It’s not your father’s library.
I went through the ACU library yesterday for the first time since the renovation. It’s incredible. No wonder students have been telling me about it with wide eyes and big smiles. Most of the first floor is a study area with computers (PCs and Macs) and . . . get this . . . a Starbucks. That’s right. A Starbucks. Right there in the middle of the library.
Starbucks has taken over. They won.
They sell a cup of joe for more than a gallon of gas, and people stand in line to get it. Plus they’ll add all the ingredients you know you’re not supposed to have and charge more. People still standing in line.
And it’s not just COFFEE. It’s Rift Valley Blend, Guatemala Antigua, Ethiopia Sidamo, Arabian Mocha Sanani, Komodo Dragon Blend, or Sumatra.
Now, in all fairness, I don’t like coffee. Not with chocolate, not with cream, not as a flavor in ice cream, certainly not alone. And I’m quite certain that blending in a komodo dragon wouldn’t help.
I would have made a good Mormon. (There is that tiny little Diet Dr. Pepper addiction, however.)
So you coffee drinkers — help me understand this. Why has Starbucks conquered the world? Is the coffee really that good? If so, what kind? (I met there a couple times with one of our youth ministers, and I can say that the bottled water is excellent!) Is it a gathering place?
While you’re telling me, let me add that sometimes after I work out in the morning I’ll swing through the Starbucks drive-through for a treat for my beloved. She’s not much of a coffee person, either, but she does like a tall (which I believe means “short”) mocha without the whip cream.
Price of the tall (short) mocha: $3.16. The look on the sleep-deprived face of my second-grade-teacher wife: priceless.
Thanks, Mike. I just gave up coffee/caffeine 3 days ago & now I’m being tempted with your blog!
Seriously though, they just put a Starbucks in our Kroger!! It’s almost been as difficult to give up the label “coffee-drinker” as it has been the caffeine. We do so LOVE our labels!!!
Starbucks hasn’t quite conquered the world yet. That won’t happen until they open a store inside an existing Starbucks (and that’s not slated until early 2007).
I don’t get the Starbucks thing either. A large black coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts is perfect for me. But then, I’m old.
Hey Mike, I can blame two people for contributing to the dominion of Starbucks: Jeff Childers with is intense-caffeine-requiring Comprehensive Exams course, combined with my wife, who put the coffee pressure on me until I broke. Now I have to have it every day. And then you have the Starbucks itself; maybe they put something into the coffee that turns ordinary people into coffee proselytes.
I had never liked coffee either, but Starbucks adds so much stuff to their coffee that they have created what amounts to liquid candy bars. Works for me. You’d probably like their coffee-free fraps. My new favorite Starbucks offering is sweetened iced green tea. It’s healthy and a lot cheaper than the coffee stuff.
As Len Sweet said, “Starbucks doesn’t sell coffee. They sell the experience of coffee.”
Oh, and they also sell a delicious Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino (over $3 for a ‘tall’ but worth every penny).
The smell of Starbucks is what lures me in the door.
I prefer a plain cup o joe, and the green tea is really good too!
On a sociological level, I really do think a lot of it has to do with the “sex appeal” of the Starbucks label. Walking down the street in a big city or sipping Macchiatos with friends in the store, the Starbucks name carries with it a certain level of “uppity-ness.” I love a good Starbucks now and then as much as the next guy (or girl), but my wife and I have really cut back on it what with the arrival of a cheaper, better coffee joint here on the Hill in Abilene — Peet’s Coffee and Tea.
The biggest reason why are they so popular? Saturation. In big cities (where people live), they’re on every corner. 41 of ‘em in Boston. That and they sell an atmosphere.
Jeff hit the nail on the head. CEO Howard Shultz’s book is a little smaltzy, but good. They sell an experience, not a beverage. Loved the comments today….A Starbucks within a Starbucks - the ultimate consumer experience. How about Starbucks for Kids? And…a coffee drink without coffee? That would take care of the 4% that don’t drink Starbucks now.
Mike,
I liked your Starbuck piece. I think it is that this is a hang out place where the people you see there are gracious and positive in their words.
I was thinking and writing to myself about teachers this morning. Thought I would share.
D060518
I went to church last night as is my habit. I was raised in a home where it was our custom to go to church only when the doors were open. There a brother had a positive smiling word to us as he opened the song book to help us sing praises to God. His cheerfulness lifted my spirit significantly.
How did Jesus move from becoming a unwanted figure in a small town setting to be the primary teacher of over a Billion people? By focusing on what pleased His Father rather than what pleased people.
Luke 4.
15He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”?
