Coffee Presents To Buy That Aren't Starbucks Gift Cards

Unionized workers are asking patrons to refrain from buying gift cards this year: instead, buy local or buy from these former Boss Barista guests

As a person whose distant relatives are often confused when I tell them I make coffee for a living, I have gotten dozens of Starbucks gift cards as presents in the past. They're easy gifts to get: you can purchase one at any of the thousands of Starbucks locations around the nation or pick them up at big-box stores like Target. They're convenient for anyone who needs a last-minute gift for someone accidentally omitted from your holiday shopping list or office Secret Santa. 

But this year, the unionized workers at Starbucks are asking patrons not to buy gift cards. 

@sbworkersunitedDon’t buy Starbucks gift cards this year! Get them from your favorite local coffee shop instead 😬 #nocontractnogiftcards #starbucks #giftcards #starbucksgiftcard #starbucksunion

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Look in your bag or wallet; you probably have an old Starbucks gift card with some small, insignificant amount of leftover money. That few cents seems worthless to you but certainly isn't to the megachain: over a billion bucks is lingering on Starbucks gift cards that go unused, either through minuscule amounts being left on cards or people simply losing the cards altogether. According to Business Insider, the brand essentially uses gift cards as a "no-interest loan" as folks spend money to load up cards (both gift cards and Starbucks loyalty program cards) that will never be redeemed. In 2020, "$164.5 million on Starbucks gift cards ... was never redeemed. That money was recorded as revenue, essentially a gift to the chain."

So why does this matter? Because as I outlined recently—and has been reported widely for months—Starbucks has been aggressively fighting the sweeping union effort of its workers. In These Times reports that the" National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has cited the company for over 900 violations of federal labor law" and has used union-busting tactics from "differential benefits provided to nonunion stores to firing about 150 workers allegedly as retaliation for union activity."

We can continue to say it's because Starbucks doesn't want to lose revenue if it has to appease its unionized staff with higher wages and regular pay increases, but we know that's not the case. Starbucks seems to have money stashed in every corner—so it's time to use our money in other ways. 

Here are some better folks to spend your money with this holiday season. 

Buy a gift card or bag of beans from your local coffee shop or roastery

The most enduring advice I offer folks when they ask where they should buy coffee is to buy local. There's no one best roaster, and almost every city has at least a few small-batch roasters doing a fantastic job, sourcing lovely coffees, and serving their community. Buying a gift card from a small coffee shop or roastery is as easy and immediate as buying a Starbucks gift card: you can simply go online and purchase what you need. 

If you need help determining where to buy from, tell me what area (city, town, state, country) you live in, and I'll suggest a roaster or coffee shop. 

Or, get some coffees from roasters that have been on Boss Barista

I interviewed twenty-something different coffee people this year, and a handful of them own and operate businesses: 

• Rabbit Hole Roasters in Montreal: co-founder David Lalonde was the first person I interviewed in 2022. Rabbit Hole does an incredible job of sourcing intentionally and having very frank discussions about the state of the coffee industry. They have a whole page of holiday bundles and special offerings. 

• Three Keys Coffee in Houston: Owned by Kenzel and Tio Fallen (Tio was a guest on the show right after David), Three Keys illuminates the sensory experience of coffee by combining music cues, and every coffee comes with an accompanying music playlist. I love this shirt a lot. 

• Café con Jiribilla in Mexico City: There's simply no better way to get fresher coffee than ordering it from roasters who work within coffee-producing countries. Carlos de la Torre has won every coffee competition under the sun, and his coffees are spectacular—you cannot get Mexican-grown coffees in the United States like what he's producing. 

• Cute Coffee in Northern California: KEEP IT CUTE OR PUT IT ON MUTE! Bianca and Sabreen are the wonderfully fun, slightly silly, and amazingly talented team being Cute Coffee. These two are wildly creative and don't take coffee too seriously. It's hard to be mad when their Instagram photos show up on my feed. 

• Couplet Coffee in LA: Speaking of fun, Gefen Skolnick is all about subverting expectations. Buy a bag of their beans: their tasting notes rhyme and their bags shimmer in the sunlight. 

• Oddly Correct in Kansas City: Oddly Correct uses MIT's Living Wage calculator to determine wages rather than the antiquated federal minimum wage. They also clearly list their pay structures and benefits package on their website, bringing a rare level of transparency in hiring. 

• Cxffeeblack in Memphis: Renata Henderson and Bartholomew Jones—the husband/wife duo behind Cxffeeblack—continue to inspire and transform the industry daily. They've built an all-Black coffee supply stream, and this year, they released a documentary called Cxffeeblack to Africa, where they explore the history of coffee while visiting farms in Ethiopia.

• Coffees from Congo: Jim Ngokwey wrote one of the most important articles about coffee this year about sustainability—he encourages roasters to ask questions about gender equity and payment structures in coffee. Jim is a managing partner for Mighty Peace Coffee, a social impact importer that works to bridge the gap between roasters and Congolese coffee farmers. Mighty Peace doesn't sell roasted coffee directly, so you'll have to find roasting partners they work with, like Red Rooster Coffee (linked above). 

If you're looking for a more traditional gift guide, the team and I at Fresh Cup (where I'm the managing editor) already made one for you. I also reviewed a ton of stuff at Serious Eats this year, so you nerd out with me there on coffee products. And for real, leave me a note below if you need a suggestion or recommendation! I'd love to help! 

☕ 🎁 Happy slurping friends! 🎁 ☕ 

Photo by BBiDDac