I Like Starbucks

I'm sorry....I've tried. I've tried to hate Starbucks. I've tried to hate how it's pervasive and unavoidable, how it is taking over the world, how the only real competition with Starbucks is Starbucks. It's a big machine, the known entity, the borg of coffee shops. It ruins small towns by running their coffee shops out of business and destroys the world - all in one mighty blow. I know this. Their sameness is everywhere, removing all shreds of creativity and difference from the surrounding areas. But despite my best intentions and better judgement, I have to admit, I like Starbucks.

First of all, I love the Chai. I've tried the Chai all over Sacramento. Java city, not good. The little shop on L street, ick. Naked lounge and Capitol garage don't even serve chai. Starbucks chai is yummy (non-fat, no water - makes it as spicy as possible in my opinion). Now I will say, Mishka's has the best chai ever, but the likelihood of me driving to Davis for a chai, especially when the possibility of me owning a car anytime in the near future is questionable and there is a Starbucks within walking distance (2 actually), is not very high. I do go to Temple sometimes for wonderful herbal tea, I get my own little teapot there. But occasionally, I need a Chai. Maybe if I actually drank coffee, i would have more of a choice as to where to go.

There's free wi-hi, good places to study, and the workers know me. Well, to be truthful, most of the workers recognize my cup not me, but they are learning what drink goes in it. They've offered starbucks stickers to decorate the thing since the white ceramic is getting dirty. I haven't caved to their pressure quite yet. I'm holding out for a sticker from Quark's or something geeky like that.

Besides, Starbucks does a lot of good things I want other big companies to do. They provide health insurance to their employees. How cool is that? There are tons of companies that are not able to do that, and yet a coffee company can.

They are at least pretending to care about the environment. That is a step in the right direction. A lot of companies don't even pretend they care. The more big companies we can get to start making differences in their practices, even if it's just for show to start, is a step in the right direction. We little people can't make changes except to support the companies that act, or pretend to act, in a manner we agree with.

And then, I have to admit, if I started Starbucks, and I were running the company, wouldn't I want it to be successful? Wouldn't I want it to be everywhere? Where does being successful end and selling out begin? I think I may have made some of the same decisions if it was my baby, so can I really hate something for being successful at selling a good product? I've been told Starbucks coffee is the only American coffee Europeans drink because it's the only coffee that's strong enough for them. If it's good and people like it, what's wrong with selling it.....on every single street corner.

So I humbly apologize to all my friends. I shop at local bookstores (usually), eat food local restaurants more often then big chain, will never enter WalMart, but I can't bring myself to hate starbucks no matter how hard I try. Resistance is futile.