A feature article in Fortune heaped glowing praise on the company, though it did offer a few
words of caution. Writer Beth Kowitt questioned whether the company might lose its “charm” and
“quirky cool” as it expanded. One former employee explained, “In the early days we never tried to be
the neighborhood store.”69 In other words, he believed the local neighborhood feel of those early
southern California stores was more authentic. Kowitt cited other ex-crewmembers who worried
about growing bureaucracy at the company, as it implemented new processes and procedures.
Gardiner expressed some concern as well. He described how recent changes had led to increased
competition among employees seeking advancement.70