Name of Person Interviewed: Elmo Caceres
Interviewer: Jarrette Gunn



HISTORY
An important part of the urban business community in the area is the Starbucks coffee shop located close to the Prince George's Plaza Metro Station. Many people get up early before work to get a fresh cup of their favorite coffee and maybe a bagel or two. The Starbucks on East West Highway is co-owned by Earvin "Magic" Johnson of basketball fame.

Magic and his company the Johnson Development Corporation (JDC) entered a joint venture with Starbucks known as the Urban Coffee Opportunities or UCO. The venture UCO is meant to bring good (and expensive) Starbucks coffee to urban communities that retail chains would not usually do business. Currently there are around 29 UCO locations around the United States. The Starbucks on East West Highway in Hyattsville is one such store.

THE TRIP
As you are heading towards the Starbucks you will probably notice the convenient location. Right across the street from the Prince George's Plaza Metro Station, it is an adequate way to wake up in the morning. Wake up early in the morning, head to Starbucks, have a nice (and I might add again expensive) cup of coffee, use the Kiss & Ride on the Metro, and be on your way to work.

When you actually enter the Starbucks you will automatically notice the enthusiastic employees that have no problems serving the customer. The employees themselves said that they are pretty happy to be working at Starbucks and said that it is not a burden to come and work there. Elmo Caceres is the Starbucks employee interviewed. Surprisingly, he enjoys his work (many people don't). He knows a bit about the Starbucks itself. Elmo takes pride in Starbucks being named as one of the top 100 places to work according to Fortune magazine, as he stated.

In fact we found all of the employees to be very friendly and willing to help us whether it be getting information about the store or getting a cup of coffee. The store itself is very well kept. People begin sprawling in and out as their need for caffeine arises.

Starbucks will occasionally hold live music shows, the genre of music played is often jazz. Starbucks itself is often quite crowded in the morning, so you might be able to understand why Starbucks is such an important part of the business economy around the area. Thanks to the success of Starbucks, more retail businesses are attempting to come into the community. Even though the Starbucks Corporation may not have realized it before, they probably do now, they are an important asset to business in and around Prince George's County.