thirtyoneblog

I’m so amused by a story I’ve been reading in the news this morning. Yesterday, all the Dallas area Starbucks stores (or, evidently all the nationwide Starbucks) closed for 3 hours in the evening to have barista training. Apparently they think more help is needed in knowing how to steam milk and pour syrups. Whatever, I don’t drink coffee anyway.

But apparently there was a huge outcry of frustration at these closings. You’d think people’s electricity had been turned off. Instead, they were furious at not being able to buy an overpriced cup of (some say) inferior coffee for a whole three hours.

“The only place you can get a decent cup of coffee in Dallas is at Starbucks,” one woman said. Eh? Like I said, I’m no coffee drinker, but in a metropolitan area like this, you’ll have me believe there is *no* other acceptable cup of java? I’ve heard plenty of people complain about Starbucks. Some say they overroast the beans and the coffee tastes burned. And heaven knows, it costs about three times what it’s worth.

And hey, I’m no Starbucks hater. I know they’re ridiculously trendy, and pricey, and have driven a lot of small independent coffee shops right out of business. But that doesn’t stop me from picking up a chai latte now and then. I just don’t understand people that are so addicted to Starbucks that a three hour hiatus is akin to some kind of national emergency.