Six months ago a Starbucks barista told me sales were down. “Even the 2 and 3 cup-a-day drinkers are coming in just once a day now,” he said. More recently, last week in fact, that same barista said things were picking up. If we have money for a $4 cup of coffee and a $3 scone, things must be getting better, according to The Starbucks Indicator.