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Drip by drip, Starbucks lost what made it shine

chicagotribune.com — Starbucks once defined the coffee market but has lost control of its brand. Its ubiquity has killed the joy of discovering a new hangout.

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  • IzzieCat, on 07/06/2008, -34/+72The author of this has a great voice and makes me want to open a coffee shop like "the old days" had. It just adds to list of reasons I don't drink Starbucks coffee, or coffee in genreal.
    • mhender, on 07/07/2008, -7/+219I'm just going on a hunch here... but maybe the fact that you don't drink coffee in general is the main factor as to why you don't drink Starbucks coffee.
      • CaptainTater, on 07/07/2008, -5/+7Just throwing this out here: they still have 90 cent bagels. I don't know what this guy is trippin off of. I somehow doubt that Starbucks lost it's sizzle so suddenly this year after 25 years of brewing coffee. I think it's a tad more likely that this good ol' recession has a little to do with it.
      • dougmidkiff, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5www.indiecoffeeshops.com
    • BoneheadFarker, on 07/07/2008, -28/+8If you don't drink coffee, then please GTFO. We don't want your kind in this thread...
    • nonymous666, on 07/07/2008, -5/+31He's really just rambling on for two dozen or so paragraphs about price. And a loss of puffy chairs. I think he could have gone into far more depth.
      • rationalbeats, on 07/07/2008, -4/+6Then read the Wall Street Journal.

        I thought this was a great article and goes into the atmosphere that Starbucks has created through it's arrogance, which is hurting them.
    • nycmac247, on 07/07/2008, -16/+2yes

      Duke University Medical Center - Toxic Effects Of Coffee

      http://www.painstudy.com/PainDrugs/p28.htm
      • secrity, on 07/07/2008, -0/+12That painstudy.com site is rubbish. The website claims that physical pain is caused by "wrong relationships".
      • BoneheadFarker, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5"The doses of caffeine -- equal to four cups of coffee..."

        That's where I stopped reading. If you're drinking 8 cups of coffee a day, of course you're going to be high-strung and stressed out with a heart that feels like it's about rip through your chest...
      • Gir53457, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3I had a "Wrong Relationship" with a pointed stick.
      • BoneheadFarker, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6Oh jeez...even worse is that he recommends "Dianetics" as a good source of information regarding pain. If I didn't outright dismiss this guy before, I would now...
    • dasil003, on 07/07/2008, -2/+30Wait, if you don't like coffee in general why do you want to open an old-school coffee shop?
      • alexforcefive, on 07/07/2008, -3/+9Maybe he likes tea
      • bitt3n, on 07/07/2008, -4/+64because old school coffee shops don't serve coffee. it's all hipsters in black turtlenecks and berets sucking down the ineluctable modality of being.
      • boot20, on 07/07/2008, -0/+23@bitt3n, I had to digg you for using the phrase "ineluctable modality of being." You must be near Berkeley.
      • DiggzDE, on 07/07/2008, -3/+10Ohh. Bigs words. Diggs up bitt3n
      • FlyingSpaghetti, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6Sprockets! Now I dance!
    • EBFoxbat, on 07/07/2008, -13/+11Enter on the left, order in the middle, pickup my drink on the right, then fight through the line of people ordering and entering so I can leave.

      ***** you Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts has a drive through.
      • Rakuseki, on 07/07/2008, -0/+22....so does Starbucks?
      • ensiid, on 07/07/2008, -1/+4hahaha... dugg for hilarious moment when EBFoxbat realizes his biggest issue was never an issue at all!
    • bound242, on 07/07/2008, -12/+2Did anyone else immediately think of Dave Chappelle's I wanna pee on you when reading the title? Without even knowing what the article is about, I can't stop keeping myself from laughing ... drip drip drip ...


      Yeah..
      Its the premium
      40oz of malt liquor make me wanna tell ya somethin

      I say, rollin' around,
      sittin' on dubs
      cat like eye, was high on shrubs,
      Coolin' in my Escalade,
      Man I'm paid, I got it made,
      Take me to your special place,
      Close your eyes show me your face,

      I'm gonna piss on it.


      Haters gotta hate,
      Lovers wanna love,
      I don't even want,
      None of the above,
      I want to piss on you.
      Yes I do, I'll piss on you,
      I pee on you.

      I said yo body, yo body,
      Is a portapotty,
      And I pee out kit(?),
      And I pee on you,
      Drip, drip, drip,
      Pee on you,
      Piss on you, piss on you,

      You won't feel quite the same,
      Once you get a whiff of my Hershey stains,
      I wanna piss on you, too,
      I want to pee in yo food,
      Only thing that make my life complete,
      Is when I turn yo face into a toliet seat,
      I want to pee on you,
      Yes I do, pee on you,
      I'll piss on you

      Won't you braid my hair,
      Before you start, Im gonna fart,
      I wanna fart on you.
    • peestandingup, on 07/07/2008, -0/+8You know Starbucks didnt invent coffee right?? They aren't tied at the hip.
    • DroogInPhoenix, on 07/08/2008, -0/+4I remember my first Starbucks also, it was in Las Vegas and I thought what trendy overpriced *****. It hasn't changed. I asked for a "large coffee" and she looked at me like I had 3 heads and Satans nose.
    • artofwar420, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1Or the most obvious, how ***** expensive the drink is in Starbucks.
  • JamesJanega, on 07/06/2008, -9/+39Ever been to Intelligentsia in Chicago? That's a good cup of coffee...
    • listerinemouth, on 07/07/2008, -11/+4Or Metropolis.
      • easypie, on 07/07/2008, -18/+6You both are assholes.
      • yodaj007, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3listerine: Your comment was so unexpected it made me splurt water over my keyboard and monitor. The attitude you had when you typed your comment is irrelevant; god that was funny.
      • Devotia, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Poor listerine. -pity digg-
    • mhender, on 07/07/2008, -6/+117Intelligentsia. Even the name is pretentious.
      • ubuwalker31, on 07/07/2008, -28/+40Going to a coffee house is *supposed to be* a pretentious experience. The atmosphere is supposed to be intellectual, European and stimulating. You are supposed to sit down for an hour or two with a good cup of coffee or specialty drink like a cafe au lait, and people watch, talk about philosophy and academics (or even the fine points of plumbing with a Master pipefitter).

        Starbucks broke the traditional formula when it went expansion crazy and decided to appeal to everyone, and created a corporate cookie-cutter McDonald's-like experience. If you have been to an Italian or European type cafe you understand the atmosphere that Starbucks originally tried to capture...
      • minoss, on 07/07/2008, -1/+22WTF, I just want to stay awake for the first few hours at work.
      • mhender, on 07/07/2008, -7/+56"Going to a coffee house is *supposed to be* a pretentious experience."
        LOL.
        You can have a stimulating, intellectual conversation without being a pretentious prick. Do you even know what pretentious means? It's not a good thing, and it doesn't mean to have intellectual conversation and enjoy the 'finer things.'
      • otbeverly, on 07/07/2008, -5/+6ubuwalker31 is right. I went to college in Mobile, Ala., (leave south jokes at the door) and there was a great coffee shop across the street from the Jesuit school I attended. They actually roasted the coffee beans upstairs. It was located in an upscale neighborhood and their neighbors with an antebellum mentality who couldn't figure out why anyone would like to visit a place of business just for coffee hated the fact they were open late and roasted their own coffee beans upstairs. They even went so far to try to have the business removed because they were bothered by the aromas (I'm guessing it was the college kids they were bothered by more than anything).

        Anyway, low and behold Starbucks came around and there was only one store in the area for years. It has since - as everywhere else in the world - become ubiquitous. Now the old coffee shop across from Spring Hill College (named Carpe Diem ... also pretty pretentious, as a coffee house name should be) has weathered the Starbucks storm and is now considered a landmark. Of course it has since been abandoned by the college kids for the most part (except for the later hours) and is now occupied 70 percent of the time by the same people who once complained about its existence.

        Coffee houses should be more about just grabbing a (insert whatever word Starbucks uses for a size that all sound like they're "large") white chocolate mocha and going about your business. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you have to be true to your roots and not forget about why your business was an attractive destination in the first place. Paying $5 for a cup of coffee isn't that bad when you hang around talking with a couple of friends for an hour or two. It's insulting when some kids making minimum wage toss a bunch of crap in a cup, charges $5+, have the tip jar displayed prominently and want all customers out as quickly as possible so they can get back to talking about whatever they were doing before or how much their jobs and customers suck, which seems to more or less be the culture at Starbucks now (and that's not the fault of the kids making minimum wage either).
      • DisposableRob, on 07/07/2008, -2/+9"WTF, I just want to stay awake for the first few hours at work."

        The get your coffee from 7-11. Or set up a machine at work.
      • minoss, on 07/07/2008, -4/+4Most of the time I make my own and bring it in. However if I'm out or running late I don't mind paying an extra $0.75 for a better quality cup. And yes, most coffee houses have better coffee than a 7-11. Not necessarily Starbucks as they are pretty horrible. I much prefer a place like Alterra, Stone Creek, or Caribou.
      • ensiid, on 07/07/2008, -8/+5@mhender:
        "If you have been to an Italian or European type cafe you understand the atmosphere that Starbucks originally tried to capture..."

