Solo Starbucks Hopping Trip | A Whistle-Stop Day Trip to Ginza | The Reward Found Beyond “Touch & Go” (Starbucks Training Log, Part 2)

This solo trip is something I'm continuing as part of my Starbucks hopping training.

Once I finished making my "Starbucks Hopping Training Guidebook,"
I already felt a sense of satisfaction.
(▶ Click here for the previous article)
But this is where the real challenge begins.
The day has finally arrived.

My starting point this time is Ginza.
I'm aiming for the
Starbucks Reserve(R) Store Ginza Marronnier-dori where they serve breakfast plates.

However, I won't be going there "straight."
Every Starbucks on the way
is a target for a stopover.
It's what you call
“touch & go”
—enter the store,
take a quick look,
and move on to the next.

Repeating this process.

Even though I'm supposed to be following the guidebook,
I get anxious if I deviate even a little.

But that tension is also fun.

In the morning air,
the feeling of hitting the stores with a good rhythm
felt like playing a little game.

And finally,
I arrived at one of the stores that was a goal for this trip.

It's a store where you can eat a breakfast plate.

“I wonder if I can get a seat...”

I headed into the store with that thought.
Luckily, I secured a seat without waiting.
Just that alone gave me a sudden sense of relief.

Since I arrived just after 10:00 AM, there is still
plenty of time until lunch.

And the plate I chose was
the one with the Cornetti I had been wanting to try.

Seeing it right in front of me,
I felt a little moved.
It's already delicious even before eating it lol

A “special morning time”
that's a little different from my usual Starbucks.
I'm released just a little bit
from the mode of
“traveling, planning, and time management”
that I was in until just now.

The proper way to eat a Cornetti is to dip it in coffee.
But before that, I took a big bite just as it was.
“Delicious!”
The outside was baked to a perfect crispness that didn't crumble everywhere.
The inside had a fluffy texture despite being moist and slightly stretchy.
“Oh my, this is just how I like it!”
The Cornetti got smaller and smaller with one bite, then another...
By the time I realized, “Oh, I have to do it the proper way,”
I had already eaten more than half.
Here, as if to change the flavor, I dipped it in coffee and took a bite.
“Yeah, this is also delicious. But it's even better as is lol”
I ignored the proper etiquette and enjoyed the texture as it was until the very end.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the other quiche and the prosciutto, and I was very satisfied.

The restroom requires a passcode written on the receipt.
Since it's a restroom in a tenant building, this is safe and secure.

At this store, the 2nd floor is Reserve,
the 1st floor is Princi, and the basement is TEAVANA,
a place where you can enjoy everything in one spot.
I think this is the only place other than the Roastery Tokyo.
The Cornetti was so delicious that
I bought one at Princi on the 1st floor as a souvenir.
And then I went to TEAVANA in the basement.
I went to a TEAVANA when I visited Hokkaido.
So this is my second TEAVANA store, but oh my goodness.
Partly because it's in the basement,the world view is packed in tightly and it's wonderful.

They kindly taught me about tea, and I bought some tea and candy.
The shopping bag is lovely too!
It was already a paid item, but
as a shopping bag collector, that doesn't matter.
I bought the bag and am very satisfied.

I want to stay here and relax.
But there is no time for that.
After this,
there are still more stores to go.
The schedule waits for no one.

Feeling a little reluctant to leave,
the next place I headed to wasthe Ginza Matsuya-dori store, the first store in Japan.

Visiting the birthplace early in my whirlwind Starbucks tour
is quite deeply moving.

With a refreshed feeling,
on to the next plan.

Aiming for theGinza Diners Premium Lounge.
I'll talk about this another time...

So, on to the next area.
Leaving Ginza where I conquered 13 stores,
next I head to Chiba Prefecture, which I am visiting for the first time for Starbucks.

From here on, it's the second half of the battle,
crossing prefectural borders to rack up even more numbers.
Can I tour Chiba Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture, which I'm visiting for the first time,
and return to Tokyo safely?
Will things continue to go smoothly like this?
Or will I collapse somewhere?
And, I also had an unexpected encounter.

The rest will be told slowly next time.

It's the same with this Starbucks training tour, but
'Because I decided it myself, I have to keep going'
this kind of moment,
actually hasn't changed since long ago.

During job hunting too.
And when changing jobs too.

I've always been the type to do these 'slightly extreme things'.
I didn't realize it myself
until people around me told me lol

Including the realizations I gained from events like this,
I also write articles about careers, such as job hunting and changing jobs.

I would be happy if you could read them with a cup of coffee in hand.
▶ Click here for the prologue