I'm w/ Redworm. Starbucks offers benefits, stock options & 401k at 20 hours a week & from what I understand is very affordable. Wal Mart offers nothing under 40 hours & from what I've heard a majority of employees can't afford the health plan. The starting pay is the same but the tip jar means Starbucks employees make 2-3 sometimes 4 dollars more than Wal Marters. Fortune listed Starbucks as one of the 100 Top corps to work for.

If people wanna buy $4 coffee more power to em. The only reason why I do it is I constantly get gift cards. I drop about $50 a year at Starbucks of other peoples $$$. So I either get a drip or a cappuccino. Otherwise I'm at Harbor City Chevron. But you can't find cheap quality coffee to go in the afternoon at gas station prices. You never know how long that shit has been sitting there

Trust me, if you're in, say, India, I'm all for you digging into the local flavor.

but they have shit for coffee.

Don't get between me and my drugs.

Also, the bulk of america's local flavor is maxwell house or folgers, sometimes nescafe.

Does anyone own a fuckin' coffee maker? Sheesh.

it's because they use dat VANILLA soy.

I own a standard coffee maker that I use daily and drink crap coffee on a regular basis. I also have a French Press that I don't use as much as I used to. I like going to the coffee house to avoid the monotony of my apartment and to see other living people.

People are always bitching/joking about the prices at Starbucks, but as long as you're not getting some ninny-ass part-skim frothhole I think they're pretty fair.

Example:

20 oz. antifreeze-tasting diet coke at gas station = $1.35

20 oz delicious fresh-brewed coffee at Buckers = $1.85

I gladly pay the 50 cents when I need it, which is whenever I don't have the time to make any caffinated bev in the morning.

You have to hate the homogenized corporate culture, but it's a bit different than the usual disgusting coporate culture of the "big box" stores. The big boxers offer (nearly) EVERYTHING the smaller mom-and-pops do, at such a low price that consumers can't help going to the big box instead. But Starbucks doesn't give us variety OR lower prices. IMO, their product is just BETTER. So I can deal with that. The best quality product is getting my $, and if the other places want to compete, they need to step it up.

I brewed me some of 'dat Community Coffee & Chickory this A.M.
Yum.

I sense a poll- someday.

True, and I personally never really go to Starbucks as I would rather support a different type of business on the rare occasions when I drink coffee not made at home...that and sitting around one of those places would just be creepy for me.

But, I don't know how your part of the world was, but pre-Starbucks you really had to hunt far and wide for anything better than a watered down cup of Folgers throughout most of the midwest.

I avoid places like wal-mart not so much out of civic duty, but just because the greeters freak me out, the stoeres are big enough to get lost in, and I can't stand fighting crowds through those narrow lanes.

I don't know about the rest of the midwest, but Lincoln had three coffee places downtown long before a Starbucks outside of the University Union and Barnes and Noble opened up shop.
I think we happen to be one of those untapped markets for Starbucks. They sort of ignored Lincoln and Omaha for a considerable time. I personally have no problem with Starbucks, I just get cheaper coffee elsewhere and more variety of International fairtrade coffee.

my office has free coffee. that's pretty much the only reason i'm motivated to come in every day.

True. People like Starbucks because they can buy a fucking 20 oz. shake or glorified hot chocolate and still only claim they went out for "coffee."

That shit makes you fat.

Not me.

But then again, I don't drink it.
Actually nothing makes me fat.

Half of those 40,000 stores must be being built here in Hawaii.

Post of the week and I couldnt agree with you more (even though I do on occasion go to Wal-Mart)

seriously. freshly ground, home brewed is where it's at nigga's.

I think I've only been in a Starbucks once.

thread totally delivers based on this.

that too.

we got the other half.

i make this like 4 times a week, but the other days i just go the cafe up the street or, if i'm really late, dunkin donuts. but yeah making it home is preferable.

Interesting link. Talk about naiveté, ‘til now didn’t really know much ‘bout this Fair trade thing. As far as coffee production I almost always think Columbia, South America.

Don't front.

I went to a Starbucks today for maybe the second time in my life. And first time I actually bought a drink there. A "tall" hot chocolate, seeing as how I don't drink coffee.

It was pretty good. Wasn't that expensive.