        That will be all. I guess you'll be off to go digg some anti-Bush article and comment {insert absolutist, stereo-typing ***** here}. Good luck.
      • MightyLime, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3"European type cafe"? Uh, yeah, around here they're all Starbucks these days. You'd be a little late.
      • mhender, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3ensiid, I never said what you quoted me as saying. Please sober up and get back to me, thx.
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -1/+8"Going to a coffee house is *supposed to be* a pretentious experience. The atmosphere is supposed to be intellectual, European and stimulating. You are supposed to sit down for an hour or two with a good cup of coffee or specialty drink like a cafe au lait, and people watch, talk about philosophy and academics (or even the fine points of plumbing with a Master pipefitter)."

        Get your ass kicked in high school much?
      • mateo60, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2Intelligentsia is fantastic coffee made by people who truly love coffee.

        I'm ambivalent towards Starbucks. I travel a lot for business, and when I'm in a hurry I'm happy to know that I can get a decent, consistent (6/10) triple Americano. When I'm home though, I frequent local shops, most of who use local roasters so the coffee is much more fresh and generally (not always) much better than Starbucks. There is a HUGE difference between beans that were roasted 2 days ago vs. 1 month ago.
    • etx313, on 07/07/2008, -7/+16That's a terrible name...
    • asnider, on 07/07/2008, -3/+4Agreed. While I haven't been to Intelligentsia in Chicago, a few shops around here serve their beans. Very good coffee.
    • saikyan, on 07/07/2008, -6/+17You know, I've passed Intelligentsia hundreds of times, yet I never go inside. The name is just so pretentious, I would be embarrassed to go in there. It just bothers me.
      • wacomwacoff, on 07/07/2008, -12/+16You're embarrassed to be seen in one of the most respected coffeehouses in America because their name has "Intelligence" in it? Okay.
      • rlutterb, on 07/07/2008, -5/+3Intelligentsia is great coffee.

        If you are making a judgment call simply because of its name... well, I guess the name of store would accurately describe why you don't belong inside.
    • DreKor, on 07/07/2008, -2/+4I'd recommend Alterra in Milwaukee, WI. The cafes on the lake front and in the 5th ward are particularly good.
    • kelmaster1, on 07/07/2008, -3/+5Starbucks is the Walmart of coffees in Seattle. Of course there are better coffee shops. D&M is my favorite, they roast fresh green coffee they import directly.
    • salinemist, on 07/07/2008, -15/+6Screw you, I get my pretentious coffee straight from the left teat of Obama.

      HINT: organic milk comes from the right one.
  • InRussetShadows, on 07/07/2008, -34/+62I've seen good Starbucks where I live (comfy chairs, not too loud music, good quality frappachinos), and I've seen lousy ones (ratty furniture, blaring music, variable quality fraps). If anything, the closing down of stores is a return to their roots. The author should be happy that they realize something is amiss and are fixing it. Instead, he carps. I'm not impressed.
    • dave122, on 07/07/2008, -12/+27buried for drinking a frappachino; but then again even the ***** of coffees will taste 'good?' if you put a cup of sugar in it.
      • DreKor, on 07/07/2008, -4/+15Hey now, that's not fair. They make a "mocha" frappuccino that tastes like a fudgesicle. It may not be coffee, but it is delicious.
      • MikeFromAmerica, on 07/07/2008, -5/+29What's with you coffee fascists who think anyone who doesn't drink straight espresso is somehow inferior? Let people drink what they want. Nobody's making you drink Frappuccino.
      • dave122, on 07/07/2008, -6/+10I don't care what people drink, but you could put a cup of sugar in a mug of folgers and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
      • zeabu, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Worse here, supermarket pulled one of the 2 coffees I need to make a proper mix. That means drinking ***** coffee at home, or paying 4€ for a cup, at home. I'm not going to start about Starsucks and others.
    • Slacker1031, on 07/07/2008, -0/+10if you read the article it states that they are getting rid of the comfortable furniture and making service faster instead of better.
    • dieselovin, on 07/07/2008, -3/+2I am a high quality frap connoisseur. I know good fraps. fraps
    • diggrnumber1, on 07/07/2008, -4/+2starbucks all look and seem the same to me. it's just like mcdonald's now - how do you tell the difference between them?
      • MrTulip, on 07/07/2008, -1/+7it has always been like mcdonald's - that's the whole idea
    • bodegit, on 07/08/2008, -3/+5frapfrapfrapfrapfrap
  • stolemybike, on 07/07/2008, -30/+8Yeah, the Chicago Tribune. My source for op-eds on ***** COFFEE.

    Buried.
  • Cyrock, on 07/07/2008, -30/+169I don't care how big or corporate they are, Starbucks coffee taste like burnt turds.
    • GiJoeBob, on 07/07/2008, -3/+54Exactly. Charbucks.
    • dood, on 07/07/2008, -0/+12The new drip is milder. Much, much milder. They dialed it back way too far for my taste.
    • WriterY, on 07/07/2008, -16/+3Yep! Starbucks is losing ground BECAUSE it is a LOSER company!!! The coffee is stronger than dirt, and they probably employ as many illegals as possible to pay little and pretend the "Big Corporation" status. All in all, when a company goes under it's most likely because they LIED, CHEATED, and STOLE to gain a false status. Cheaters NEVER prosper...
      • Ravatar, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6What the ***** are you talking about. Their store employees get health benefits, even the part-timers. I wouldn't really call that slave labor. Citation needed.
      • currentnotice, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1source?






      • sleepwalkers, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Are you sure you're not thinking of Wal-Mart?
    • gadgetlust, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6I didn't realize that they were serving Kopi Luwak. Haven't been there in years.
    • Amusing, on 07/07/2008, -1/+5I totally agree, I had Starbucks coffee twice, and would prefer generic store brand coffee over their burnt tasting junk. I prefer Caribou Coffee, as far as coffee shop coffee goes. Wish I had one close still.
      • drlha, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5Caribou Coffee = Supporting the terrorists!!! ;)
      • wiggles, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3Bizarre. I usually always prefer Starbuck's to Caribou, because I prefer over-roasted to under-roasted every time. To me, some of Caribou's roasts taste totally raw, with nasty flavors like asparagus and string beans. I do like Caribou's dark roasts, though...
    • TheUngod, on 07/07/2008, -0/+16Damnit...I must like burnt turds :(
    • SheVibe, on 07/07/2008, -4/+5Yah they burn there beans cause they use cheap crap.
    • mossking, on 07/07/2008, -0/+13You tasted a burnt turd?
      • willywong, on 07/07/2008, -0/+20He tasted many things in his search for the perfect thing to compare stuckbucks coffee with.
      • BradBrown, on 07/08/2008, -0/+4Taste one? I'm soaking in a tub full of them now.
      • breckinshire, on 07/08/2008, -0/+4"You eat pieces of ***** for breakfast?"

        "no."
    • 5plic3r, on 07/07/2008, -4/+8Tea FTW!
    • ireland88, on 07/07/2008, -2/+3The house blend sucks, but the breakfast blend is good.
    • MikeMitchell, on 07/07/2008, -5/+9***** aye.

      Dunkin Donuts for life!
      • brettmurf, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5Anywhere a nice Dunkin' Donuts seems to be at, people seem to feel their coffee is great. Kind of wish there were more of these around the nation.
      • snapcase, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3@brettmurf Dunkin Donuts just put their coffee in grocery stores so you may be able to find it there.
    • dougs55, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2Only if you drink it black. :-)
    • drakethegreat, on 07/07/2008, -2/+4Yep it interesting because years ago it didn't. Being from Seattle I used to drink it but now there are better places where the coffee tastes ten times better, their's free WiFi, and I even get on the house cups every now and then because I know and talk to the people who work there. The attitude is different and its actually something to enjoy in the morning. When you go to Starbucks its because theres nothing else around and you dread the taste and don't want to stay. Its sad because I don't want the rest of the world to think of Starbucks as Seattle's Coffee anymore. Especially cause we already have Tully's which just sucks even more with the exception of WiFi.

      Its a sad day for coffee indeed.
    • enzobot24, on 07/07/2008, -2/+5Personal French presses FTW.
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3I love my french press. I just need to get a personal grinder.
      • breckinshire, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3That's a freedom press, pinko.
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -0/+4My Freedom press makes a kickass Freedom roast
    • DanielShinall, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2That sounds like choice D in an Engadget pole.
  • rolf, on 07/07/2008, -5/+41I don't drink much coffee, but my Father drinks it by the gallon. He stopped going to his local one when they stopped grinding beans fresh and got a machine that took some type of interlinked aluminum foil packets of freeze dried coffee (no kidding!) and ran it through the machine like a machine gun. I don't know if it was something they did on a nationwide scale or just that one Starbucks, but it seems to have been a cost-cutting measure that cost at least one customer.
    • TenMinuteParty, on 07/07/2008, -5/+22First off, every store grinds the beans fresh. (I can't speak for licensed stores, aka inside Target and supermarket locations. They aren't real Starbucks.) Second, the beans are never freeze dried. The bulk sized, not the retail 1lb size, bags do look aluminum on the outside but are air tight packages for espresso & other blends.
      • MattB123, on 07/07/2008, -0/+10I think you hit the nail on the head with those places that say Starbucks, but "aren't real Starbucks". When you let someone use your name like that without the quality controls in place that made the name great, you've got a big problem.

