Considering how integral the iPhone has become in the mobile industry, it’s amazing to think the device is scarcely six years old. It was in 2007 that then CEO Steve Jobs wowed audiences at the Moscone West Center with the game-changing handset, and for those with a more vivid memory, you may also recall a moment when Jobs made a prank call to the local Starbucks. Ying Hang “Hannah” Zhang was the Starbucks worker in receipt of Jobs’ tomfoolery that day, and having retained her position at the world’s most recognizable coffee chain, recently spoke of how die-hard Apple fans still, even today, call up the store and ask for “4,000 lattes to go, please.”
The Starbucks worker reflects fondly on the impromptu call all those years ago. Having been tracked down by Fast Company and discovered to be working in the exact same outlet as she was back in 2007, Zhang retold her initial reaction to the call:
Honestly, I was shocked. . .I have never heard somebody order 4,000 lattes to go. I didn’t say anything because I was shocked. But my first impression was that he was just being humorous. He sounded like a gentleman.
As far as companies go, Apple certainly has its fair share of die-hard evangelists, and since that incident, some of the more hardcore fans of the Cupertino-based company have viewed the store as something of a sanctuary to the late, great Jobs. Not only do the calls still roll through jokingly requesting 4,000 lattes, but people calling in to buy some coffee frequently ask her if she knows somebody that “actually spoke to Steve Jobs.”
Of course, 4000 lattes would not be impossible, but since Zhang estimates it takes about 44 seconds to make a latte, even with an infinite supply of the required ingredients, it would take 48 break-free hours to deliver an order fit for an Apple CEO.
Since Jobs untimely demise in October 2011, the co-founder of the world’s most valuable company certainly has not been forgotten. With two movies in the pipeline set to tell the tale of the Cupertino maestro, we will have the life and times of one of the world’s greatest innovators told once again from two different perspectives. The first one – jOBS – which stars Ashton Kutcher as the man himself, will premiere as of next month.
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web