I have a few friends who are managers at Starbucks and one of them put in a good word for me with a hiring manager (I've found knowing someone gets your application moved to the top of the pile). I was very proactive about getting an interview. I called and talked to the manager and then I went there in person to ask for an interview. That particular location wasn't hiring, but after a half hour interview full of difficult scenario questions he sent me to a location that was hiring. The manager at the new location was very friendly and easy to talk to. The interview went very well. He told me all about the benefits of working at Starbucks and how people tend to stay with the company a long time because they treat their employees well. I chose to come back a few days later and observe the morning rush to see if I could handle the job. It wasn't too intimidating, and I could tell the store ran really well, so I was still interested. The manager ran a background check on me (they do that with all new hires now) and when it came back clean, we met again to discuss specifics (schedule, dress code, etc.) I was excited and ready to accept his offer and then I asked what the salary was... He told me I would start at $7.45/hr. and after six months it would go up to $7.84/hr. After negotiating with him, I figured out that $8/hr would be the highest I could possibly get and even then, his district manager would have to approve it.