        Of course I live in a town without a Starbucks (yes, they do exist) and a couple of independent coffee shops, so what do I know.
      • rolf, on 07/07/2008, -0/+8"I can't speak for licensed stores, aka inside Target and supermarket locations. They aren't real Starbucks."

        Well, if they use the Starbucks Sign with Starbuck's permission, you can perhaps excuse the customer's confusion. It's not like Starbucks can license it out and then cry foul.

        Also, these were not 1lb bags, they probably would have been able to hold 2 maybe 3 tablespoons max. Packets.
      • brb38, on 07/07/2008, -0/+7I can vouch for what TenMinuteParty said. I've worked for Starbucks for three years now. There is a major difference between the real Starbucks and the licensed stores. A real Starbucks grinds the coffee fresh every day at least (or every couple hours depending on demand). It does come in a 5 lb. aluminum bag now. They used to come in a pre-ground 9 oz. bag but those are rare nowadays. The coffee is never frozen (and never should be).

        The problem is, as previously stated, that most customers don't know the difference between licensed stores and real Starbucks. It's a shame because the licensed stores are (in my experience) always worse (in most aspects) than the real Starbucks, but they are found in more common places. The crappy stores are always more convenient and therefore more common. They give the company a bad name.
    • ktxxx, on 07/07/2008, -5/+2I believe you, rolf!
    • RoflCoptah, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2good to see someone using 'Father' instead of dad
      that's a bit off topic, but good for you :)
  • Mustard911, on 07/07/2008, -41/+11I heard people say the death of Starbuck is their employing of Mexicans and other 3rd World people with little hygiene or etiquette.
    • wendelgee2, on 07/07/2008, -6/+29***** and racist, a winning combination.
      • Mustard911, on 07/07/2008, -19/+3Is it true or not. If Starbucks are employing alien people, then they maybe exposing their brand to low ratings.
      • Mustard911, on 07/07/2008, -20/+4I heard the tomato problem in America is also caused by Mexican workers who go to the toilet in the paddocks and water the field with waste water.

        If these cases are true then America is really going down hill.

        I just listened to this, http://reasonradionetwork.com/_archive/PS_20080704 ... and it's very revealing about America's state of affairs.
      • noahhoward, on 07/07/2008, -1/+9I can't say for certain if the Tomato rumor is true or nto but I can say that that is exactly why I had to sanitize melons and other forgein produce we recieved when I worked in a produce store. Workers don't use bathrooms when they are out in the middle of a huge field and getting paid (or not) to work. They squat where they need to. It is apparently common in Mexico too so it lends credibility to the idea.
      • wendelgee2, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3There's also this thing we call fertilizer, which is sometimes chemical, sometimes pasteurized manure, and sometimes just plain ol' stinky manure. So, maybe the workers are taking a crap, but that seems like small potatoes compared to the manure being spread all over the field...especially if these are "organic" products (read, no chemical fertilizers)
      • Mustard911, on 07/07/2008, -6/+2People have been eating foods fertilised with animal manure or eons without a problem. The problem is human waste is most apt at making us sick.

        I'm not having a got at Mexicans in Mexico, I'm saying there's a problem with the produce and illegal workers being used in America businesses. America can quite easy make it's own fruit and vegetables if they pay the workers properly. Starbucks has obviously chosen the lowest denominator and paid the price.
      • ShitStainedBall, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6Please don't breed.
    • feliphe, on 07/07/2008, -3/+7The problem is Starbucks only wants to pay the minimum wage to baristas, that's way immigrants are getting those jobs.
      • Mustard911, on 07/07/2008, -3/+2Yes it seems the cutting of costs in every area. It's any wonder why proper Americans would want to spend their money there.
      • wendelgee2, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Actually, they pay more than minimum, and provide health benefits and other perks that McDonald's certainly doesn't. Actual pay varies by region and how long you've been there, but PayScale.com claims that baristas earn an average of $8.09 per hour. WikiAnswers claims that pay goes up to roughly $9 after 6 months.
    • Metellus, on 07/07/2008, -4/+15"I heard people say" = "I want to say without looking like a racist"
    • Haax, on 07/07/2008, -2/+6Someone needs to kick your ass
    • rand0mm0nkey, on 07/07/2008, -1/+4The best coffee in the world does indeed come from South American countries, at least in my opinion. My favorite is from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica. To get those beans, yes, one must employ the people of that region. Shock and awe. It's good for them and its good for me. Enjoy your Foldgers in your clean white robe, douche-canoe.
      • Mustard911, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2I don't doubt that. That's not the point though. The point is about standard in American businesses and people patronising those businesses.

        Is America hurting by companies employing non citizens? I heard people tell me they wont go to Starbucks because of the workers and the low standards.
    • quiggibub, on 07/07/2008, -3/+1I'm pretty sure it's people being unwilling to pay $4 for burnt coffee.
    • kinseyincanada, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1i can honeslty say almost every single person ive seen at a Starbucks has been a Young Student.
  • readme, on 07/07/2008, -9/+184Starbucks will never return to their roots. The brand has essentially become the McDonalds of coffee. It's all about quantity over quality. The coffee was once unique, now it just tastes horrible. What's even worse is that the taste is inconsistent from one Starbucks to the next despite the recent Pike Place push.

    Also, the barristers went from quirky coffee shop types to ex-McDonalds employees. It's just a lousy experience over all. The brand peaked, it's over. I am sure the Starbucks brand will be around for a long time but then again so is McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, etc.
    • tbranham, on 07/07/2008, -0/+24The Starbucks down the street from here has started a new policy: allow their employees to wear (*almost*) whatever they want to while working. As far as I can tell, the change is mostly successful in changing the image of the store to that more funky, college-kids-making-coffee type of atmosphere that I miss from the obscure little shops. I won't be pleased, however, until they bring back real espresso machines.
      • edwartica, on 07/07/2008, -0/+7Yes! That was kind of the final nail in the coffin for me with 'tarbucks. Those automated things just don't give a decent shot of espresso!
      • Monk22, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2they never do, a hand poured shot will always beat a machine.
    • BoneheadFarker, on 07/07/2008, -0/+18The whole problem with them is "the brand". It was never about making good coffee. It was about pushing "the brand" and making sure everyone was holding a Starbucks cup. At first it was pushing this image of being a real coffee house, with their special names for cup sizes and their "exclusive double-roasted coffee beans" that was really just low grade beans that they burn to *****. Then it was pushing all their crapaccino mixes that all but eliminated the coffee. Now they are the Walmart of the coffee business without the ability to hold onto their market. My only hope is that they die off completely, and let the real coffee houses come back again...
    • seeinpixels, on 07/07/2008, -5/+6Can it really be the McDonald's of coffee is McDonald's is doing it too?
    • mlbwebdesign, on 07/07/2008, -2/+1How about they create a dollar menu to earn some business back (like MickeyD). Geez, $3 for a small latte by me!
      • edwartica, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3Ok, to be fair, that's just the running price of coffee. Go into any coffee shop and you will find the prices are usually about the same. Of course, at any other coffee shop you usually get a better product, but....
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Local coffee shops around here average $1.50 to $2 for the largest cups of black coffee.

        Madison, WI
    • emmrar, on 07/07/2008, -2/+13As a Starbucks barista, I know it definitely sucks being cast as your typical, run-of-the-mill fast food employee. We want to wear our piercings, show our tattoos, and lose the black, white, and khaki. Everything from the training to the uniform makes us as easily replaceable as the McDonalds employee. It's not as fun as it's supposed to be.
      • edwartica, on 07/07/2008, -2/+8Meh, that's just life in corporate America though. How many CEOs do you find with a nose ring and purple hair?
      • allisonaxe, on 07/07/2008, -0/+8so leave starbucks and work at a locally owned independant coffeehouse? i only ever go to "licensed" type Starbucks anymore, when I need a quick fix of caffeine (last one i went to was in a hotel lobby, before that it was the one at the airport), but when I'm wanting that special coffeehouse experience, i go to a local coffee shop, which has weird performance art (there was a guy banging random notes on a glockenspiel once) and a barista that looks like a ginger Grizzly Adams.

        if you're complaining about your job, but not doing anything to change it, you're part of the problem.
    • asnider, on 07/07/2008, -1/+19I hate to be pedantic, but a "barrister" is a type of lawyer in the UK. A barista is someone who makes coffee.

      Now that I've got that out of the way, I more or less agree with what you've said. Starbucks has essentially become like the McDonald's of coffee. I've always found that their coffee tastes burnt, though, so I try to avoid the place anyway.
      • readme, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4Thanks for the correction. That's what I get for using Google search as a spell checker :)
    • skipdog172, on 07/07/2008, -6/+16I'd just like to point out that at ONE POINT McDonald's was more about "quantity over quality". It is not that way any longer. McDonald's over-expanded and had to close a lot of stores. They closed these stores and changed their focus to improving quality and service at all of its stores. Nowadays, it is quite rare that McDonald's will screw up your order. They are consistently faster at all locations and the fries are consistently perfect at nearly all locations. In fact, their last quarter was one of their best ever. Some of you may try to deny this, but sorry, you are wrong. McDonald's has their ***** together more than they ever have and their profits are higher than they have ever been. McDonald's turned their focus into ensuring quality while keeping the food coming "fast" at all locations. They modified their operating procedures to ensure that a retard could not screw an order up or screw the food up in any way. It worked.

