The Rise of Starbucks

Read a response to this article.

I like my coffee black, strong, and with enough caffeine to kill a hummingbird.

That's not to say that I know a whole lot about what I'm drinking, or that I'm a REAL MAN because I take my coffee as hard as I live my life. No, I'm a pretty normal dude; I appreciate a good cup of coffee when it's available, but I don't know the secrets of how it's made or why one blend tastes better than another.

However, I do know what bad coffee is, and as such I'm not sure that I understand the allure of Starbucks or why it's crushing its competition.

The Starbucks in my town is the worst coffee shop, by far; they hire kids in college to work as baristas and fire them or they quit every new season, so nobody serving you a cup of coffee has worked at the job for more than a month or two. The coffee is burnt, bitter, and there's no noticeable difference between the mild and strong brew. A bit of Norah Jones on the stereo is nice, but it's not enough to make up for the fact that the coffee tastes like someone's been boiling a vat of ass in the back.

I realize that this is anecdotal evidence, but to tell the truth, I've never been to a Starbucks that was completely enjoyable. And yeah, they've got a lot of different types of drinks-mochas, frappaccinos, cappuccinos, espressos, hot cider, hot chocolate, iced coffee-but if you're just looking for a cup of coffee, you need an artisan brewing the cup who knows not to burn the beans or let the pot sit too long.

The mom-and-pop coffee shops I've been to--and there are three in my town-make a genuinely good cup of coffee. They serve it in a mug and I can grab a newspaper and sit outside without waiting in a line. Their employees are trained by the management, and they're the same kids that hang around the shop all the time; they know how things are supposed to work, and they're laid back and do their job well.

Again, I know, anecdotal evidence. But I haven't been to a lot of bad small coffeehouses, and maybe that's because coffeehouses are supposed to be kept small; like bars, they require a certain personality and a welcoming feeling, something that a chain of cold green logos and monolithic symbols can provide.