20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
People may make fun of teachers. “Those who can do. Those who can’t teach. Ha! Ha! Ha!” Someone taught you to be able to read. This person has changed your life forever. Period. If you have been given a passion for teaching, don’t let the world of darkness tell you this is no big thing. It is a big thing to be a teacher.
When we teach we should say something heartening. Some of our students feel like prisoners in their own home. Some feel browbeaten by powers over them which they cannot rise above. Some are lost, blind and groping along looking for an opening in the wall of their own prison. What they need are some gracious words sourced in the Teacher of all teachers. Grace, mercy, and peace words.
Not the Bildad words,
“5 “The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out;
the flame of his fire stops burning.
Job 18.5 Satan had thrown into the life of Job, a blameless man, the experience of his children’s lives being snuffed out and Bildad’s words were not merciful.
When filled with the Spirit of Jesus we will be daring and fervent. But our words will not be to foment quarrels but rather bring harmony. Our hearts will resonate with the Psalmist in Psalm 120.
“6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am a man of peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.”
Yes, there will be others who want to make their money and power increases by division and hatemongering. They will at times oppose Jesus and those of us who follow Him. What can we do? Pray a blessing upon them and keep on teaching words of graciousness and truth.
Bravery means that at times we must say to evil influences in our lives, our families and in the church, “Be quiet.” To stay on a positive optimistic note we will have to develop a solitary place to go and connect with our Father. He will comfort and bind up our wounds. Then we will go forth to live out today the words we teach. Our caring is important. We care so we teach. People will never care how much we know until they know how much we care. We must be the today fulfillment of the words of healing and helping from God that we teach from our lips.
Later in the evening as I met with the song leaders in our congregation the brother who had opened our worship with such a positive spirit confided that he had been cussed out at work by an irate person. I was so thankful that His leader is Jesus.
Reflections on Luke 4.
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
Larry Wishard
Jeff beat me to the Len Sweet quote. In fact, he actually spent nearly an entire lecture at Tulsa in 2005 exegeting a Starbucks cup. He used the sermon to highlight what he believes the church should learn from Starbucks about engaging a postmodern generation. He says that walking into a Starbucks is “EPIC” (Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich, Communal). I would flesh it out more, but you can probably still by the CD somewhere.
I will say, though, that being in Michigan now, I point the car for Caribou more than Starbucks.
I don’t know exactly what it is about Starbucks that I like, but I know I like it. I live in Searcy, though, where there is no Starbucks (that I know of), so I usually get my coffee from other places. I preach in Rose Bud, Arkansas, and we have our own coffee roasterie called Rosark Hills that makes some unbelievably good stuff (for any of you Searcyites, Midnight Oil gets their coffee from here). I’ve gotten to know the owners. One of them, named Glen, is an older guy from Seattle. They started an amazing roasterie in Rose Bud, AR, because when they retired to the area, in Glen’s words, “I couldn’t find anywhere to get a decent cup of coffee.” Along with the coffee roasterie they have in Rose Bud, he imports, rebuilds, then sells and installs antique German coffee roasting machines. He says if they were built after 1951, they’re no good. At any rate, when he was in Seattle, some young business guys approached him about buying and having some machines installed for them to start their business. This was his primary source of income, so of course, he did. After he got their first roasterie up and going, and had trained them in how to use the equipment, a discussion came up about payment. They offered to give him a lot of company stock, but he said that at the time, he really needed the money, so they wrote him a check instead. The company whose first roastery he built and installed in Seattle was, of course, Starbucks. Fortunately, Glenn is not a real materialistic guy, because I think otherwise, he would kick himself every morning for not taking the stock.
In Pascagoula we have “Dough Joe’s”, and it’s a great little coffee shop / gathering place.
Kent — they do have Starbucks drinks for kids. My first-grader loves the strawberries and creme frap. And a big hunk of marble pound cake. And she’s got the metabolism to handle it.
Starbucks isn’t best. In fact, the smaller, more intimate places tend to serve better coffee and charge less for it. The key is finding the one you like.
And the whole thing is about the ambiance and the people your with. I rarely go to Starbucks alone. I go to sit down with friends and gripe about our day or celebrate the latest good news.
Now the drive thru….
I am sorry to say I have allowed my wife to pass her starbucks addiction on to our 4 year old. Every Sunday before church we have to go get coffee. My Daughter’s “coffee” drink is a Kids Vanilla Steamer (steamed milk and vanilla flavoring). I’m pretty sure the “kids” part of that just tells them to add some cold milk to cool it off a bit.
Mike, you sound just like my husband….. coffee does not pass his lips, but Diet Dr. Pepper is his main beverage of choice (other than iced tea). However, he did find something at Starbucks that he likes: chai. I, on the other hand, go to Starbucks for the hot chocolate… especially around Christmastime, when they add peppermint to it. Mmmmm….
