink I have every day. Funny, but awkward.

When I discovered that it was more likely a corperate scheme for generating a more presonal experience, it seemed much creepier. Fortunately, at least on this (the east) coast, the whole name business has died down and most everyone can get through startbucks anonymously. I still get my cup decorated with a name, but then again I'm one of those regulars.

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1-19-2007 @4:45AM peeblog said... I prefer to use just initials, something like 'A.K.' or 'M.J.'
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1-19-2007 @9:53AM Veruka said... Maybe I don't go to Starbucks very often here in Montreal, but I don't think this name trend has arrived here in Canada. Then again, I order tea so my drink is brought to me by the person at the register, no prepared by someone else. Can anyone else confirm if this happens in Canada?
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1-20-2007 @7:18AM Jay said... I always give the name of my favorite cyclist...
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov.
When the drink is ready they usually just look at me and say, "here".
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1-19-2007 @1:04PM AVB said... I completely forgot one of my funnier observations about Safeway and the "personalized shopping experience." My BF pointed out to me that they get the name from the Frequent Shopper card they give out. You are not *required* to use your actual name on those cards, or any name, really. So, when he filled out his application for his Shopper Card, he put "Negro" in the "name" portion (he's black).

You can literally watch the clerks start to stay "Thank you, Neg---" and then stop and clam up.

It amuses him no end. His humor -- why I love the man.
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1-21-2007 @5:59AM Jane said... This one time i went to starbucks and as a joke i said my name was Chrysanthamum. Unfortunately, when they asked my how to spell it, i didnt know how:( it was kinda emabrassing:)
- now i just stick with plain old Jane
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7-14-2011 @2:45PM Patrick said... I have a funny story about this: I was at Starbucks one day and the barista asked my name when I ordered my Americano. I said “Patrick” twice, but somehow, he heard “Hector,” so that’s what he wrote on the cup.

A few minutes later: “I’ve got an Americano for Hector.” I looked around. I was the only guy waiting for a drink, so, that day I was Hector. It had a certain ring to it, so from then on, I started using the name Hector when ordering at coffee shops.

I posted a picture of that cup on Facebook, and some friends got a kick out of it. One friend thought it was so funny, she used the name Hector when she ordered her drink, too. Some more friends wanted in on the joke. One thing led to another, and Starbucks started to get inundated with men and women named Hector.

You can join us. The Hector Latte Project lives on Facebook. Go here for a link to the web site and links to the FB page: www.hectorlatteproject.com

To support The Hector Latte Project, all you have to do is join The Hector Latte Project Facebook Group, and use the name Hector when ordering your drink at your local Starbucks or other coffee shop. Snap a picture of your cup, and post it to The Hector Latte Project Facebook Group.

Invite your friends to join and have them order as Hector and post pictures of their cups on the Facebook Group.
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