      Now, I have never been a fan of Starbucks, but it looks like closing stores is what they need to do. They are in the "oh *****, maybe we shouldn't be opening so many stores so fast" phase that McDonald's was once in. I hope they follow the practices McDonald's has made and focus on improving the quality of their coffee/service and ensuring that all locations have the quality that customers expect.
      • LinkGCN4, on 07/07/2008, -7/+5Actually, every time I go to a McDonald's the service is terrible. The workers don't care. They can't speak proper English. In addition, the food sucks.
      • drgonzo00000, on 07/07/2008, -2/+6How much is McDonald's paying you to spew that line of *****?
      • otbeverly, on 07/07/2008, -0/+9Yeah, McDonalds is quick, they don't screw up your order and the food always tastes the same ...... yet I always regret going afterwards and there's probably at least a 6 month gap between trips to McDonalds. Actually, it's been at least a year since I last visited a McDonalds, and that was to grab some "breakfast" while I was at the beach.

        Sausage McGriddle --- first bite,.... hmmm, this isn't so bad. Last bite, .... Why the F*** did I just eat that?
      • lisaawesome, on 07/07/2008, -2/+4Sometimes all I want is a greasy burger so I head on over to this McDonald's near my house and over the years I have noticed they have never once gotten my order wrong (no onion or pickles!) and 99% of the time they are very quick about it even if there is a long line. I have never had that consistent quality of service at any other fast food chain. McDonald's is a good model for how a popular brand can recover from over expansion and maintain a pretty positive public image.
      • tghd, on 07/07/2008, -1/+5It doesn't change the fact that your eating pure *****.
      • Spudster, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2Actually, the new mcdonalds redesign is quite nice and I honestly really enjoy what they did with it. The inclusion of TV's and padded furniture was a great idea.
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -1/+3Burger King > Wendys > McDonalds
      • sneezy555, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3@marx2k Sorry but Wendy's kicks burger king's ass. Wendy's being the first to switch to non-trans fat oil.
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2sneezy: I used to think so too until I ordered a double cheeseburger, turned it vertically and watched the oil just drip for up to a minute onto the wrapper...
    • corneliousjd, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3It's "Baristas"

    • jakatak, on 07/07/2008, -0/+14I new this day was coming. The day Mcdonald's had a better cup of coffee for half the price. Their iced coffee's are great. The last dagger in the Starbucks chest was when all the Mcdonald's around here made their dining area more intimate and have free wi-fi (as long as you want. not 2 hours like Starbucks).

      If your going to save Starbucks then four things need to happen:
      1. Get better coffee
      2. stop selling CDs for 15.99. No one will pay that price.
      3. make each locations localized by allowing the area to dictate the image. Have local guitar players or horn players coming in on Friday or Saturday nights. Have poetry readings or spoken word night. Whatever brings back that coffee house feel.
      4. free wi-fi
      • lisaawesome, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4I have heard some McDonald's are adding a coffee bar area. I had a caramel iced coffee from them the other day and it tasted identical to those I have purchased at Starbucks.
      • bownasterm, on 07/08/2008, -1/+3mcdonalds makes the best iced coffee, i went to starbucks and asked for a iced coffee and the handed me a cup of coffee with ice, no cream no falvour or nothing i was pissed off.
      • Yibbon, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3In Australia we have 'McCafe' which serves awesome cheap coffee. The workers are perky and nice, the workers at starbucks are slovenly and unfriendly.
      • senatorpjt, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3I haven't been to McDonalds in years but I remember it was the WORST coffee i've had in my life. And I've had some pretty ***** coffee.
      • jakatak, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1@senatorpjt - you have got to go back and try them now. Big change. So big that it is killing Starbucks.
    • simplysoleil, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1http://www.explosm.net/comics/62/
      heh heh.
    • peestandingup, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2"Starbucks will never return to their roots."

      That is painfully obvious after that little stunt they pulled with reinstating their "original" logo. I dont know if you guys know, but the new original logo IS NOT the old one. The old one had the goddess bare breasted in all her glory. The new one her breasts are covered up by her hair.

      ***** lame, corporate sell outs is what they've become.
    • cJeremy, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2mcd, BK,taco bell..... they are all awesome imo.... but starbucks is overrated for sure.
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1"mcd, BK,taco bell..... they are all awesome imo.... but starbucks is overrated for sure."

        Not to be a dick, but someone saying McDOnalds, Burger King and Taco Bell are awesome can't really make any statements as to what's overrated and what's not
  • TheUngod, on 07/07/2008, -27/+188The problem is this article is trying to compare Starbucks to a local coffee shop. It's not. If you have a mass market product, you want to appeal to a mass audience. A niche coffee shop on every corner would fail miserably. I agree it's a bit sad they aren't as good as they used to be, but it's business. You want a small local coffee shop feel? GO TO A SMALL LOCAL COFEE SHOP. Stop bitching that Starbucks isn't what you want, and go find what you want.
    • escapeZmatrix, on 07/07/2008, -16/+127I would go to SMALL LOCAL COFFEE SHOPS but Starbucks put most all of them out of business.
      • revjustin2, on 07/07/2008, -3/+17I feel for them and their loss, but they were all obviously missing something that Starbucks offered. I'm not talking about coffee products per se, but maybe something else. It could just be that people like what they know and Starbucks is consistent in terms of experience. It could also be that they have just done a kick-ass job of becoming the "kleenex" of coffee shops. I wish people didn't want these things, but they do for some reason. I even find myself going to Starbucks over a local shop at times because it's just quicker and easier to get in and out. I do spread the love, however. BTW, Austin, TX has some kick-ass coffee shops that all seem to be doing pretty well. Maybe it's just the kind of town you're in?
      • Areiadebondi, on 07/07/2008, -2/+4I guess thats the difference in Europe. Theres still enough nice small coffee shops, and i think itll stay that way. About the staff - at least here in North Germany it is nothing too special to see unfriendly staff, no matter where u go.
      • asnider, on 07/07/2008, -0/+16Actually, having a Starbucks nearby is, apparently, usually a good thing for small local coffee shops. It sounds absurd, but it's (often) the truth:

        http://www.slate.com/id/2180301/pagenum/all/
      • edwartica, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3Remind me not to visit wherever you're from.
      • here2do, on 07/07/2008, -4/+9I'm one of the people that enjoy what Starbucks has become recently. Since I only started going there after my wife brought home a (DCCF) Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino. No, I don't hang around and chat. No, I don't pull out my laptop and drink my DCCF. No, I don't know, nor want to know, the names of the employees there. There business strategy is right down my alley, in and out without much fuss. I have places to go and things to do and they have a product that I enjoy.
      • CamperBob, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4That sentiment sounds good and earns you lots of +diggs, but it isn't even remotely true. See the link asnider posted.

        More often than not, Starbucks *creates* a market for upscale neighborhood coffeehouses. Not saying their coffee's great, just pointing out that the numbers do not support the popular notion of indy coffeehouses being plowed under by the big ev1l St4rbux conglomerate.

        If your neighborhood indy coffee joint goes out of business because Starbucks moved in, it means they sucked. Sorry, but that's how it is.
      • mcm020, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2I live in a small north louisiana town that has a starbucks. We still have 3 local coffee shops.
      • jacstrikesback, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Revjustin2's right. Austin does have some pretty kickass local coffee shops (Epoch, Ruta Maya, and, hell, even Halcyon for their S'mores), all of which are much nicer than Starbucks on every point except convenience. Honestly, I think that's about the only reason most people still come.
        And I say all of this as a Starbucks employee.

      • BossKey, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3Sorry but revjustin2 and asnider are right. How else would you explain that Seattle, the home of Starbucks, is one of the most vibrant INDEPENDENT coffee house communities in the nation. In many neighborhoods, you can easily avoid Starbucks because there will be two to five other non-Starbucks or even non-chain coffee houses to visit, and a couple of them might even roast beans right there on site. It is probably evolution in action: If the indie coffee houses in your town went down, it means they didn't raise their game to meet or exceed the Starbucks challenge.

        The presence of Starbucks can stimulate demand for "something like Starbucks but different."
    • bjs3171, on 07/07/2008, -1/+9the fact that i even HAVE small local coffee shop in my neighborhood was a welcome shock when i moved in. the coffee reasonably priced, GOOD, there are comfy couches, they sell alcohol, and they have some damn good creative muffins.
    • metmerc, on 07/07/2008, -1/+13The point of the article is that Starbucks once had that small local feel, but they've abandoned most of the things that made them feel that way. Because of that, the author argues, people are abandoning Starbucks.
    • oldgal, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3The thing I resented most was they bought out other small shops, saturated the area, and eliminated the reasonably priced sandwich/salad shops. I don't care how good your stuff is, I want variety for lunch when I'm working full time. Food is very important to the captive human. Fortunately I'm retired now - the perfect solution to lots of things.
      • TheUngod, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3I've never worked somewhere they don't allow you to BRING a lunch. Now that's variety.
    • here2do, on 07/07/2008, -2/+5TheUngod gets it. This is all about business. There's a good reason most individuals aren't business entrepreneurs. First you actually have to have a desire to be more than normal. Second, you have to be willing to take the risk. Third, you have to be willing to work extremely hard and make sacrifices and finally you have to be willing to, believe it or not, succeed! This company is a great success. Find a different coffee shop to patronize if you don't like what they've become. Believe me, they'll survive without you. BTW, much of Starbucks slowdown is almost certainly due to the slowed economy.
      PS: 600 closed stores, out of 16000 is only 3.25%
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1"First you actually have to have a desire to be more than normal."

