Posted on Mon, Nov. 03, 2003

Atascadero Starbucks offers U.S. troops a taste of home
Supplies sent to Afghanistan are a welcome change from instant coffee
Michaela Baltasar
The Tribune

ATASCADERO - As the sun rises above the rocky, mine-ridden landscape of northern Afghanistan, California National Guard troops line up for their daily dose of Starbucks cappuccino.

For these men and women who have been stationed in Afghanistan since August, the tiny packets of instant coffee that come tucked in their "meal-ready-to-eat" packages just don't satisfy.

These troops rely on the espresso and flavored syrups sent twice a month from the Starbucks in Atascadero. With these supplies, members of the Fresno-based Delta Company 140th Aviation get the kind of java they need -- coffee that reminds them of home.

"They've loved it," said Troy Dixon, Starbucks manager. "It's been a little slice of home for them."

The venture started in July while the unit, which specializes in aviation maintenance, was at Fort McCoy, Wis., for pre-deployment training and processing.

Sgt. Scott Matthews, a San Jose resident and Black Hawk helicopter repairman, initiated the idea.

"Someone mentioned they could really go for a mocha, and there were no Starbucks for miles," wrote Matthews in a recent e-mail. "It then dawned on me that there would be no Starbucks in Afghanistan for more than mere miles."

Matthews' sister-in-law, Amy Mueller, is a Starbucks barista in Atascadero. He contacted her, and she helped him buy an espresso machine and other supplies.

Mueller then shipped everything to Afghanistan so it would be there shortly after the troops arrived in early August.

"It was Scott's idea, but he didn't know how to make the coffee," Mueller said. "Luckily, he found two soldiers in the company who had worked for coffee shops before -- one of them even worked for Starbucks -- and they make most of the drinks."

The baristas in Afghanistan wear aprons emblazoned with the Starbucks logo and serve up lattés and mochas for an hour each morning from the back of a rectangular trailer. The space is normally used as a working area for various repair shops.

Soldiers pay for the coffee with a donation to the unit's Morale Welfare Recreation fund. The money then goes to pay for the Starbucks supplies that Mueller sends, such as more espresso and cups.

Matthews said news of the coffee spread quickly to other units.

"Family members can't send out espresso pods or syrups fast enough to meet the quality-coffee-starved base," Matthews said. "Soon we had to have my wife (Chris) send out another machine to keep the lines down for that golden hour in the morning."

On the Net

For more info on the Delta Company 140th Aviation, visit www.warriorswithwrenches.com.