Via email, a reminder of why I don’t drink Starbucks coffee:
Although it’s a little more complicated than that. Essentially, I largely don’t care about the precise makeup/flavor of my coffee: I want it light, sweet, and hot. I can get that anywhere, and usually cheaper than at Starbucks. If I do want an ornate cup of coffee, however, I get the impression that going to a Starbucks to get one when you’re not a regular there is contraindicated.
So there’s not really any real call for me to darken their doors. Unless my wife wants a latte. Then, of course, I get something simple, and wait in good grace until we’re done.
Clever bit, Moe .. and yeah, they do have some .. customer services issues. That’s true of any chain, by the way .. walk into a McDonalds or Burger King around here and order En Espanol .. and the whole kitchen goes guiltily quiet….
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I have to admit, the main reason I know how to order at Starbucks is because, when I’m traveling, their burnt-motor-oil tinged java is better than the reheated dishwater most hotel breakfast bars serve up.
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To survive, without caffeine withdrawal, I learned one order that they generally don’t screw up .. guess it’s popular .. and I just keep ordering it. It’s worked in in Philly, New York, Chicago, Birmingham, and most recently Louisville.
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Mew
I can name quite a few places that I’ll go before Starbucks for coffee. There are small coffee shops popping up everywhere. There’s even a gas station chain in my area (Sheetz) that makes a better mocha/latte than Starbucks.
I will admit though…acat is right when it comes to traveling. You end up at Starbucks because as bad as it is, it beats most hotel coffee by a mile!