One of my favorite scenes from ‘Shrek 2′ is when the giant gingerbread man steps on a “Starbucks” (I think it’s called “FarFarAwaybucks” in the movie) Anyway…the people run out screaming & into the “FarFarAwaybucks” across the street. In Chicago, there is LITERALLY one Starbucks right across the street from another, for those people who simply can’t take the time to cross the street!
I’ve actually been to a couple Starbucks with Len, but he hasn’t fully explained to me just what that experience IS . . . .
Why has Starbucks conquered the world?
“If you build it, they will come.”
The coffee’s great, the music is usually great, the counter people are friendly and ask me for my name (even though they want it to write on the cup), I can stare at all the “forbidden fruit” (cakes, cookies, and brownies) while I wait for my ” cuppa Jo”, and a couple of weeks ago I saw Pierce Brosnan there.
Mike - yes, it is the experience.
1. Not only do you get to select your beverage and yummy dessert but you get to feel like part of a community.
2. You meet people you may not otherwise run into.
3. It is a mini-vacation. You get to feel like you are having a quasi-European experience (which in reality is as far from true as possible).
4. You get to project an air of intelligence sitting in a comfy chair with both coffee and book in hand.
5. You look like a real global citizen when you sit drinking a bottle of water that is saving the earth while you read a metropolitan newspaper.
6.
Oops…
6. As a Mom you just plain get to sit and drink a cup of coffee.
7. It really is cool for teens and young adults and makes the rest of us feel cool.
8. You can peruse music and drink at the same time.
9. It is acceptable to eat 1/4 of a pound cake in that setting.
10. And now here is the reason that this ultra picky hot-tea drinking South African (who still imports her tea from home because she can’t find a good substitute here) likes Starbucks - Chantico. It has been removed from most menu’s across the country and I am still grieving that.
I WANT to like coffee and be cool like my friends who, when we meet there, enjoy all their coffee drinks. But, I’m with you Mike. There is nothing you can add to coffee to make me like it. I’ve tried and tried. So, my favorite drink at Starbucks is the Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade made with Passion Tea. Try it, you’ll like it!
Mike, remember the lyrics to the “Cheers” theme song? That’s what it’s about for Starbucks. Or Midnight Oil. Or your local pub. Maybe someday our church.
DU
I’ve never commented on here before, but Mike, your Starbucks question has inspired me. I am a Starbuck’s junkie. I know the names and some family members of the employees at my local Starbucks, and they know what I like to drink before I even order it. They are one of my life tribes. Working in a church full-time makes it difficult for me to have groups of friends outside the fortress of the church. My whole life is wrapped up in this great job I have. The people at the grocery store, bank and Starbucks are the people of the world that I connect with. That coffee company set out to design a place where community can thrive and flourish–I love taking part in that vision. My church even partners with our local Starbucks during Christmas to help needy children in our area.
So, my response to your question is a very personal one. I love my Starbucks and everything about it. I do think the coffee is better than most other restaurants, because they know how to brew it right and I get to taste flavors from all over the world. It’s the same enjoyment a wine-lover has in experiencing international flavors. They bring what I can’t reach right into my hand.
As far as Starbucks conquering the world. . .I think that goes back to the idea of community, too. It’s a nice place to hang out, buy good music from underground artists and enjoy drinks with unique appeal. They are constantly in motion and bring new things to the market all the time. There is always a smiling face in the coffee shop and always something new to experience. I am definitely biased, but I’m okay with that title. Starbucks is one of my happy places in life.
Mike, you don’t have to like coffee to like Starbucks. I walked in this morning and never told them what I wanted to drink. They greeted me by name, took my Starbucks card, and the next thing I knew they had my drink ready. It’s like David U said, its a place where everybody knows your name. I’ll be back tomorrow.
Experience. Relationship.
Starbucks sells me an experience. I don’t drink coffee! I only enjoy the smell of it. I drink the Strawberries & Cream coffee-free frap (YOU SHOULD TRY) or the Double Mint Chocolate Chip coffee-free frap. They’re excellent. Strawberries & Cream reccommended for summer.
They’ve built a relationship with their customers to not offer great coffee, but a great experience where people come to breath, let go and rest from the busy world.
Next time you are in NYC, go to 51st & Broadway. There is a Starbucks right there and you walk in and the windows stop the noise. You can sit at a bar that goes all the way around the windows and looks to the street. Sit there, look at the people passing, but enjoy listening to the music, resting from the busy streets and you’ll experience it.
