Hello Starbucks

[stevekenson]

Christopher and I jokingly call Starbucks “my corporate masters,” since I’m pretty fond of my lattes and mochachinos. So it was with mixed feelings that I greeted the news of Starbucks proposing to demolish a local 19th century building in my home town to put in a new store. The building in question is an old Victorian house on DW Highway that, up until recently, was a family restaurant called “Maddens.”

The developer apparently proposes to replace the building with a replica of the old Reed’s Ferry Train Station (which has been gone for years now), which I think it a rather nice gesture towards “old towne New England” (unlike the big Walgreens going in up the street, say). Some town residents don’t agree, and there’s an effort underway to create a historical conservation district in the central area of Merrimack to prevent this kind of thing, or at least keep it under control. Such a new law would come too late to change plans for the Starbucks, however, so odds are my corporate masters will get their way, and I’ll get my lattes, eventually.

Comments

[mechanteanemone.livejournal.com]

They'll demolish a real historic building so they can build a replica of one? :-|

[lucki-dog.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and they'll try to put good coffee shops out of business just so they can have one too.

Seriously.. they've opened one less then .5 miles (Usually just across the street) from every Stouff's and Cup of Joe in Columbus. What's worse is people actually drink that dreck when there's a tasty coffee shop with free wi-fi right there.

[mechanteanemone.livejournal.com]

Sigh. Yeah. With all due respect to Steve (and to many of my friends who are Starbucks addicts), I refuse to buy there because I bear a grudge. Back in 1995 or 1996 when I was stil in the SF Bay Area, I used to stop every morning at a lovely little coffe spot called Goddess Grind. It had been there for 11 years, owned by two very nice ladies and offering organic, fair-trade certified, shade-grown groovy delicious coffee and fresh baked goods. Then a Starbucks opened three doors down and started giving coffee away as "samplers", including espresso drinks. Within 3 months, Goddess Grind had to close; the ladies were in tears but they couldn't catch up with the rent anymore.

Since then I've avoided Starbucks; besides, I like my coffee darker, stronger, less sweet and hotter than what they serve. But I admit that if I lived in one of the many small towns where it's nigh impossible to get a good cup of joe, I might turn to SB. :-(

[drakematrix.livejournal.com]

I've got one better, they bought an existing locally-owned coffee shop (they didn't actually own the building), kicked them out, then started selling their dreck... after completely remodeling the historic building that has been part of the Kent community for decades

[gothicsquish.livejournal.com]

Yep, this is their rep, and I refuse to drink Starbucks for all of the above reasons.