        Say what?
    • mtnlion2, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Only intelligent point I've read in this whole list of comments
  • buckchoris, on 07/07/2008, -17/+7Starbucks was dead a long time ago.

    http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1808306
  • Suneet67, on 07/07/2008, -5/+21Business planners at Starbucks must have figured that when the economy headed south, people would stop paying for an expensive, poor-quality product that they could make for themselves.
    • frontporsche, on 07/07/2008, -4/+3It seems you've never liked Starbucks coffee or the atmosphere.
      • pcghost, on 07/07/2008, -2/+5Atmosphere?? At Starbucks? I've always found their stores to be too sterile and non-homey. I like mom and pop coffee shop atmospheres way better usually. And while I am a strong coffee fanatic, starbucks tastes like the roaster was a bean-burning amateur. Life is too short to drink Starbucks.
      • Suneet67, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5Ill admit some of my fondest high school memories include getting to know people over a cup of Starbucks but you must admit that their recent profiteering over the last ten years has made the place downright unpleasant. Why should we have to pay for over priced food or WiFi when there are numerous other competitors that offer better coffee (at a cheaper price) and a similar ambiance?
  • Czechxican, on 07/07/2008, -2/+54Starbucks killed itself when it cannibalized all its ambiance in exchange for money. I live in a small town of 10,000 and there are two starbucks less than a mile apart. It no longer has any special meaning to say let's go to Starbucks, because it's that place I drive by 4 times a day now and everyone is sick to death of seeing the logo plastered everywhere.
    • longbow486, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6kind of like Dunkin Dounts here in New England
      In my town there are four of them on one street
      • crazydiode, on 07/07/2008, -1/+4but atleast Dunkn Donuts' coffee is much much much better.
      • edwartica, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1So THAT is where they all disappeared to. They're non existent in this part of the country now. In fact, most of them are now Starbucks!
      • lisaawesome, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1I want a Dunkin Donuts. There used to be one many years ago but they closed. Everyone raves about them so I always wonder what I'm missing out on.
    • kzathon, on 07/07/2008, -0/+0Wow, don't come to new york. there's one every 3-5 blocks along broadway.
    • celebmonkey, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1hear hear! I never thought they were that great in the first place... now I only go there when there are no other options to be had. they got too full of themselves and now they're paying the price!!
    • Weaselboy, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3Crispy Kreme donuts did the same thing. Put one on every corner and in each grocery store and ruined the brand.
  • erocsteady, on 07/07/2008, -2/+32"Starbucks' recently returned chief executive officer, Howard Schultz, finally stopped denying that fact last week with the announcement that the company was applying the brakes on the Starbucks express growth strategy and closing 600 of its 16,000 stores worldwide."

    That's it? Really? There are Starbucks here where are 3 within less than a quater of a mile of each other. We're talking a couple blocks. And this is just Western PA, not even in the city (Pittsburgh), let alone other places outside of the state where it's that bad everywhere or worse.

    If you think a cut back is a bad thing, then you might need to look around and realize you've become one of the snooty, tools of millions that think they're sooo cool with their Starbucks and that hang out there everyday.

    If you're not that, and you are happy that Starbucks is taking a slight decline (knock on wood), then more power to ya.

    There's a reason Starbucks was where Dr. Evil's headquarters was in Austin Powers 2.
    • BoneheadFarker, on 07/07/2008, -0/+7Come to Canada, especially Ontario. In most cities, you can stand on one street corner with a Tim Horton's and be able to see two more within walking distance. And they all make a killing. Owning a Tim Horton's is like a license to print money. This is how you grow into the coffee business...
      • oxymoron69, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4Yep, drive-thru, not sitting and pretending to be elite at the mcdonalds of coffe joints.
        *****, could you imagine taking a laptop to McD's and pretending to be writing the great canadian novel? bwhahahahahaha

        Timmies is *****, because their coffee is alright, not great and varies by the hour.(the timmies closest to me only seems to hire people that are handicapped and likely receives some sort of rebate for having them work there)
        But, ***** and everywhere equals profit!
        Worked for mcdonalds...

        Oh yeah, and a XL coffee at Timmy Ho's is less than $2
    • Ravatar, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4I've always laughed at that argument of there being so many Starbucks so close to each other. That's for a very good reason and that reason is real estate appreciation. They snatch up any land they can get ahold of, plop down a starbucks on it (gotta do something with it, right?), and wait. I'm sure most of the stores are at least helping them break even in most locations and over time that real estate portfolio of theirs becomes MASSIVE. You chart performance to value of being on the land, and sell off the lowest performing, highest value properties. That way you only need to close 600 stores to have a MASSIVE impact on your balance sheet for the year.
      • otbeverly, on 07/07/2008, -5/+2Yet another example of why capitalism sucks.
      • Ravatar, on 07/07/2008, -0/+7And at the same time, it's still the best system ever created.
  • suckaPU, on 07/07/2008, -1/+13when they go opening stores in places like Goshen, Indiana you know the market is way over inundated and there's nothing special about it anymore
    • Neiliosullivan, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Haha too true. Still not one in Nashville IN though.
    • BillDoE, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2lol From Valpo.
  • wwwdot1jesdotus, on 07/07/2008, -12/+30I'm surprised to read all these negative comments about Starbucks' coffee. I still love it as much as I did years ago. I never went there because it was the cool place to be. I like the coffee and will keep on drinking it.
    • hackiavelli, on 07/07/2008, -2/+14Yep, it's classic hipster whining where cool is inversely related to widespread popularity. That's why he name drops all those little shops most people will have never heard of.
    • groberts1980, on 07/07/2008, -2/+4Agreed. I buy Starbucks whole bean coffee, grind them myself, and brew it at work. I've never thought Starbucks tasted charred. I still love the stuff. Do I spend a lot of time in their stores? No. But I drink the ***** out of their coffee.
    • Outdoor83, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2I don't go there because the wifi isn't free and the coffee sucks. Fix those two things, and I'd go for it. I still appreciate smaller coffee shops... not because I'm some elitist who thinks they're somehow better, but because at the ones I've visited, the wait staff is friendly and fun to talk to, the drinks are of higher quality, and I usually get some better baked goods as well.

      Better food, better people, better ambiance, no charge for wifi? Why would *anyone* go to Starbucks?
  • alex7575, on 07/07/2008, -14/+8I still laugh at people who go to Starbucks
    • revjustin2, on 07/07/2008, -1/+16I laugh at people who give a ***** about where other people purchase coffee.
      • alex7575, on 07/07/2008, -3/+2Ahhhh, I see where you get your coffee from.
      • revjustin2, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2@alex7575
        I usually pour myself a nice, fresh cup from your mom's coffeepot when I'm leaving her house in the morning.
      • alex7575, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Awwww, using my mommy to offend me?

        The way I see it you're not even old enough to be allowed to drink coffee.
    • wacomwacoff, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1....because they like decent coffee?
      • alex7575, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2LOL
      • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1...and people go to McDonalds because they love the fine, quality cuisine
    • alex7575, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1If I told you I buy Monster cables and pay 5 times more than a market equivalent, wouldn't that be laughable?

      So that's why I'm laughing at your asses. Over and over there were market tests where avid SB patrons were asked to choose which cup held their favorite brew (between SB, McD's, and Folgers), now take a guess which one did the worst?

      If you overpay for coffee that's your problem, but it won't stop me from laughing at fools thinking they're getting quality, when they're getting subpar product.
      • wacomwacoff, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1A cup of coffee at Starbucks costs about $1.59, which is the same price as a cup at Dunkin' Donuts, Peets, or any of their other competitors. It's not 'overpriced'.
  • pozole, on 07/07/2008, -22/+104"I still remember my first Starbucks moment."

    Is a ***** coffee shop, no a religious, mystical or life-changing event. This guy is obviously very impressionable. WTF is a "Starbucks Moment"?
    • dxgg, on 07/07/2008, -13/+14It's a simple appreciation for the simple things life. Unplug yourself and maybe you'll understand a little.
      • hackiavelli, on 07/07/2008, -3/+4Simple?! Starbucks can't even give their cups regular size names.
      • mynameisrobert, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4I've never used the silly Starbuckian terms, I've always asked for a medium or large. Only once did the clerk try to correct me.

        It's not that I'm stuffy, I simply refuse to buy into a brand experience that makes me use a silly lexicon.

        With this said, I'm off to have a medium blend....
      • dxgg, on 07/07/2008, -1/+4@hackiavelli: I wasn't really referring to a Starbucks experience, but rather, the appreciation of the simple pleasures in life: coffee being one of them.
    • thepxc, on 07/07/2008, -3/+54This man is a writer. You see, people who write professionally do more with their writing than merely share information. They have a little thing they call in the biz "style", and they vary the style for the different "pieces" they write. This one is a personal opinion piece, and so the writer chose to write "playfully". By describing the first time he drank coffee at Starbucks as memorable and a "moment", he establishes a sense of fondness for Starbucks, to eventually emphasize his disappointment in Starbucks' business decisions since that first "Starbucks moment."

