Starbucks Is More Than Just A Place To Get A Cup Of Coffee

Some people may think I am crazy for stating this, but I am a declared Starbucks Fanatic. I am not sure if there is a specific group of people out there who share this title, but if there wasn't a club for people like me before there will be now. I go to Starbucks all of the time, not just because I love their coffee and specialty drinks, but also for the atmosphere it offers me when I am there. In the past five years I have come to Starbucks for every important event in my life. I took my friends there for my eighteenth birthday, and have visited after every first day of high school with my mom to talk about my day. The morning after I come home from college, my mom and I come to Starbucks to do all of the puzzles in the back of the local newspaper. I took my date there before attending my senior prom and came there after my graduation from high school. I am also a musician, and insist on coming to Starbucks before every performance I have. Just in case you are not convinced of my addicted nature towards Starbucks, I should also declare that I am currently writing this article inside the local Starbucks right now.

Not only am I a Starbucks Fanatic, but I am also a loyal defender when I hear any complaints about this wonderful industry. The most common negative statement I hear is that the prices are way too high. I have a couple responses to this complaint. First of all, when you pay for a Starbucks coffee, you also pay for the Starbucks experience: the warm lighting, comfy and oversized chairs, the fresh alternative music which is available for purchase, and large desks that are equipped with internet and power plugs for laptop use. Since I am a college student, all of my friends frequent Starbucks when they need a safe haven to study or get homework done. The reason they prefer to go there instead of the library is because of the amazingly brewed coffee and comfortable ambience. Lidia Chang, a Starbucks Partner and long time customer says, "There's nowhere else I'd rather go to do homework. It's a great place to go with friends and has a very flexible atmosphere.

The average consumer may feel that Starbucks is expensive, but he or she could also see it as paying extra for the atmosphere and free neighborhood commune. Every time I visit the Starbucks in my neighborhood, I always run into somebody I know. It's especially nice when I come home from college and see old high school friends, teachers, and family friends when I visit there. When I was in high school, Starbucks was the place all of my friends met to talk, do homework, and get out of the house. I remember coming to Starbucks every morning before work and school, seeing the same people and baristas. I didn't know many of them by name, but we always looked forward to seeing one another in the morning. I remember the two businessmen reading the Wall Street Journal together while downing espresso double-shots; I remember the older Semper Fi veterans who would chat about their grandkids and jokingly flirt with the baristas. I loved listening to their conversations and I love reminiscing about being at this special coffee house. That is the kind of community that Starbucks has helped to build in suburban towns like mine.

Secondly, the reason behind the high prices is the fact that Starbucks involves them selves in Fair Trade, which means they give foreign coffee farmers more money for their coffee beans. So not only is the Starbucks industry a great coffee maker, it is a philanthropist as well. When Lidia Chang was asked why she likes Starbucks so much she answered, "Really there are a lot of things, but mostly the quality and the atmosphere. Also the fact that they participate in fair trade...they treat their foreign farmers and their partners very well. The coffee is more expensive because of this.

Another reason why I praise Starbucks is because it welcomes customers of all ages, and they don't kick out the loitering teenagers; I would say the loitering is almost encouraged. Teens don't have many places where they are welcome, because they have limited budgets and do not drive. Instead of spending a fortune at the mall or ten dollars at the movies or a restaurant, why not pay two to four dollars on a delicious treat with good music and plenty of seating? Starbucks is also always in the middle of town, so it's within walking distance of schools, strip malls, and neighborhoods. It's also especially nice to go to Starbucks during the scorching summer months and throughout the unbearably cold winter months. It is the perfect year-around hangout spot for everyone.

Here is the more economical view of Starbucks Company. It has been considered a big up and comer in the United States economy. With just over 12,000 locations worldwide, the company plans on expanded to about 40,000 locations over the next ten years (Starbucks Adding Stores). The industry has prospered because of what Starbucks has to offer: good coffee, qualified baristas, and great locations. Recently Starbucks' attempts to expand within cities and even other countries, has created some speculation on its reputation. Some news articles have suggested that Starbucks is growing too quickly and its number of stores per city block is becoming ridiculous and unnecessary. Many consumers say they prefer Dunkin' Donuts to Starbucks because of the savings and believe that Starbucks' popularity is overrated.
In Peter Hoy's article about the coffee industry, he discusses how Dunkin' Donuts is expanding their company so they can compete with Starbucks but marketing for a different venue. "Dunkin' Donuts is selling the idea that coffee is fuel, and that's markedly different from what Starbucks is selling -- drinking coffee as a lifestyle (Hoy).

This is how the two companies differ, and I do not think that Dunkin' Donuts could ever rival such an innovative company. Hoy's research shows that the average price and serving time are lower and faster at Dunkin' Donuts, but the differences are so small that I think the consumer should be further convinced to choose Starbucks over them. The quality of coffee is far superior at Starbucks, and there are a much wider variety of coffees and espresso-based drinks to choose from. Dunkin' Donuts tends to give off the fast food feel when you walk in, and going to Starbucks on your work break is more like a vacation. If convenience is another issue to bring up, Starbucks runs the cities and is just as common in suburbia as Dunkin' Donuts. These two companies are not comparable.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that just because Starbucks has become a giant in the coffee industry, that doesn't mean it is a necessarily bad company. Big companies, like Walmart, have always been under scrutiny and I want to shed light on the fact that Starbucks has maintained its personable and high-quality ideals; the American consumer should think twice before they accuse Starbucks' prices as too high or their business as overrated. The name Starbucks is sometimes teasingly referred to as coffee for the rich or just a fad that will soon fade away once people realize what a scam it is. I hope that I have shed some positive light on this "notorious coffee company and brought up its great qualities. I want to dispel any negative thoughts, or at least bring the positive aspects that Starbucks has to offer to the table. I hope the next time you visit Starbucks you will remember my great experiences and allow yourself to have some of your own.

Works Cited

Carlson, Scott. Perking up the Northwest's Winter Grays A Look at Washington's
Coffee Industry. Washington Business Magazine. Feb. 2004 .
Fellner, Kim. The Starbucks Paradox: The favorite target of WTO protesters is actually
far more diverse than the American anti-globalization movement. ColorLines. 27 April 2004 .
Hoy, Peter. Dunkin' Donuts Reinventing America's Cup of Coffee. Fast Company:
Business & Finance. Nov. 2006 .
Starbucks Adding Stores, 'Flooding' Cities. Fox News Business Section. 27 Oct.
2006 http://www.foxnews.com.