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Giving up Starbucks

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25 2007 12:00 PM

Submitted by SleepyLady. Edited By erin_broadley.

TAGS: Starbucks, Fair Trade, coffee

How the hell is an independent coffee shop supposed to survive with twelve Starbucks located in the surrounding areas, the closest one only a half mile away?

If you're Rhonda and Jon Mallek, owners of the Fine Grind in Little Falls, NJ you'll put up this billboard.

As reported in the The New York Times, The Fine Grind has the usual coffee shop offerings; Internet access, fancy coffee and seasonal drinks. The Fine Grind had a loyal following as well.

And then Starbucks came to town.

…. Mrs. Mallek was a bit taken aback when she saw two of the regulars — the regulars! — near her shop, Starbucks cups in hand, not long after the new one opened last summer. And so came the idea of the billboard, about a half block from the Starbucks — as close as they could get — reading: “We may not be Big ... but we’re not Bitter!” And “We ARE your neighborhood coffee spot!”

Now it's totally possible that if the Mallek's customers are anything like me, they'll patronize both Starbucks and (places like) The Fine Grind. So, the Mallek's shouldn’t worry, right? Then again it's probably people like me who won't choose a side who are responsible for local businesses closing down.

There are about three local coffee shops in my neighborhood. All three coffee shops are within walking distance from my apartment. I try not to drive unless work related. The problem is that the independently owned coffee shops in my area don’t open early enough. Starbucks opens at 6 a.m. Starbucks' more elaborate drinks are pricey but a small coffee is $1.65 compared to the $3 that one independently owned coffee shop charges.

(For the sake of not putting everyone to sleep I'm omitting any details about how I also make coffee at my apartment to save money.)

This NY Times article mentioned websites such as I Hate Starbucks.com and We Hate Starbucks.com. I checked out both sites. I Hate Starbucks.com is in dire need of a web designer. I'm not a fan of white text on a black background. I could only spend ten seconds there.

There are some interesting yet impractical ideas on We Hate Starbucks (the web address is not actually wehatestarbucks.com.)

Have you heard of the game Starbucks Musical Chairs? It seems like a bit of a pain in the ass and I'm not sure how it sticks anything to "the man."

The rules involve buying a coffee at a mom-and-pop shop and disguising your cup with a Starbucks sticker. Players then keep inconspicuously switching seats in order to gain points and the first person to hit 100 points stands up and screams, "Help me! I've been Starbucked!" And then all of the players with their disguised drinks get up and leave.

The only reasonable tactic on We Hate Starbucks is the simple download of a letter titled, "Dear Coffee Drinker." The idea is to deliver it to folks sitting in a Starbucks or slap it up on the window in front of customers.

Here is one example of a few of the anti-Starbucks arguments made in the short letter:

1- Starbucks farming techniques are unsustainable and damaging to the environment, the crops wipe out bio-diversity and the countries that they buy their coffee from (Guatemala, Indonesia etc) don't enforce any strong environmental regulations. So even if Starbucks released statements about their commitment to the ecology and dislike for chemicals, they are not carried out. This is not likely to improve with the WTO in its current state of slashing all hindrance to big business.

(The website does note that in the last two years Starbucks has started to offer some official Fair Trade coffee.)

I'll admit I'm seduced by the sameness of every Starbucks. I know how my drinks will taste. I've grown to like my name on a cup. If I get lost and I see a Starbucks, I immediately feel safe. And for some reason I've bought into the fact that the baristas are happy and protected with their health insurance from working only part-time! But I think it's time for me to make a stand. No more Starbucks. From now on I'll support local business exclusively and write my own damn name on my cup.

214 Comments

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... 15

xazapdmytinu

Fort Collins, CO

July 2007

NOV 25, 2007 12:15 PM

Wow...1.65 for a cup of black coffee? Is that 20 ounce? because I can get a 20 ounce of just about any local coffee for less than that. Furthermore, how many people go into Starbucks and order a straight up cuppa joe? <looks at coffee he's currently drinking>

SHIT...my roommate went to the starbucks that drove our favorite shop out of business. Backstabbing bitch.

I feel like starbucks is this thing that everyone loves to hate, even if they still drink it. I'm not saying everyone drinks it. There are plenty of people who don't. The problem is that there are also people who drink EXCLUSIVELY Starbucks...which I liken to buying ONLY Conoco gasoline, or shopping at ONLY Whole Foods...

And that picture, even if someone went and collected a bunch of used Starbucks cups, is disgusting. Those wonderfully bleached white paper cups and deliciously clear cups are a reminder of just one small problem with our culture.

bendingunit23

Victoria, BC

April 2005

NOV 25, 2007 12:17 PM

that's it coffee drinking masses unite...

after this cup.

marksplatter

Germany

January 2004

NOV 25, 2007 12:22 PM

Starbucks is BALLS. these big chains are ruining the individuality and selection of independent stores, which can be just as creative if not more so. i dont want racing stripes on my coffee available in every color! Starbucks is way more expensive almost every time. Anyway, I support independent shops 100% over Starbucks.