Makes me wonder, if Starbucks doesn’t offer great coffee, but a great exprience… Why has the church been so focused on the product (programs) and not the experience (family, rest, love, healing).
By the way, I drink a no-water chai
I don’t like Starbucks coffee. Too dark and bitter.
In Connecticut, Starbucks hasn’t done so well. Dunkin’ Donuts was entrenched before we ever heard of Starbucks. Not to mention that DD’s coffee is cheaper, which is not to say “cheap.”
I sometimes go to the Starbucks in Amarillo, only because my buddy Ken likes their coffee. I notice that they sell the NY Times and some trendy CDs there. I get the impression that in Amarillo, going to Starbucks makes people feel cosmo for a minute. I tend to despise that motive . . . only because I know it so well.
i love coffee but i have a hard time paying $3 for a small (no matter what they call it) cup. i still have my nickel mug from Whataburger. I don’t need friends that bad. I don’t need anybody. All I need is this lamp. Does anyone have $3 I can borrow?
Mike,
I saw the weirdest thing the other day, they were building a Starbuck in my local Starbucks. Anyways, you have to pick up a copy of “Pour Your Heart into It : How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time” by Howard Schultz. It is the story of how Starbucks became Starbucks, It is a fascinating read about WHY it has taken over hte world. But it is really a story of following after one’s passion. There are a tremendous amount of sermon illustrations in it as well about choices, community, and passion. You really have to read it about the idea of the coffee house being a “Third Place.” The big question isn’t has Starbucks taken over the world, it is “Why isn’t the Church the Third Place?
The Church at Rock Creek in Little Rock has a Starbucks in their lobby. (Or in CoC parlance, “vestibule.”) So it is in the Third Place, I guess.
I only like black coffee, so it’s useless for me to go to Starbucks except at Christmastime, where the Eggnog Chai Lattes will make you slap yo’ momma. Yum.
Saturation.
Wherever you are (even in Eastland, TX…), there’s a Starbucks that’s close by. For lots of folks, it’s a safety blanket.
I prefer Peet’s Coffee and Tea, however, which just came to the ACU hill. The guys who started Starbucks learned the coffee roasting trade from Mr. Peet in the ’60s, started their “little franchise,” saw it becoming more about the bottom line than coffee, and two of them came back to Peet’s. The one who stayed is their current CEO.
Peet’s is cheaper and seems to be more about the coffee than the profits. I do like Starbucks’ treatment of their employees with full insurance coverage for part-time employees, etc.
I am in fact a coffee drinker. I love any of Starbucks bold blend coffee. I don’t think it’s Starbucks per say because I don’t usually like anything that is trendy…….its just that no one makes a bold blend coffee like Starbucks. $1.85 for a venti…….a little pricey but remember its actually two to three times the size of a regular size coffee.
Saw a small miracle last night at church. Probably will turn into a huge miracle after God is finished with it. Our friend Wanda Pearson came up to me after church and handed me $0.19 and ask me to put it towards the “As He Leads” campaign. For those of you who know Wanda that $0.19 could have been $1,900.00 or $19 million. Didn’t Jesus tell us a story similar to this………………..
I can’t help you on this one, Mike. I can (somewhat proudly) say that as a 23-year old college graduate, I have never had a cup of coffee.
Thanks for your thoughts on Starbucks. I’m sorry, but I REALLY don’t get the whole Starbucks thing. My wife and I are serious coffee drinkers, but we think SB’s stuff tastes burned and, frankly, just awful. And we are Louisianians, where you can pour your coffee into your crankcase when you’re through using it to remove paint.
As a javaphile, I believe that Starbucks rules the free world for these reasons (in no particular order):
1. Numerous locations - including drive-thrus
2. Cool atmosphere…a place to hang out
3. The most innovative coffee menu
4. They take credit cards
5. Wireless internet
This is the philosophy that some churches have turned to regarding their facilties–with some success. It isn’t the kind of thing missional church guys would be excited about, but it is effective in some Dallas area churches. Create a “hang out” or a “stop by” culture, and reap the opportunities for outreach and community building.
Mike Riley — I had a great-aunt Cora who thought she was Cajun (because she lived in southwest La. and cussed) who used to drink chicory coffee every morning. It looked like mud. I guess I would have cussed too if I drank that every day.
I think initially people go because its cool. It is THE brand name for coffee houses. It represents a lifestyle that even if they don’t own a laptop they could bring it there and chat and send e-mail and drink the expensive coffee.
But don’t underestimate the name thing. That is a pure stroke of genious. People love and long to have someone say, “What’s your name?” And then they get to hear it called out to them.
“Mike! your Venti Caramel Macchiato is ready.” Everyone thinks, that guy just spent $8 on coffee…he’s so cool.