      Is there anything else I can help you with?
      • mightytribble, on 07/07/2008, -0/+11I'd like a triple shot decaf, light whip, soy with two pumps of vanilla.

        /joking!
        //would never get decaf.
        ///Or soy, the Devil's Bean.
      • thailand1972, on 07/07/2008, -8/+3These "styles" sound like ***** - why can't he just write honestly, instead of "playfully"?
      • thepxc, on 07/07/2008, -2/+3thailand: Because it's an editorial/personal opinion piece, I would think.

        (Sorry for replying in the wrong thread.)
      • ShisouKen, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3thepxc = dugg
    • vibrate, on 07/07/2008, -6/+5realising you just spent too much money on a giant container of rubbish coffee
    • Technohamster, on 07/07/2008, -1/+6A Starbucks Moment is when the person in front of you asks for an iced venti no ice green tea. You pause to consider how absurd that is. Then you rhyme off your own equally pretentious drink name. Oh starbucks.
    • Psi57, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Its when you are twitching and need to poop.
    • senatorpjt, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3When you ask the guy behind the counter for a "large coffee" and he looks at you like you just stepped off a UFO.
  • wardsac, on 07/07/2008, -3/+5Only been into an actual Starbucks once, but I buy their beans once in a while to make coffee at home. Not half bad.
  • mikephimikephi, on 07/07/2008, -9/+28I tell my friends all the time, Dunkin Donuts is so much better than Starbucks.
    I'm not saying it's the best, just that it is far tastier than Starbucks.
    (cheaper too)
    • vibrate, on 07/07/2008, -8/+5conclusive proof that Americans hate coffee
      • bjs3171, on 07/07/2008, -1/+5no it isn't. Dunkin Donuts IS much better than starbucks in terms of the big chains. That's not to say it's on par with high end Gevalia, but it's pretty good.
      • mobislink, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4Taste is subjective. While you prefer DD coffee many prefer Starbucks. No use arguing about it. I will say that a lot people go for the Fraps. The Fraps don't really don't have anything to do with the taste of the coffee. I do prefer the stronger "burnt" taste. I think Panerra has the best coffee in my subjective opinion.
    • Tabris, on 07/07/2008, -5/+7No, it's not. Dunks is at most $0.10 cheaper for a coffee than Starbucks. The Coolatta vs. a Frappuccino is cheaper...their larges are the same price but the Dunks medium is the same size as the venti.

      Dunks has great coffee but they have one blend to which they add flavor shots. Starbucks has different blends which actually aren't bad and you can have shots added if you want. Also, the french press at Starbucks is pretty good. It adds like a quarter to the cost of the coffee but they make them individually and it comes out tasting a lot better than just getting a cup of whatever they have brewing.

      Starbucks tastes like ***** later on in the day because their daily brew has been sitting there all day since everyone buys lattes instead of coffee. Go in the morning when it's still fresh and it's great. I love Dunks, but Starbucks isn't completely atrocious.

      /has literally no less than 15 Dunks within 5 miles right now, and 2 Starbucks
      • Slacker1031, on 07/07/2008, -3/+10Dunkin' Donuts. It's called Dunkin' Donuts.
      • Caviarmy, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5I have to grind and brew coffee every 22 minutes. It's a bitch.

        Anything that doesn't sell in that time gets dumped... there's never any coffee 'sitting around all day'
      • Monk22, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2caviarmy:
        preforming brain surgery is a bitch. your just making coffee. and not even for free, they are paying you to complete a simple mindless task.
      • Caviarmy, on 07/18/2008, -0/+1I have to grind and brew coffee every 22 minutes. Yes, it is a simple mindless task. It is also a bitch.

        a bitch: a la "TPS Reports", or simply having to do any undesirable task.
    • MrSkills, on 07/07/2008, -3/+2This is like an argument over whether McDonalds or Burger King does better food. Sadly, some people reading this will think "and...?"
    • FuZi0nDET, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3Too many distractions at Dunkin Donuts to get my coffee there! I'd walk out of there with 3 glazed donuts as well!
    • ajb2015, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2ugh, dunkin donuts is awful. it doesn't even matter what you ask for in your coffee, because you're never going to get the right order. and they don't even do real flavored coffee anymore. its all disgusting flavor shot crap. not to mention their coffee is like water. i say this, and i used to work there in high school.
    • StevoJD, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2There's no culture at Dunkin Donuts though....
  • feliphe, on 07/07/2008, -12/+6The problem is Starbucks only wants to pay the minimum wage to baristas, that's way immigrants are getting those jobs.
    • wacomwacoff, on 07/07/2008, -0/+7That's actually not true at all. Starbucks pays a very decent wage, and is known as one of the only large employers in America that offers full heath benefits to part-time employees.
      • electromud, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Starbucks treats their employees well, but they don't train them well. That's the problem.
    • PapaBoojum, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2Dey took are jerbs!
  • seantubridy, on 07/07/2008, -4/+6They totally nailed it. It's about time a major publication called them out, even though it took the closing of all those stores for them to have the guts to do it.
    • bdbr, on 07/07/2008, -1/+6You think this is the first time that someone has written that Starbucks isn't "cool" anymore?
  • PrinceVern, on 07/07/2008, -6/+1^o^ Mmh, Vanilla Creme Blends~
  • Postoasted, on 07/07/2008, -3/+10Service at the Starbuck's I've gone to lately was bad. They almost had a "commie attitude," meaning if you didn't like there service/attitude you can lump it. Funny thing, I've also been to good Starbuck's, but the chances of going to a crummy one had gone up to about 50%. I hope they shut down the bad ones.
    • cadmiumpaint, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5agreed. if you dare call something a medium or large they act like you've insulted them personally.
      • Monk22, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2then you say "yeah a large ***** coffee. english mother *****, do you speak it?"
  • amightywind, on 07/07/2008, -10/+5I sold my Starbucks stock years ago. It hasn't been a decent growth stock for a long time. As for you remaining shareholders, have fun riding this turd down the toilet.
  • Cyrock, on 07/07/2008, -8/+2Starbucks lost me when they got rid of the brownie frap and replaced it with a chocolate chip frap. It was the only drink I would buy from them.
    • Monk22, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2then you dont like coffee go get a milkshake
      • Cyrock, on 07/07/2008, -1/+0no, i dont like burnt tasting coffee.
  • Spartyon, on 07/07/2008, -6/+15the coffee did not change neither did starbucks' policy. they simply saturated the market with stores being literally a block away from each other have become common. silly

    the coffee was always bad and overpriced. yes i hate this place.
    • ensiid, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2you may want to take a look at the comment above about real estate appreciation
  • ninjadave, on 07/07/2008, -7/+8And here I thought Starbucks would be around forever!
    >_>
  • thePTS, on 07/07/2008, -5/+6I use Starbucks as a place to work for shorter periods of time, or to just sit down and relax. Maybe Starbucks was unique at one point, but come on, that's not how they made their big $$. They are establishing themselves throughout the world, because they are actively marketing the meeting/work/relax-concept.
  • GoneGreen, on 07/07/2008, -3/+18Starbucks much like WalMart has ruined the business it now dominates. So many great little mom and pop coffee shops have died due to corporate greed. I hope this is only the beginning and Starbucks rapidly dies.
    • giant.robot, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6While a Starbucks on every corner has ruined some mom'n'pop coffee shops it has also opened a market where one didn't exist fifteen years ago. It's a lot easier to open up a coffee shop as a Starbucks alternative since people now have a point of reference. A decade ago when you said the word coffee most people either thought of their morning Folgers or the *****-brew they got from the gas station or donut shop on the way to work. Many did not think "coffee shop" until Starbucks introduced the idea to them. Now when you say the word coffee they think to the *****-brew they get from Starbucks.

      This opens the door for smaller chains or individual shops to offer better quality and service than Starbucks. People want quality coffee from a coffee shop but aren't necessarily married to Starbucks. Starbucks is always going to sell Frappucinos and other liquid candy but not everyone wants that. Some people just want a good cup of coffee or tea. There's money to be made by anyone wanting to supply that demand (Coffee Bean, Pete's Coffee, your local teenager filled coffee shop).
    • thereyago, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Giant robot you are so right. I drive a truck and let me tell you I would go out of my way to get a cup of starbucks over the normal "coffee" at most places. All I want is an americano. Most places you simply couldn't get something like that. I guess I can't really say it better than you did.

      One thing I will say is that starbucks made the mistake of not owning thier locations. They should have realized , like Mcdonalds , that they are in the real estate business. I also think that they have many markets that are saturated and they will be fine closing those but in out of the way places they are the only game in town and there is room for them thier but your point about introducing the concept is just so true so Kudos. I can't stand the dramatic haters. they don't understand what it is like to get a good cup even if it is starbucks after road coffee or corner store crap. The only exception would be up in the northwest where there is always something else and up in the north east , the coffee from Green Mountain roasters is top notch just brewed.
    • spillwater, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2economics, not corporate greed.
  • ukine, on 07/07/2008, -7/+0requisite 'posting from starbucks' comment
  • daxsymbiont, on 07/07/2008, -11/+1***** caffeine.
  • dizturbd2, on 07/07/2008, -10/+4That's what happens when you are against the NRA.
  • dxgg, on 07/07/2008, -3/+9Don't kid yourself...Starbucks will always be around, although their brand will most likely continue to get watered down (pardon the pun). Yes, you can get better coffee some place else, but there's always going to be an incredibly large customer base for Starbucks, just like there is for McDonalds (even though there are better places eat). If you don't like Starbucks, you don't go to Starbucks.

