I've been to Starbucks twice in my life and the first time I got something really good, the second time I got a Frappuccino because I wanted to compare it with the little ones that come in glass bottles (which I love). The Frappucino itself wasn't as good as the little, bottled ones, and the whipped cream on top was disgusting. But... god, I love those little Frappuccinos.
I hate sturrrbucks. it's the very symbol of capitalism and globalism that increase the disparity in economic power between those who grow the coffee beans and bunch of elite ppl who make profit from starbucks all over the world. ( they gain such a lot profit that they even held special Olympic for handicapped ppl in japan!) I think before they act as if starbucks are committed to the society, they should think about why they are so big and why are they getting profit from what they do---like where all these coffee beans and paper cups came from. So i hate starbucks but it's everywhere! W/o knowing we are so caught up in this capitalism, rationalized industry where we're all appeared to be stupid consumers. where can i really make any choice? I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila. are free
More like 50 or 100. We used to have a really cool coffee shop in town. All the freaky people hung out there. People talked about religion and politics. Sometimes people played music and read poetry. People played chess a lot. It was too smoky, but I liked it anyway. A refillable mug cost one dollar and the coffee was pretty good. Then Starbucks moved into town. Our local shop was closed less than six months later. We just lost our local hardware store to Wal-Mart, too. Our town becomes less and less recognizable and more and more like a strip mall. I do not understand why poeple pay 4 bucks for coffee. I make a pretty mean cup right at home and I don't have to wait in line for it. And if I had that much disposable income, I would hope I could find something more productive to do with it.
Your use of emoticons in your post is a very nice touch by the way.. i hope you keep that level of enthuisiasm up
I think Starbucks is overrated. I also think that Starbucks is really pricey. I would rather go to a smaller coffee shop and get a plain black cup of coffee than go get a %$5 frappichino.
I think that starbucks is just trying to popularize that underground chill coffee shop lifestyle...i like to support the little guys rather than a massive earth killing corporation
my ex works at starbucks, and they treat their employees very well! stock options, great medical and dental coverage, tips, wage increases every 6 months, christmas bonus's, paid vacation time, and the longer you are there the more they will give you. the save the old grounds to give to people for their gardens as well as support earth day. i never used to go in there until my bf got his job, and yes they are expensive, but damn it is so worth it! i work at the local medical clinic here in the little bistro/cafe, and we make esspresso. i make it to my liking and it still doenst compare to starbucks for me. plus, having someone work at starbucks, you start to catch on to little tricks that will make your drink cost less. example: grande iced vanilla latte - somewhere around 3.50 iced double grande, no water, vanilla americano, then go to the condiment bar and add your own milk - 2.10 i dont think that is all to bad for a drink, but that's just me.
I don't like coffee at all. But they do sell really good juice that I can't find anywhere else. Of course, it's way over priced. I don't think it's any better or worse than most restaurant chains.
Before they put a starbucks somewhere they measure how many people walk by on foot in that area in a certain amount of time, if its too little time, they don't build one. I don't drink coffee.
i hate it because they overcharge like no other and all the cheerleaders in my math class always brought it in and thought they were cool because of it. one of them even admitted to not really liking it... wow, i hate where i live. plus there's one on every corner in my town which is just annoying.
I am a barista, but I have never set foot in a starbucks.. because I have never seen a starbucks.. yes... never. I do however work in a franchise based on the East Coast. I am a manager at the one I work at, and I've been there since the beginning. I don't know how Starbucks works, but I do know that where I work we charge enough to make money on what we spend. My boss doesn't have extra spending money, it all goes to the store. Milk is expensive, food orders have a minimum, quality product costs money, it takes money to buy the product. I am not justifying the lifestyle that so often is apparent in many of the people who come in, but that's their trip and not mine. I make their coffee and sometimes I do feel like a pusher, but I think that's only because of posts like this saying how horrible Starbucks is. Espresso is not black drip coffee. There is an art to making it, if I make a good late or speciality drink I want to be paid for it. You pay a chef, you pay an artisian.. and I'm sorry but I take it seriously. I know the people are paying money for what they're drinking and I want them to enjoy it, if that means making it again to their liking and LOSING money, I'll do it because it is my job and what I do. I started working here because someday I want to open my own coffeeshop. I take mental notes on what works, and what doesn't. I would not open a franchise coffeeshop with very strict regulations, as I have worked in that. I don't know if starbucks employees have a dress code, as I said I've never been in one.. that was the main irk for me, the dress code. I am one of the few at work who follows it, and it comes down on my boss when someone doesn't, if it was up to her, she wouldn't enforce it. I want to be able to make my own choices about what is acceptable and what product I can sell, but the security of a franchise is nice and I can't judge people who choose that route. I do know Starbucks offers great employee benefits. My job doesn't, and I can't say the enjoyment of the job makes up for it, but I could see a job in a coffeeshop that would. However, if you can find that in starbucks, and benefits, then I will not judge anyone who works there. I can't ethically because I basically am one. I KNOW what goes on in the making of coffee. That bothers me more than anything else, and on days I open I make a point to brew organic or shade grown, and the coffees we have that are in partnership with the plantations to make sure the growers get proper wages and are not slaves. Go into a random coffeeshop and you risk supporting slavery. That is a HUGE deal to me and one I'm not comfortable with even where I work. In starbucks I don't think I'd have that, because as far as I've heard, they not only take care of their workers but their growers as well. Chocolate and coffee are the new slavery. It's serious and it's severe. If starbucks is all you have that offers those things, and a local coffeeshop can't promise it, then go with Starbucks would be my suggestion. If you find those things in a locally owned independent, then by ALL MEANS shop there. Show your support not based on price and let it be known what you're drinking is your choice because of how it effects the people not seen. Not me making it. Not you drinking it. The people who see it before it reaches the espresso machine. Support ethics over brandnames, or the avoidance of them. (ethically grown coffee costs more btw, you can get mad cheap coffee grown by slaves which can then be sold for mad cheap to people who don't care and just want a cheap cup of coffee)
I've never had anything from Starbucks, but I've been in one. I can say it's alot more cleaner then the independant shops we have in and out of the ghetto. The smaller chains are all rush rush and really suck, and appearently from first hand accounts, Starbucks isnt, at least not all the time. You can't hate a corporation simply because it's a corporation. Advaya probably said it best in her post above.
yup...never been in one..nor will i ever. i see people lining up to go into this trendy chain, and laugh. never understood this mentality myself, of 'brand names' and such. to me, it is a statement of being socially unaware. CONSUMERS HAVE ALL THE POWER!! VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS!! bOYCOTT CRAP!!
I'm a barista at an independant coffee shop called Dioko Coffee Co. We serve a full line of hot and cold drinks,smoothies,pastries as well as sandwiches,salads and soups plus we offer catering. As far as I know Starbucks doesn't have an extensive menu as we do. We're smoke free, and folks are welcome to just hang out if they feel like it. Starcrooks oops I mean Starbucks just opened a shop on the other side of town but I don't think they will affect us. Many of our customers have come in and have addmitted to going to Starbucks but they have said that our drinks beat Starbucks hands down and that they will never go back there. A customer from Santa Cruz said that she was a former coffee shop owner and that she rated our shop with the best in California and Seattle. We aren't dingy or dirty either. We keep that place spotless!
