Comments on: Starbucks – a counterpoint

By: derrick

derrick — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:47:24 +0000

My biggest beef with some of the local coffee shops is that they don’t open early enough in the morning. I’m at work by 7 am and most of these places aren’t open yet (if you know good ones in the northeast that are open early, feel free to share). I walked past Bean (no idea if its good or not) on NE prescott on a Saturday morning around 8 and they still weren’t open. What’s the deal? Isn’t coffee a morning drink (for the most part)? Doesn’t opening early in the morning widen your net of potential customers?

Anyway, it’s funny how serious we all are about coffee.

I don’t pretend to understand the economics of it (i suck at math, deal with it), but I read that starbucks rise dramatically reduced the price of coffee beans worldwide, which apparently was disastrous to farmers. I don’t thoroughly understand it, so if you do, feel free to pontificate.

By: Dodge Ram

Dodge Ram — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:37:57 +0000

My thing with starbucks is HOW CAN ANY ONE DRINK THAT JUNK THEY CALL COFFEE? The few times I have been near a starbucks the smell of there coffee wants to turn my stomach, way to strong, bitter and all most burnt. I liked coffee people over there on belmont I really liked the bottled "black tiger coffee" one of those and a baby ruth and I could run faster than the van I was driving.

By: Rambling Canuck

Rambling Canuck — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:57:59 +0000

Interesting post. For me, I don’t hate Starbucks for becoming an empire and completely permeating our society. Business is business, and as far as I know, the company hasn’t abused human rights in some far off land (that’s something to hate them for, if true). So how can you hate them for doing well financially? Really, why not hate their devoted customers – they’re the ones who created the empire. So, as I said, I don’t hate Starbucks the business, I just hate the taste of their coffee, plain and simple.

By: sabernar

sabernar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:59:40 +0000

"The same way dissing Vancouverites and West-Siders is fun."

Whew. Good thing I’m moving to the east side, then.

And I still think all you guys talking about coffee shops are missing out on one of the most important coffee shop items (mentioned in my first comment): pastries. Top notch pastries will have me coming back to a coffee shop again and again. Unless there is a good bakery even closer, of course.

By: Stan

Stan — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:13:38 +0000

Making fun of Couvites is not fun, it a civic obligation.

By: george

george — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:55:54 +0000

I think you should be more fair to the Walmart haters. They hate Walmart for their horrible labor standards, criminal corporate culture, anti-capitalist practices, and so on and so forth. Its hard to be informed about Walmart and NOT hate them.

Starbucks on the other hand, people make fun of that company because its fun. The same way dissing Vancouverites and West-Siders is fun.

By: stan

stan — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:46:23 +0000

Before I came to Portland five years ago I didn’t drink much coffee. When I was in law school, I drank mostly starbucks. When I first got to town I would go to the Starbucks on SE 28th and Burnside, it was the closest coffeeshop to my house and the staff was nice enough. Then I heard about Stumptown and tried it. The coffee was beyond good. My coffee tastes are pretty parochial and I even I could tell how good it was. I work downtown so If I’m getting something I go to either Stumptown or Coffeeplant. I’ve since moved to NE and that Ristretto on 42nd and Freemont is the ish.

I don’t think I’ve bought anything at Starbucks in at least three or four years. Not b/c they’re evil or corporate. I’d rather support something local and all of the place that I go get coffee is beyond the level of starbucks. Seriously, automated espresso makers.

By: sabernar

sabernar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:51:29 +0000

Personally, I roast my own beans and make my own espresso/cappuccino every morning. But I do like going to a coffee shop occasionally for some good pastries and make some sort of espresso-based beverage. To me, the food and the feel is most important. You can get a good pull in a lot of different places around town. I went to Ristretto the other day and I enjoyed it. Yummy donuts.

By: Smashing.

Smashing. — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:29:46 +0000

I like stumptown too. I used to live on 34th and Belmont right above the Belmont INN. I lived there for over 5 years… I remember when Stumptown Coffee first opened. It was great… but one thing I noticed was that the people that worked there could get away with having crappy attitudes. One thing about Starbucks is the people are generally pretty nice.
I go to Spring Creek Coffee now and have my own Keurig Single Cup Coffee Maker for when I want my David Lynch signature Coffee. Now that is a damn fine cup of coffee.

By: dieselboi

dieselboi — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:59:51 +0000

Smashing, I’m not bashing Starbucks in my comments here. I personally don’t like their coffee – it doesn’t taste good to me. Yet, I still will go to a Starbucks because they are consistent.

I prefer Stumptown because I just love the flavor of their coffee.