    Give me pure, simple, unadulterated coffee. None of this "chocolate mint orange Frappuccino" rubbish.
    • corneliousjd, on 07/07/2008, -1/+4The order a damn cup of coffee, not a Frappuccino?
      • dxgg, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2I was saying that I don't like foofy coffee drinks...I wasn't putting down (neither am I now defending) Starbucks.
  • thedogfatherx, on 07/07/2008, -9/+7Starbucks was overpriced from the start. The people who go there all the time were/are part of the problem.
  • terajoule, on 07/07/2008, -3/+7We all know Starbucks is run by Dr. Evil and his Evil Empire.
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=qnMaroAlfvI
  • zydeco, on 07/07/2008, -3/+88"'If your morning coffee contains crushed ice, whipped cream and caramel, it's a milkshake.'' - Bill Maher
    • marx2k, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1The non-coffee drink at a coffee house... some genius totally figured out a way for coffee shops to sell milkshakes and get douchebags to come in who otherwise would never have come in to a coffee shop.
  • Thrilltone, on 07/07/2008, -1/+22The final nail in the coffin for Starbucks occured because of high fuel prices. This is translating to high prices for food and other items. Suddenly, most people have a lot less disposable income and are forced to look for areas where they can cut back on spending.
    We can't reduce our housing costs. We can't reduce our grocery bills... but we can easily find a cheaper cup of coffee, so Starbucks is the first thing to be sacrificed. Same thing is happening to many luxury items that are enjoyed by the general public, such as Surfpicks
  • TenMinuteParty, on 07/07/2008, -5/+54Step 1. A Starbucks story hits the front page of Digg

    Step 2. Everyone throws in their two cents about how much they hate Starbucks and how burnt they think the coffee is.

    Step 3. Repeat process every week so that everyone can complain.

    (As a fan of black coffee, Starbucks offers many different varieties. If it tastes "burnt", maybe you should ask for a medium or lighter blend of coffee. Or ask to try anything else. Also, a $5 Frappuccino isn't coffee. A $1.62 cup of coffee...is.
    • F9Phoenix, on 07/07/2008, -3/+8That pretty much applies to anything: Obama, Ron Paul, Mac. It's a vicious cycle.
    • wacomwacoff, on 07/07/2008, -3/+16Thanks, I appreciate this. I have no idea what these "charbucks" whiners are talking about; Starbucks' brewed coffee is some of the best-quality around. If you're drinking a French roast, yeah, it tastes burnt -- that's how it's roasted. Try a mild roast. Great stuff... and it's no more expensive than any of their competitors.
      • Monk22, on 07/07/2008, -2/+2perfect example. french roast should not taste burnt, its the ***** coffee and ***** mechanized brewing that burns it.
    • greenamp, on 07/07/2008, -2/+9The "burnt" taste people often mention (and without actual taste knowledge mind you) has become popular to repeat, but it is based in some fact. That being, Starbucks basically uses one roast for all their beans, and slightly over roasts them with the intent of making them seem to taste "fresher" for longer periods of time. Coffee connoisseurs will taste this, but most people won't know the difference.

      Starbucks isn't my favorite place to go, but I far hate it. They are really no threat at all to locally owned coffee shops, and if you've ever been on a long road trip you soon grow to appreciate the fact that every couple of hours or so you can pull off for a coffee at a Starbucks.

      Starbucks simply needs to polish their stores up a bit really. The inside of a coffee cafe is it's most important aspect, and lately Starbucks are looking a little too generic and fast foodie.
    • baconz, on 07/07/2008, -8/+3It's easier to go somewhere where the coffee DOESN'T taste like burnt turd instead of reluctantly wading through the crap on the $tarbucks menu because you don't feel like you have a choice.

      Luckily where I live there are only 30 $tarbuckses in the entire city...of 2,000,000 people. hahahahahaha!!! HAHAHAH!H!AHAH! SUCKERS!!!! fart
    • tas08, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3Word. (on the dark coffee and fraps part)
  • billwands, on 07/07/2008, -8/+1Starbucks coffee is horrible, I dont know one single real coffee drinker who does not think it taste burnt and crappy. Green Mountain Coffee rules!
    • metmerc, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1I wouldn't go so far as to say it's horrible. Folgers, that's horrible. Most coffee from drive through coffee stands. That's horrible. Starbucks coffee is bland, but tolerable. That's why they're so popular.
      I never go to Starbucks where I live (Portland, OR) because I know plenty of places where I can get much better coffee, but if I'm in some small town, I'll go to Starbucks over some random deli that happens to have an espresso machine. Why? Because I've had too many really ***** cappuccinos from places like that.
  • DrBeaverhausen, on 07/07/2008, -4/+5I agree with the author about how the "kids" won't know how good it was, I'm 34 and I consider myself the "kids" he's talking about. The story of my life seems to be that once I get to experience some thing its already old hat for the rest of America and going down the tubes. Starbucks seemed to hit its full stride while I was over seas. By the time I got back it it already sucked. My kids are now pre-teens and are curious about coffee, so I'm trying to to find a good local coffee house to take them to. But Starbucks only has it self to blame. It over saturated the market. I live in a mid-sized city in the mid-west (pop. around 100,000) and there was one in a Wal-Mart. This Wal-Mart shares a parking lot with a Barnes and Noble book store that also has a Starbucks inside it, and there was a stand alone Starbucks less then a block from these two sites.
  • eth3l, on 07/07/2008, -2/+5shoudl come as no shock. analysts have been waiting for this to happen for aout 2 years.
  • smacksaw, on 07/07/2008, -5/+8So many thoughts about this. Well, first, I think the author is nuts. Quality control at Starbucks? Those of us in the Pac NW have a different name for it: Charbucks. Because they roast the ***** out of their beans. Everything tastes burned. He's full of ***** if he thinks he can tell the difference. I can give him a piece of filet mignon that is nothing but carbon and liver that is burned to carbon and all you can taste is that it's burnt. I don't buy it.

    As far as the atmosphere, that sounds bad. I don't know. I haven't been to Starbucks since they closed the Vancouver/Denman store and made it in a new (lamer) spot. It became Yaletown Furniture Company. This Starbucks had parking - a rarity in the West End of Downtown Vancouver AND it had awesome places to chill. That's what Denman is all about. Sitting around and enjoying the scenery.

    Anyway, I'd go to Starbucks if they stopped burning their beans so badly and like the author said lower their prices and make them a cool hangout again. Until then, I've learned to appreciate the simplicity of a TimHo's medium double-double.
  • thomn8r, on 07/07/2008, -3/+15The way I see it, there are several contributing factors to their downfall:

    * the switch from old-school hand-pulled shots to the automated machines (this was huge - it seriously watered down the coffee)
    * too much emphasis on 'desert' drinks (this isn't an ice cream shop)
    * attempting to leverage the brand into CD's, stuffed animals, games, etc etc (WTF is this, WalMart?)
    * attempting to leverage the brand into political causes (who cares?)
    * attempting to leverage the brand to promote lame movies (Akeela and the Bee, Kite Runner)
    * market over-saturation (ie cannibalization)
    * expanding into airports, supermarkets, etc, staffed by Shaniqua and co who don't give a flying ***** about coffee.
    • wacomwacoff, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3The stores in airports, supermarkets, bookstores etc. are one of the true culprits. Since they're not actually owned by Starbucks... they just license the Starbucks name and coffee... they're not beholden to any of the Starbucks quality standards. These high-traffic locations with terrible service and quality are damaging the Starbucks name.
    • laserdog, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4How about the fact that gas prices have eaten into consumer's discretionary spending?

      Especially when the product in question is something you can make yourself, at home, with very little effort.

      I myself will buy a cup of coffee on mornings where I'm late, it's worth the $2 to not have to setup the coffee press in those cases. But on any other day, my coffee press produces a far cheaper and IMHO higher quality product for just under 2 minutes of work.
    • ireland88, on 07/07/2008, -6/+5Dugg for Shaniqua hahaha
      • rockstarhour, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1Dugg down for Shaniqua -- What are you, racist? That explains the random *****-talking about Akeelah & the Bee, too: one of the most inspiring films for young people out there, but I guess you can't please 'em all. Then again, that movie has black folks in it, so there ya go.
      • zenbyo, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Dugg for Shaniqua as well lol. And i'm black!
    • erikerikerik, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1* the switch from old-school hand-pulled shots to the automated machines (this was huge - it seriously watered down the coffee)
      -----this was done to speed up the serving spead, and it worked also. It also expanded the work force that they could pool from

      * too much emphasis on 'desert' drinks (this isn't an ice cream shop)
      ------ check out the price point break down of these drinks, they friggen rock...if our the store.

      * attempting to leverage the brand into CD's, stuffed animals, games, etc etc (WTF is this, WalMart?)
      ------I forgot the name of it, but its the 'grab grab grab,' thing, like placing candy in the check out lane.

