Funny, you'd think that later in the day (say, evening onwards), the desire for decaf would increase. After-dinner coffees, coffee dates, etc.. but still wanting to fall asleep later.

I can see noon-3 though.

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The amount of money saved by just cutting back on brewing pots of coffee is staggering. It makes you wonder how much we could save cutting back on other things. This is a very frightening time but maybe it will teach us how not to waste so much money.
http://noshtalgia.blogspot.com/

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Wait, wait--so they're not going to brew decaf after noon, which is the cutoff for people who are sensitive to caffeine (like my husband)?? I don't get how they came up with this plan.

I understand cutting back on brewing pots, but still--why cut back on decaf at the time when people start drinking it (you know, after they've had three cups of high-test before lunch)? Honestly curious.

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Jenny, I agree. WTH? I applaud the cutting back and not wasting water, product and time, but I would think this the time when most people order decaf -- so they are not affected in the evening, but one assumes they have studied the stats and saw that most order it in the morning, and not the afternoon, so they trimmed the fat where it showed up the most. Still sounds odd.

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Back in the day when I was still working I would die for a cup of joe about 2 pm. I eventually weaned myself off the coffee after lunch but I wound up drinking more diet cokes. Now that I am retired I am almost caffeine free. Now I drink an occasional cup because I like coffee, not to keep my eyes pried open and my body functioning.

Yes, kids. There IS life after retirement!

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Well, I can confirm that the local starbucks here not only stops decaf afternoon, but at 4, I think they pull out the "waste" from earlier in the day and remix it for anyone that wants drip coffee that late. Or they just brew again with then spent beans (or maybe potting soil).

Needless to say I don't go there in the afternoon any more.

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I work at Starbucks, and you have no idea how much coffee gets wasted because of the "30 minute rule"... I was appalled when I first started there. But, customers want their fresh coffee, so we'll have to trim back in other ways.

While it seems counter-intuitive to stop brewing decaf after 12, a lot of people will still order it in the morning. People are in more of a rush in the mornings and get seriously PISSED if they have to wait 4 minutes for something to brew (made that mistake once, won't again). It makes more sense to have a customer wait later in the day when people are *generally* not in as much of a rush.

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most people aren't going into starbuck's for decaf. most are going for the real stuff! good idea to cut back the brewing of it to save money.

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The article says that it takes about 4 minutes to brew a pot, and they will upon request. If anyone wanted decaf so bad, then 4 minutes is nothing. Besides, it is as fresh as possible when you get it.

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Makes you wonder how much they could save with a "No fucking Starbucks every 3 blocks downtown Chicago" rule huh?

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A coffee shop is a coffee shop. Consumers have to push back and not tolerate this type of corporate behavior. We have a choice - don't go back even if you don't drink decaf. Shop local!

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You make it sound like if you drink coffee without caffeine, there's no alternative. I've gone into stores and been offered decaf americanos for the price of a cup of decaf brewed coffee, and alot of the regulars at the store I go to have switched to it because it has a smoother taste to it. Alot of the comments sound very cynical; I have the feeling the lips that say these things are the kinds who five minutes before the new practice were complaining about how much waste there was -- then to see the company actually try and improve the problem still raises even more censure. In this world, there's no winning, is there?

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