What will you do on Christmas Day if you “need” a peppermint soy latte, or a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, or a plate of cooked salmon? Why, just do what you would do any other day of the year: go to Starbucks, CVS or Harvey Milk’s American Diner. Regardless of what employees think of the idea, customers of all three establishments will have whatever they need from all three businesses Christmas Day in San Diego.
To be fair, Starbucks corporate headquarters allows each store to decide whether or not to stay open Christmas morning. According to one local store manager, she gets input from her team before she decides whether or not her store will sport the banner “Open Christmas Day” over its awning.
“We were not open two years ago, but the partners here decided we would try it last year; and we had a lot of fun,” the manager, who asked not to be identified because all communications with media are required to go through Starbucks corporate office. “This will be our second year open.”
For its part, Seattle-based Starbucks was kind enough to answer a few questions at the corporate level about why some stores will be open Christmas morning, while others will not.
“Our stores are a gathering place for the communities, and stores will occasionally adjust their hours based on business and customer needs, which happens at a local level,” said a spokeswoman.
“When scheduling, our managers make their best effort to balance partner availability with the needs of the business,” she said. “The connection partners have with our customers is a unique element of the Starbucks experience, and we look forward to being part of our customers’ experiences and memories this holiday season.”
That store-by-store flexibility means hours vary by location. For specific store hours, the spokeswoman suggests visiting starbucks.com/store-locator
Starbucks’ retail hourly “partners” (i.e., employees) are paid 1.5 times their base hourly rate of pay for any hours worked on holidays.
“In addition to that, stores often find fun ways to connect with one another during the holidays to create a fun atmosphere in-store,” the Starbucks spokeswoman said.
In addition to be a place for dosing up on caffeine, Starbucks might even be a last-minute gift emporium to the truly dedicated last-minute mavens of merry Christmases. After all, they sell a ton of brightly colored, stylishly shaped and festively filled holiday gifts, coffee accessories and bags of fresh coffee beans from around the world.
Then there’s CVS – chosen over other drug store chains that will also be open Christmas Day solely because we noticed their giant “Open Christmas” sign first.
“Most of our stores are open Christmas Day, many with reduced holiday hours for the convenience of our customers,” said a spokesman for Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS/Caremark. “We also have a responsibility as a pharmacy to ensure that prescription services are available in the communities we serve.”
CVS’ medical obligations notwithstanding, the corporation says it tries to keep employees and their families in mind when doling out the holiday labor hours.
“We try to schedule employees who volunteer or request to work on this day so that all of our colleagues have time to spend with their loved ones on Christmas,” the spokesman said.
One local CVS employee was surprisingly favorable to the notion of working on Christmas day – even when speaking anonymously because she was also not authorized to speak to the media.
“They kind of ask who wants to work and who doesn’t,” the employee said. “We get paid time, plus one half; so it’s kind of a motivator. And, it’s nice because the customers seem to feel for you having to work Christmas Day and all – most of them, that is.”
Asked if she expects a nice Christmas bonus from her employer this year, the CVS employee rolled her eyes and laughed:
“Please … no comment.”
Bringing this holiday tale to a purely local level, San Diego LGBT Weekly asked Harvey Milk’s American Diner server, Meno Videnovic, how he feels about working Christmas Day – and why Harvey’s would keep its doors open.
“There are so few places doing it,” Videnovic said. “There are customers who have family coming in from out of town; they’re busy and need a good place to come out and have a Christmas meal.”
There’s another reason, he said; and, it has to do with this new eatery and its profound ties to history – ties that necessitate developing its own traditions as it makes a mark on local history in the LGBT community, while also preserving the legacy of slain LGBT-equality icon, Harvey Milk.
“We were open for Thanksgiving and it worked out so well,” Videnovic said. “So, being open for the holidays is kind of a new tradition that I think works for us and the community. We love to do it and we love being here.”
On the menu is slow-roasted turkey; slow-roasted beef; honey-baked ham; fresh-grilled salmon and vegetable primavera.
“And everything comes with a slice of pie, coffee and a salad,” Videnovic said. “All at a good price-point.”
Christmas Day is a major family day to some, to others a religious holiday and one big commercial advent for still others. But no one can honestly say that Christmas Day is just another day. With that in mind, our hats are off to those who will put in hours on the job Dec. 25. We hope yours will be too. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