      * attempting to leverage the brand into political causes (who cares?)
      --------Green people.

      * attempting to leverage the brand to promote lame movies (Akeela and the Bee, Kite Runner)
      -------If I remember their promoting social movies. if you read kite runner you might take that comment back. maybe

      * market over-saturation (ie cannibalization)
      ---------I fully friggen agree.

      * expanding into airports, supermarkets, etc, staffed by Shaniqua and co who don't give a flying ***** about coffee
      ---------Remember their are 3 stages of starbucks coffee. A Corporate store. A Franchise store, "we are proudly serving" store.
      • Monk22, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1-----this was done to speed up the serving speed, and it worked also. It also expanded the work force that they could pool from
        ---automated shot machines are fail. always will be be sorry to inform you.

        ------I forgot the name of it, but its the 'grab grab grab,' thing, like placing candy in the check out lane.
        --impulse buying and it doesn't excuse whoring the brand out.

        ---------Remember their are 3 stages of starbucks coffee. A Corporate store. A Franchise store, "we are proudly serving" store.
        --remember if you have a starbucks sign outside your store. YOU ARE A STARBUCKS. if they were not preforming why weren't they shut down or brought up to standards.
    • spillwater, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1it opened to many stores. starbucks is just trying to reach equilibrium...
  • emmrar, on 07/07/2008, -2/+44As baristas, we're trained to make every drink to perfection. This means if it's not right the first time, we're supposed to remake it. Additionally, we're pushed to make drinks quickly. Drive-thru time is supposed to be 1:15 or less for the entire window process. How can you possibly keep that coffee shop feel with a drive-thru, first of all? There's no connection. Plus, when you have customers in line tapping their feet at you, it's not easy to keep a happy face and make that connection with people who don't want to talk to you. The customers who take the time to talk, get to know their baristas, and wait patiently are the ones who keep coming back.
    Training is a joke. The Starbucks experience isn't there anymore. As a barista, it makes me uncomfortable asking customers to buy a bag or beans or try a pastry every time they come in. I don't want to take your money, I just want to give you some good coffee. I try my hardest to give free drinks as frequently as I can. I KNOW how overpriced the coffee is.
    I still don't know if my store will be one of the 600 closing, but if it does, goodbye Starbucks. I know I won't be a customer there again.
    • mannymix03, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3So true,
      too many companies these days are just focused on "upsell, suggestive sell" for their employees and those who actually care such as you, get frowned upon. I love people who take their time and do it right, even if it takes more time. I've seen the morons at starbucks at 7AM (when I have to go to work at my equally ***** food service / entertainment job), They act like its a drug and if its not ready they get really pissy, FFS people just wait and let them do it right, I'm sure you can survive without your coffee for another couple of minutes. The only reason I have taken my business elsewhere is because of the ***** teenagers (yeah I'm a teenager) who started working there, the good workers who take time and have a conversation with their customers and truly enjoy making coffee have left and gone to small town coffee shops, its about the experience and starbucks has lost it
    • thedragon4453, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Actually, my wife and I were talking about this kind of thing, but not just Starbucks, about everywhere.

      It seems that the service industry in general is just a complete joke now. I work in the service industry, and I constantly struggle with the fact that I want to provide the best service to the customer, but tools and resources are just not there. Flash back to 50 years ago. Go into a department store. Ask a clerk a question. First, there actually is one because the company hasn't cut labor into the ground. Second, since they are making a decent wage, they'll probably know the answer.

      It sucks. Service as it was is pretty much dead. Sadly, when I do get ok service, its like shocking. If things don't go well, then I'm not surprised.
    • Monk22, on 07/07/2008, -1/+1Plus, when you have customers in line tapping their feet at you, it's not easy to keep a happy face and make that connection with people who don't want to talk to you. The customers who take the time to talk, get to know their baristas, and wait patiently are the ones who keep coming back.

      *****, are you kidding. people you serve a damn good cup of coffee to are going to come back. which is more impressionable? spending an extra 2 minutes in line or getting your coffee and going "holy *****, this is good" and those people who get all pissy in the morning are still standing in line the next day arent they?

    • neuralcooker, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Makes me think of when my brother was a long time bartista at a larger local coffee shop and they decided to bring in a consultant to boost sales. They got the whole crew together with the consultant and she said something like, "from now on you should ask the customer if they want a pastry or something with their coffee. From now on it's sell, sell, sell!" All the bartistas just stared at her with a blank expression that turned quickly into anger. They all knew that people almost always already know exactly what they want when they come in thorough the door and would consider it very rude to suggest something on the basis of making a sale. Especially when a good number of their customers are their friends as well.
  • monsterette, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3....the get in get out mentality mentioned in the article could be part of the problem [if that is what is being conveyed at the location]. Usually, if people like the product they will continue to go there unless there has been continued bad experiences, an unfortunate experience, or change in the quality of the product itself.
  • markus941, on 07/07/2008, -0/+8Has anyone been to the Starbucks in Chinatown in San Fran? It smells like a bum's sleeping quarters.
    • anubis2night, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1You talking about the one on Bush? across from the entrance to Chinatown? If so I've been there for water / hot cocoa or to use the restroom a few times and never noticed any defining smell, though you may notice something in the city at certain times when the fumes rise out of the gutters/manholes...
  • dave122, on 07/07/2008, -2/+16I have this sweet thing called a coffee pot, I can fill it up the night before with good coffee, push the little program button, then I have a fresh pot of quality coffee waiting for me when I get out of bed. Plus it costs 30 cents for the whole pot. I really never understood why people would pay $2 for a cup of bean water.
    • acmaurer, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2"Bean water" - love it
    • metmerc, on 07/07/2008, -2/+12As a coffee snob, I have to address this. 30 cents for a pot of coffee is not good coffee. Also, if you let your ground beans sit overnight, they lose a lot of freshness. Finally, drip coffee isn't the best way to brew coffee.
      If you want to try really good coffee, use a french press and grind your beans (good beans usually cost about $10/lb) immediately before brewing. The coffee will be infinitely superior to Starbucks and still cost less.
      • dave122, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3dugg because at least you admit you're a coffee snob :D
      • Arghblarg, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3Funny thing is, even though drip coffee isn't "the best way to brew coffee", my old piece-of-sh*te coffee maker at home, given ANY ground coffee, makes an infinitely better-tasting cup than the crap Starbucks deigns to sell at their inflated prices. I mean how hard can it be to make something that doesn't suck?

        I hope Starbucks dies a horrible death. They killed off way too many mom 'n pop cafes in my city.
      • TEMM, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3I totally agree with the french press for making a cup of coffee. It takes maybe 5 minutes to make a cup of coffee from beans to brew, its not rocket science.
      • multineedia, on 07/07/2008, -0/+0$2 for a cup of coffee is a bargain to the Starbucks addict.
        Besides, it's really hard to add caramel mocha ***** cream to your cup at home.
    • laserdog, on 07/07/2008, -1/+5I don't know why this is being dug down, as I believe Starbuck's greatest competitor may just be the coffee pot.

      With rising gas prices putting a squeeze on a lot of people's budgets, taking the time to make your own coffee makes a lot of sense, and in some cases requires a trivial amount of work.
    • 4udacious, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3It's all about convenience, people...

      Not too many of us have a coffee pot with us in the car, or in a briefcase.
      • danibobanny, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1Travel mugs FTW!
      • hierophantus, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1No, but a TRAVEL MUG might make a good substitute for a coffee pot in your car/briefcase, don't you think?

        Personally, I use the Thermos one, looks like a big silver dildo. Completely airtight and fits in a briefcase just fine.
      • artschoolgirl, on 07/13/2008, -0/+0the time you spend driving to starbucks and waiting in line could be just as easily spent brewing that cup of coffee at home and saving your self a couple bucks everyday. but apparently your cost-benefit analysis qualifies the money spent worth the product- and that's your choice. but mother nature would humbly request that you invest in a reusable travel mug of sorts {as others have so elequently forementioned}.
  • dn11, on 07/07/2008, -6/+6starbucks is the mcdonalds of $4 coffee
    • bdbr, on 07/07/2008, -1/+5The largest brewed coffee in Starbucks is $1.75...and that's more than a pint.
      • iamnobody8614, on 07/07/2008, -1/+2Yeah. Most of these people complaining really have no idea what they are talking about. They do have drinks that cost $4, but they don't really qualify as coffee, just coffee flavored sugary concoctions.
    • dn11, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1regular brewed coffee is probably starbucks least popular item. By starbucks own stats the average customer spends an average of $3 - $4. the few times that I've gone to starbucks, and ordered just "coffee" they usually give a slight double take.
    • LitGeekPJ, on 07/07/2008, -1/+0Since McD is now marketing its own "gourmet" line of coffee :-P, doesn't that make McD the Starbucks of shameless bandwaggon-hopping?
  • minoss, on 07/07/2008, -2/+5Other companies took their idea and did it much better. I know around here there's around 4 other places I go to ahead of starbucks, all of which are similar prices. Capitalism FTW.
  • katich, on 07/07/2008, -6/+0 InBev is reportedly seeking to displace Anheuser’s (NYSE:BUD) board in the midst of its $46 billion bid..Get more stocks news at http://tinyurl.com/6e4zdb.
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