There are just a few times when I move past my inner redneck voice. When I am at Starbucks drinking a vannilla latte with my highly sophisticated 15 year old niece in Jersey Village, when I am eating sushi with a dear friend in Houston, TX. and when I read and post on preachermike.com. Each place is a place where I experience a special community and have a special sense of freedom. BTW the best bargain of the three is preachermike.com. Enjoy your day and make a difference for God today
Late one night, I saw a documentary on how Shultz built his company from nothing, and at first, only sold coffee (by the pound, I think). I agree with Walter that his goal of Starbucks being the “Third Place” between home and work has come true for many people. I had a good impression with his character from what I could tell. He pays a premium price for his coffee beans to support the workers in South America & wherever else he gets coffee, when other companies tend to take advantage of the coffee growers. And apparently, if you need a part time job with health benefits, Starbucks is your store. I know he is filthy rich, but Shultz really does seem to care about people. Funny how those two things can work together, no matter how much a tall mocha costs or how bitter there normal coffee really is!
I got addicted to cafe a lait in Europe, but that was only because I loved sitting in little sidewalk cafés. Coffee doesn’t really do much for me in it’s natural form, though saturated with flavorings and in a good environment I like it okay. Now, if Starbucks would sell Dr. Pepper — that would be a good thing!
I love Starbucks. It is the friendliness of the baristas and that whole Cheers thing. I am a member of a small group of ladies who meet there every Friday morning at 5:30 am for a Bible study. Each week the baristas have our three glasses of water ready for us and know what it is we order. They even turn down the music so I can hear our conversation (I’m a little hard of hearing anymore). After three years the customers are talking to us as old friends. It’s great. And yes the talls are small, the grande isn’t so grand and the venti is a ridiculous price but it’s not just the coffee I’m paying for. It’s the fact that this is my neighborhood. I love Starbucks.
I noticed there a several comments from Starbuck’s regulars like myself. They for the best part all know my name and know exactly what I am going to drink - Venti Latte with no foam and a glass of ice water(since I cannot get rid of the chronic cough, that my coffee addiction probably adds to). I love to be have unread copied of the Abilene Reporter News and the Wall Street Journal and sit by the window drink my coffee and water and read my daily periodicals. Sometimes on Saturdays, I go and meet some friends for lunch and they comment on the coffee smell I bring with me.
Probably the hardest thing lately in relation to my Starbucks habit for me was on a trip back from Ft Worth, where I had taken my parents for an appointment. Pulling off in Eastland Texas, which is one of several Starbucks stops on the highway between Abilene and the Metroplex area. I was hoping my mother and father were sleeping or not paying attention, but alas, their loss of hearing had improved greatly when the barista informed me the Venti Latte would cost a total of $3.73. I have still not heard the end of this; however, I keep reminding my father he should have invested in Starbuck’s stock, years ago.
Again, I like all kinds of coffee and wished we had coffee shops on every corner as they do in the northwest and in other places. I am thankful for Starbuck’s since I know my Venti Latte will be the same in Abilene, as it has been in Bangkok, Thailand, - Osaka, Japan, - The DFW airport, - Kansas City, - Salt Lake City, - Des Moines, - or the many other places I have been able to get my
Mike,
If you have to ask that question…then you’ll never understand.
VIVA LA CAFFIENATION!
Can’t get the comment function to work…but check out my blog for my morning rant about Starbucks. Admittedly, I’m not a coffee drinker, but I have a few things to say to those who choose name-brand over independent.
Here’s why: I was in a Starbucks in Grapevine one day, and wanted my coffee in a real ceramic mug. The only one available, however, was on a ledge with some tinsel and a small pachage of coffee in it. I asked the guy brewing the coffee, “Can I get this mug?” His reply: “The Starbucks empire wasn’t built on ‘no’.” They take care of their customers and they take care of their workers. Perhaps a good church model as well.
Grande, non-fat, 1 pump vanilla latte. It dosn’t get any better than that. My daughter will be a freshman at ACU this fall, and she will be thrilled abount the on campus Starbucks. I am giving starbucks gift cards to all of our graduates at church. I’m a believer. I tried the green tea thing. Some guy on Oprah said you would lose 10 pounds if you switch from coffee. I was just tired. I am a much happier person with coffee flowing freely.
Oh, one more thing. I like Starbucks, but I LOVE Peets. Run, don’t walk to the new Peets on Judge Ely (where Henry D’s used to be). Peets is so good Lance Armstrong used to have beans sent to him in France while riding Le Tour. He said Peets coffee is the only “drug” he’s ever taken!
