So todays news brought us something we never expected. Starbucks is closing 600 stores. Six Hundred! Now, in keep in mind they have about 14,000 stores in the U.S. so this is about 4% of their operations. The news also said this means about 12,000 people will lose their jobs. Twelve thousand? How many people does it take to run a coffee shop? At this number, that's about 30 people per store. That means, not counting the corporate office, these 14,000 stores employ 420,000 people! Did the Assoicated Press mis-print this? Is it possible that this many people work there? I mean between Starbucks, and the Federal Government, I don't think anybody works anywhere else. I don't work, obviously, because I'm in front of a computer writing this. But, c'mon, if Starbucks has this many people, how come it takes so damn long to get a cup of coffee? I know this little hole in the wall donut shop that has three old ladies working there, 10 hours a day, and I can get coffee and donuts in half the time, at half the price. So, what is it?
Starbucks has become an enigma in this country. Gotta love their marketing people. They built 14,000 plus stores in just a few years, put a nice coprporate design in all of them, and then have fair service at best, and usually crappy coffee. Do I go there? Yes. Why? Well, they're everywhere. I was waiting for them to put one in my driveway. Unfortunatly, that's not gonna happen now. Everyone I know goes there. Except the older cop friends of mine, they're at the donut shop with the old ladies. Believe me, its about the donuts not the help. Starbucks, though, is a place for people to see other people, to meet in the morning, and say hi, or talk a little. A a place to meet as a landmark to go elsewhere. "Meet me at the Starbucks on Bascom Street, then you can follow me to my office", some of my business associates have said, or, " Meet me at the Starbucks on Capitol Drive, and I'll take you to my apartment", says the girl to the guy who's cheating on his wife. So I've heard. Either way, it's not only about the coffee. Oh yeah, their are those that say they have to have their Carmel Frappachino Machiato double dipped, three shot, lowfat, half and half,double squirt...well you get the idea. It's just a milkshake, in my opinion.
Starbucks created a culture. I bitch everytime I go there,"Why don't they call a large coffee large, what's with this Venti shit, or, "Why is the customer prep area for the cream and sugar, exactly 1.5 square feet, why isn't it bigger, so I don't have to wait behind someone who stirs their coffee like their mixing paint", and my biggest gripe,"How long does it take to get a cup of coffee!" See, I just have to have coffee, in fact I need coffee in the morning. I might murder someone if I don't get a morning cup! John Hopkins University classified coffee addiction as a disorder! Can you believe this, I'm actually sick!! Can I get disability pay for this? Regardless, I'm still their six days out of seven (on the seventh day, I'm at the donut shop). But, why Starbucks? Maybe I'll get a look at some hot secretary on her way to work. Maybe I'll meet up with an old friend I haven't seen in a while. Maybe its just because the're so close together, I can drive in a semi-comatose state, and still wind up at a Starbucks.
Yeah, we really love our coffee in this country. Still, I'd love to see a few more independent shops, or a little competition for them. It used to be everyone in the neigborhood would go to a little coffee shop run by a some locals, and chat. Now the neigborhood is the Starbucks. Six hundreed stores closing? It might be the current economy, I mean they're not cheap. Maybe they just built a little too much, too fast. Maybe America is looking for their next culture hang out. Either way, I'll probably be at the Starbucks tomorrow morning, asking for a medium cup of coffee and confusing all the help because I didn't ask for a Grande Pike's Peak Guatamalan Juan Valdez Donkey riding mild drip with room. Fuggetaboudit!!
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