New Store.....Management?

A new Starbucks is opening about 5 minutes from my house. It sure would beat the 30 minutes I currently drive to work.

I'm only interested in being management, or assistant management. How is management at a new store determined? Do they transfer an existing manager, or promote an existing assistant manager from within? I've heard the salary for a manager is between 27 and 42,000 a year. Is this accurate? How much less does an assistant manager make?

Will Starbucks post job openings online well before the store opens, or should I visit an existing store? I've been a manager at Target (6 months, until my position was eliminated in a restructuring of the store), and a manager at a bookstore (5 months, until I had to leave due to a medical reason in my family). I'm currently at another bookstore, and have worked there a total of 3 years, many, many shifts in their cafe'.

I guess my biggest drawback is that I never went to college. But, I have lots of experience. The Store Manager job postings on Starbucks.com seem to make it out to be that if you have lots of experience, that is the biggest positive, and that a college degree can be used in substitution of experience. However, I've been interviewed for management positions in the past, and then passed over in favor of some 21 year old with a degree so fresh the ink is still drying.

Can anyone shed some light on all my questions? I understand and respect the Starbucks union idea, but I'm just looking for answers right now. Thanks.