Micke Ds has great coffee now days. Starbucks has become the “Cheers” of the 21st Century.
A friend of mine told me about a guy somewhere who goes to Starbucks every day and sets out a little tent sign on the table that reads simply, “Conversations.” He always has someone sitting with him who just wants to talk. What a great evangelistic move.
Starbucks and other warm and friendly enviroments offer what the church should offer…a place to be real, accepted and served with joy.
Mr. Cope,
It’s Cheers. “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows youre name, and they’re always glad you came.” It IS the experience. Yes we love coffee but you can get that at 7-11. It’s the experience, atmosphere, capachino compatriots and coolness. What builds starbucks is what builds “church”. Im not pro-consumer religion, but to not understand the market is to be asking “why aren’t we growing.” They understand their market.
Mike, if Starbucks is taking over the world, there could be worse monarchies. Far more than most, they take care of their employees, sell Fair Trade coffee, attempt to be a responsible eco-citizen, and provide a place for community and conversation. Sounds like a good blueprint for church.
I’ve thought for awhile, in fact, that Starbucks has become America’s house of worship. You have everything we’ve always boasted:
*icons (the mermaid)
*sacraments (pastries and coffee)
*community (good lighting, space)
*conversation (comfy chairs)
*music (always good)
*even tithing (tip jar)
All of which creates the experience Leonard Sweet references.
The all-time greatest take on Starbucks’ rise to world dominance came from a Bud Light Real Men of Genius commercial, which can be found here:
http://www.contemporaryinsanity.org/audio/rmog/Bud%20Light%20-%20Real%20Men%20of%20Genius%20-%20Mr.%20Fancy%20Coffee%20Shop%20Coffee%20Pourer.mp3
Starbucks is where we have one of our weekly “meetings”. Mostly it’s a place where we can be around people, and if we are interrupted and forced to interact with people instead of work on “church stuff”, then great. It allows us to do more important church stuff. For example, last week three of us were sitting around reading our Bibles and talking about nonsense, when a homeless guy (living in his van) sitting behind us told us he saw us and started crying because he knew that the Spirit was with us. He told us about himself and his background (quasi-rastafarian, with long dreadlocks, and Christian).
Personally, I don’t think the coffee is the best. There are other arguably better coffee places, like Dutch Bros. (which is primarily drive-thru) or Java Crew. Even Costco has good coffee.
There are like 11 Starbucks in Salem, OR (not including the 3 in Keizer). The one we usually meet in is inside a Fred Meyer. Across the street is another one. Downtown there are two that are a block away from each other on each corner. The others are scattered around town. Or, you could always try the Portland Metro area, where there ar over 180. I don’t even want to think about Seattle.
As a young adult, I began living two completely different lives. Look at me now and you’ll see a spiritual, fun-loving man. My life is full and my career is fine. My life wasn’t always this way, though. I used to drink so much I could not pass out. “My name is Jeff and I’m a coffaholic.”
My coffaholism began in my mid 20’s because of a “friend.” James was an coffaholic. He was always around, and he was usually drinking coffee. Although he never poured it down my throat, his never-ending barrage of coffee words terrified me. He was always wide-eyed and bushy tailed in the morning and would stand over the sink looking so content with that mug in his hand. That scene will forever be etched in my mind.
As a minister I always felt different from the rest of the world, in part because of my calling. I was terribly afraid of public humiliation. I didn’t want to be in the spotlight. I wanted to be invisible, but I wanted love and attention at the same time. I felt confused, alone, and lost.
When I moved to New England, I started to sneak my friend’s coffee. Being buzzed gave me some relief from the demons in my head. A month later I had my first full cup and with it, I found another way to escape from my feelings of isolation. Even though I knew what I was doing was dangerous, I quickly became a daily coffee drinker.
My friend, James, gave me my own coffee maker for my birthday. I made coffee with abandon. Irish Cream, mocha mint, and French roast!
For a while, I had a blast. I became popular, and was invited to Pepperdine. I was the designated coffee drinker at Preacher’s Meetings; a title I held proudly.
The problem was that I could never predict what would happen after I took my first drink. I never could recall where the last hour went. I would hear the ugly details from my friends, which usually involved some kind of hyper-activity.
A few months back the old coffee maker that James gave me finally bit the dust after almost 20 years. I thought to myself – now is my chance to break free!
But before the day was over another friend had replaced it with a coffeemaker from Starbucks. I will forever be enslaved.
I’m not sure that Starbucks does a good job of being “A Third Place” like the author of “Great Good Places” intended. He would lend more to the “Barnes and Noble and Borders” that have coffee places in them. His favorite place was the beer gardens of germany where family is encouraged to participate. Starbucks has made it hip to drink coffee and it’s all about marketing. Where else would a person go to buy burnt coffee?
