Starbucks Life

This is an opinion article that I wrote for Feature Writing. We were allowed to choose anything we wanted. I had a lot of trouble with this one, but I still want to see what people think of it.

Feb. 27, 2007 - “Venti Spiced Chai Latte, soy,” says the broker in a power suit on his Bluetooth wireless headset. A minute later the overpriced paper cup is on the bar. Is this a coffee house? What has happened to the coffee house atmosphere?

Why can’t you find a coffee house where everything isn’t to-go? All the coffee now comes in cups with lids; a coffee house doesn’t even smell like coffee anymore. Is this even a problem? I think so. So people would say that they just want to get there coffee and go. They don’t want to have to pay the extra for a “coffee house” atmosphere.

But why not slow down your life a little bit and sit down to a nice cup of coffee? Some people enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of a quite coffee house. And the price is just an empty argument. You can get the spiced chai latte in a real cup at your neighbor coffee house for around $2.00.

And why all the clutter? Does anyone really buy CDs on the “like what you’re hearing rack” and coffee flavored mints from Starbucks? When I go to get a coffee that is exactly what I want. I want a cup of coffee where the guy behind the counter does more to make it than pressing a button while the machine whirls and spits out a cappuccino or an espresso or any other number of hundreds of automated drinks.

Now I’ve waded through all the mess, what next? Where to sit? There is a total of ten places to sit in this restaurant that sells more coffee than other chain in America. And of those ten seats they are all full, because everyone struggles with the same thing. And even if you do luck out and get one of those ten seats it is not for long. After about 45 minutes you start to get some dirty looks, “Why are you still sitting there? You’ve finished your coffee, now go.”

So what do we do about the coffee house that fells more like a doctor’s office with fewer chairs? My suggestion is to go somewhere else. Find somewhere where there are chairs to sit in, coffee is still an art, and the guy behind the counter will talk to you if you want.

I encourage everyone to find a local coffee house one day when you have a bit of time. Take a friend or take a book and enjoy the atmosphere. It will be quite enough for you to read or carry on a conversation and they won’t try and sell you a mug with their name on it. You might enjoy it. And who knows, maybe they’ll even have real mugs.