Collinsville Starbucks Hosts District Finals and Home To District Champion
by Stephanie Malench
COLLINSVILLE — The Collinsville Starbucks located at 401 Beltline Road in Collinsville was the site of the 1st Annual Starbucks North America Barista Championship District Finals on March 27, 2024.
The Collinsville store is located in a district that stretches from Quincy to Marion, IL and had eight out of ten champions attend.
During this round, baristas lead judges through a coffee tasting featuring a core Starbucks coffee utilizing an in-store brewing method. Scoring is based on the barista’s knowledge of Starbucks coffee, culture and heritage, their ability to make personal connections and recommend food pairings.
Amanda Hanner, the manager for the Collinsville Starbucks on the Beltline said “When I heard about the district championships, I immediately volunteered to host the event at my store located at 404 Belt Line Road in Collinsville, IL. The partners are the heartbeat of Starbucks, and giving back to them and creating joy is my favorite thing about my job. My location is fairly central, plus my ‘purpose’ for our store is to bring the green thread to life, make connections with each other within the district. We train for other stores, send partners, basically I want all partners to feel comfortable in all stores, be willing to answer the call to help. And creating a space for them to thrive and enjoy their craft is what I strive for.”
The winner from this district’s final moving on to the area-level competition in St. Louis on April 17 is Lorelei Tanner, a six-year partner, barista trainer, coffee master, and shift supervisor at the 401 Beltline Road location. Tanner presented Verona and used the pour-over method for her coffee tasting. Tanner said her favorite value is Belonging, because for her, “Starbucks has always been a safe space where anyone can feel at home and welcome, a place where you can be yourself.”
During this phase of the competition, Tanner and the other baristas will craft classic Starbucks beverages such as a Caffe Latte and a Carmel Macchiato as well as their own new signature beverage invented from existing in-store ingredients.
The North America Barista Championship began in February of this year with as many as 15,000 eligible baristas selected to compete in their districts throughout March. In April, up to 1,500 of those baristas will compete in Area Competitions. Up to 300 of those will compete in Regional Finals in May. In June, the top 23 finalists will compete in the finals in Seattle, and one will be crowned the first ever North America Barista Champion and win a trip to the Starbucks research and development farm Hacienda Alsacia in Costa Rica.
Judges throughout the competition are Starbucks leaders, Starbucks Coffee Masters, and coffee development and quality professionals.
While this is the first year for the North America competition, the Barista Championship began in other global markets in 2013 and is a celebration of the dedication and talent of Starbucks green apron partners (employees).
A group photo of barista champions for District 1067 Competition at 404 Belt Line in Collinsville. Pictured FROM LEFT BACK ROW are Elliot Sweet of O’Fallon, Lexi Dalluhn of O’Fallon, Piper Lee of Collinsville, Jaden Hernandez of Edwardsville and Jenna Many of Quincy. PICTURED FROM LEFT FRONT ROW are Emily Kucharski of Marion, Lorelei Tanner of Collinsville and Tea Eldridge of Mt. Vernon.
Collinsville Starbucks employee Lorelei Tanner won the District Finals on March 27, 2023. (Submitted Photo)