Thanks, Grant..didn’t know if they sold Fair Trade..good to hear..
Mike, its you me and Joseph Smith..I can’t stand the stuff…
Mike Riley is right. It tastes burned. Yuk. I can make a delicious pot at home, fresh ground beans from Guatamala, for the whole family for less than half the price of one “tall” at Starbucks. I can put it in a travel mug and take it in the car if I want to. But I like being able to live my life without a cup of coffee in my hand.
The shop sure smelled good when I went in there a couple of times.
Tom Hanks has an excellent quote in “You’ve Got Mail” that explains the whole Starbucks thing. Well explains part of it anyway. I’m not a good movie quoter but I’ll try to go find it somewhere…unless someone has already talked aboutit in one of the 56 comments before me!
Hard to imagine the ACU library with a Starbucks… Couldn’t even get a Diet Coke there back in the day…..
If you haven’t read it yet, you need to follow the link below. Coffee, the New Health Food? is an outstanding article written by a real doctor (not just someone who plays on on TV and not a Ph.D.) and it will make you feel guilty if you don’t drink coffee. Treat your body right!!
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/80/96454.htm
Starbucks– whatever. Yeah I like it, but I also drink coffee from Alsups and you know what that tastes like!
Ultimately, the Health benefits are the same!
I should have said it was “reviewed” by a real doctor… sorry!
Community.
Coffee.
Caffine.
And on the 8th day God made Starbucks…Thank God for Starbucks. I hear of Christians, churches all over the country that are meeting at Starbucks for Christian Conversation, and Bible Study. Why? Less intemidating enviornment that a Church building. The aroma, the sounds, the atmosphere, and caffeine.
Vinti Carmel Breve Latte $6.00
Extra Shot of Espresso $1.00
Great Opportunity to Share Your Faith With Others Priceless.
I am not a coffee drinker either. However, I LOVE Starbucks. I live in Portland in a neighborhood which happens to include the first residential Starbucks ever opened. Yes, that’s right - it’s right on the corner smack dab in the middle of our neighborhood. Everyone goes there just to hang out.
But what I most love about Starbucks is their commitment to be part of our community which involves donating their time and money. They are constant contributors to our school - they send their employees to volunteer at our carnival and other events, and they donate coffee to almost every event the school or neighborhood is involved in.
Love Starbucks… for many of the same reasons already mentioned. I was very disappointed a year or so ago when I saw the fat and calorie contents of several of the beverages at Starbucks. This brought new meaning to one of the comments that said it was a liquid candy bar! I now order a sugar-free, non-fat vanilla latte. It’s actually much better than it looks written out like that!!!
I also love what Starbucks has become to Grant and Anna Claire. He takes her there some mornings on the way to preschool and she gets a hot chocolate minus the hot. She is bummed out if they can’t sit in the big squishy chairs and I dare say many conversations have taken place between the two of them that wouldn’t have taken place had they not been sitting in the squishy chairs together!
How can anything that smells so good taste so awful? I woke up to the smell of coffee brewing every morning of my childhood. I’ve tried to like the taste and just can’t. My kids keep telling me that if I’d just try this-or-that additive, I’d love it… But, on a cold winter morning, Starbucks makes a great cup of hot chocolate!!
The also make a killer Chai Latte.
SG, we weren’t “allowed” to have anything to eat or drink in the library back in my day at ACU!!! Just think of all the profitable work that will get done in there now! Ha!
No matter what the “stuff” is…
If you put stuff in your coffee, you are not drinking coffee. You are drinking COFFEE WITH STUFF IN IT! (grin!)
Coffee is black. Anything else is not coffee…
Here’s a great web site for all my fellow coffee lovers out there:
I Need Coffee
Enjoy!
My husband says that adding anything flavoring to coffee makes it “perfume” coffee.
Now back to Starbucks, for me it’s about the experience. It does feel like a little vacation. But, I don’t have to just be at a Starbucks. Any good little coffee house will do. Especially the kind with a sofa and a good stack of coffee table books.
One of my favorite things to do is go to Barnes and Noble. Get a good Skinny Cafe Mocha with Whip Cream and look through a stack of magazine.
Now that’s a vacation for a working mom! Experience man, it’s all about the experience. Oh and the smells. And the tastes! But I’ve found that most people either really LOVE coffee or really hate it. Like some folks either really love cilantro or really hate it.
I began to realize that Starbucks is taking over as I was waiting in line at their store in the shadows of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Oddly enough, there were many more locals at the Vienna Starbucks, than at Cafe Demel-which is supposedly the original European coffeehouse from centuries past.