Coyotemike

USA

May 2006

NOV 25, 2007 12:22 PM

Personally, I can't stand Starbuck's coffee. It just tastes bad. The place I go to, I pay $1.61 (after taxes) for a bottomless cup of locally roasted coffee. This is not a blind hatred; I've tried Starbucks and a few other of the chain-type places, and they just don't do it for me. I'm not one for specialty drinks or anything. I'm a one-sugar/little cream type guy.

How do you beat Starbucks? Just don't go.

lefthandright

New Zealand

September 2006

NOV 25, 2007 12:34 PM

star bucks as a entity was originally set by a black cell organisation by the C.I.A to covertly launder money. The plan was establish ONE in every major city in the u.s.a..this way the c.i.a could transfer illegally gained funds easily and quickly throughout the country. The administrators never anticipated that the organisation was going to make money and originally tried to keep it low key by making extremely poor quality coffee that repel a usual customer base. To date operation 'star buck' is now unofficially one of the c.i.a's most profitable branches of revenue. Every you buy a star bucks coffee, you are unwittingly supporting brutal and inhumane para-military tactics, as well as funding political regimes that impinge upon basic human rights. Just thought you should know. This information I have shared could possibly lead to my death, if i should meet an unfortunate demise...please remember...only steam the milk to a temperature of 47 degree celesius, never grind coffee more than 20 minutes before using and always adjust grind according to humidity.

Salome

SUICIDEGIRL

Illinois, USA

NOV 25, 2007 12:50 PM

My first job was at a coffee shop, which was shut two years later because a Starbucks moved in the area. Starbucks openly practices something officially called "cannibalism": Corporate opens Starbucks franchises in a particular area one after another until the franchises start cannibalizing business from one another. By this time, the sheer ubiquity of Starbucks, and the the comforting sameness you mentioned, have almost always obliterated the mom-and-pop coffeeshops and given other chain coffeehouses in the area a serious hurt.

It might be business practice, but it's not for me. Fuck Starbucks. Their coffee is weak as shit anyway.

Gayballs

Seattle, WA

July 2005

NOV 25, 2007 12:51 PM

haha

drummer5

Syracuse, NY

August 2005

NOV 25, 2007 12:52 PM

My main reason for hating Starbucks is their coffee, just plain straight up black, sucks. I also don't like it because they targeted two local shops and moved in right next to them.

But either way I don't but coffee there and I suggest people try other places around me, hell I've even put up fliers around my school for local shops.

So that's my way of "fighting" Starbucks, even though I know they'll still go on conquering the world of coffee...

Shalome

MODERATOR

Los Angeles, CA

NOV 25, 2007 12:55 PM

SleepyLady said:

1- Starbucks farming techniques are unsustainable and damaging to the environment, the crops wipe out bio-diversity and the countries that they buy their coffee from (Guatemala, Indonesia etc) dont enforce any strong environmental regulations. So even if Starbucks release statements about their commitment to the ecology and dislike for chemicals, they are not carried out. This is not likely to improve with the WTO in its current state of slashing all hindrance to big business.

(The website does note that in the last two years Starbucks has started to offer some official Fair Trade coffee.)

The website you're quoting didn't do much research.

Here, start with this post from 2004; it contains links to actual facts and research about Starbucks coffee-buying practices.

I dislike Starbucks coffee and their underhanded market saturation tactics, but anyone who's going to jump on the anti-corporation rah-rah bandwagon should at least use things like, you know, actual facts and stuff.

catdad

Portland, OR

August 2002

NOV 25, 2007 12:56 PM

Starbucks customer traffic slowed for the first time in their history last quarter. Just thought I'd mention it.

Bren73

USA

October 2005

NOV 25, 2007 12:59 PM

Starbucks is terrible...

wink84

Birmingham, AL

October 2007

NOV 25, 2007 01:00 PM

I make my own coffee. Just plain coffee with 2 pumpking pie spice creamers. I could go on my soapbox about coporate companies taking over Mom and Pop's, but I just got back from Wal-Mart, and I think the Gods of hypocritical Hell would seize me.

Haushinka

Lakewood, NJ

August 2005

NOV 25, 2007 01:06 PM

I really don't know anyone who goes to Starbucks for regular coffee. Their specialty drinks are what really draw most people in. If I want a regular cheap cup of coffee, I'll drive over to another "big corporation", atleast to us NE Coast people.....WAWA!

shapeshifter23

San Francisco, CA

September 2005

NOV 25, 2007 01:07 PM

TommyRocket

Brooklyn, NY

August 2006

NOV 25, 2007 01:09 PM

starbucks are everywhere in new york and it's really difficult to find a good coffee shop to sit in because they've taken all the larger spaces.

their coffee is terrible and their flavored drinks make me want to puke.

please support local shops!!!

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