Starbucks

Regardless of how you feel about Starbucks, it's pretty hard to avoid. And for someone just taking their first steps in the world of coffee shops in Midwestern Ohio, you can do much worse than them.

Starbucks has done a lot of good for the industry, I believe. They made the whole cafe culture cool, hip, and mainstream. They brought coffee shops to places that normally would never had heard of them...and while they've done some bad stuff by virture of being big and corporate, I think you can't discount the benefits either.

It was at a Starbucks in that I first got the feeling of community from a coffee shop. Joe and I knew a son of a friend there, and from that aquaintance came introductions to the rest of the staff. We became "regulars," with all the bantering and discounts that entails. It was a good time, since the set up and furniture was all conducive to sitting down for a spell.

[We found out later the only reason the discounts and zany antics (one of the barristas once poured a shot of espresso for Joe for almost three minutes; we expected the machine to shut down in protest) was because of a certain lack in management at this location. Once the new manager came in, things became less interesting more professional and more expensive regular priced.]

I also discovered I didn't really like Starbucks coffee. It's either far too dark, or far too burnt--depending on your take. Their espresso beverages are yummy as all get out...I still love a Starbucks white mocha, and who can resist a coffee frappacino?? But they're pricey, and loaded with calories that you really can't consume all night long.

The take away? Starbucks has done some good things for the coffee industry. I like the community you can get (at least, could get...and in some locations, it IS coming back like their plan states) and the coffee house atmosphere, including comfy furniture. However, I'm not that crazy about the near-cookie cutter feel, the prices, or even the coffee.