I just collect their mugs from our travels (not for their coffee-just their clean bathrooms ). As for me-I’ll take good ol’ Folgers any day of the week.
Here’s that “You’ve Got Mail” quote. I’m not certain I fully agree with it…
Joe Fox: The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don’t know what the hell they’re doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.
Joe Fox: [exits]
Next customer in line: Tall decaf cappucino.
I go to Starbucks to ready Mike Cope’s blog….that and to get a caramel apple cider. No coffee for me.
Hey Karen! You beat me to it.
I have to say I’m not a coffee drinker but wanted to be so I could hang at Starbucks with the rest of the world, & namely the Moms I like to do stuff with. My first Starbucks experience was so intimidating that I just ordered what my friend did..paid 5 bucks and hated it! Then I met a tall white chocolate mocha no whip. Love at first sip. Joe Fox is partially right, it’s nice to have a Starbucks identity. Now I love the Mocha Fraps in a bottle too! HOWEVER when I saw how many calories and fat grams it takes to make me think coffee is good, I gave it all up! Sigh… I sorta miss Starbucks.
Lots about “community,” and how what Starbucks has done oughta be duped by the church, but it strikes qb at odd angles. Starbucks is fun, hip, comfy, gratifying (qb gets to hear his name called out in public!) and all that, but it requires nothing of him; he can come and go as he wishes, no questions asked. Just bring 3 George Washingtons and a few copper coins, and qb’s in the club. There’s nothing messy about Starbucks’ “community life.” The baristas are cool and friendly enough, but they go home at night and think nothing of Starbucks or the people who “live” there.
It seems more like an *escape* from community life.
Not that that’s a bad thing, sometimes, but calling it “community” is a bit of a stretch, and urging that the church adopt its model as an M. O. seems to cater more to our native self-indulgency than to our “missionality” (if qb may co-opt the concept du jour).
Cheers, by the way, was where Norm went to get AWAY from his nag, Vera (and feel the freedom to deride her mercilessly). Anybody wanna advocate *that*?
Having said all that, qb spent the weekend of the 5-6th of May in Brown Library, and it is magnificent, even when up to one’s elbows in Elenchus of Biblica. LOL! ACU is a place to be proud of.
qirritantb
For the most part, I fail to see the lure of Starbucks, myself, Mike. Even though I’m a regular coffee drinker. Could be my frugal genes inherited from my mom, perhaps.
People are certainly passionate about their coffee, though, in their addictions, as you’re finding here today with all the comments. I got a good many comments when I totally trashed gourmet coffee (in comparing it to a much more economical addiction) in a couple of posts on my blog a while back, starting with The Perfect Gourmet Food.
But that was before my younger sister Laura (who some of you would know, if I told you her last name) led me astray there in the quiet, relatively sin-free metropolis of Abilene and insisted we go to Starbucks.
I haven’t completely caved in, still thinking their coffee (I always order iced coffee with milk and add sweetener) isn’t nearly as good as my local favorite coffee shop (New Orleans based) PJ’s, and that their prices are really outlandish, but do indulge once in a while now as an occasional very special treat and to humor my sister when I’m visiting Holy Hill.
Starbucks in a library, though? I don’t think . . .
I love coffee but Starbucks is a little strong for me but cream makes it yummy. Hate flovored coffee, too.
I think Starbucks is the new ‘front porch’ - a place to meet in the community and talk about your day. Very welcoming.
I certainly can’t comment on Starbucks, because I personally would rather drink old swimming pool water than coffee; but I can say PREACH ON, BROTHER!!!
It really irritates me when preachers start questioning my religion.
I like Starbucks, really, I do. But give me Peets or one of the local shops around mid-Alameda County: Zocalo Coffeehouse in San Leandro, Frodo Joe’s in San Lorenzo, or that little place in Castro Valley that I can never remember the name of, or Koffeeheads in Fresno. (Okay, that last one isn’t even in the county, but it’s owned by folks I know from the College Church down there!)
What I don’t like about all of these places is the price. $3.50 is a lot to pay for an “experience.” I tend to go only when I’m going with other coffee mavens. Or when I’m at the grocery store, which has a SB in it. Or when I’m doing something else, and one is along my path. Or whenever the mood strikes me. But that’s all.
I am so not cool. I don’t drink coffee and I’ve never been in a Starbucks.
Forget the coffee. I could drink Vanilla Bean Frappacinos everyday. I hear the strawberry ones aren’t bad either. I just have a hard time coffee up the big bucks for a drink that will inevitably end up on my hips…
mmm coffee! That is why I LOVE the Great Northwest. I have even ventured to the original starbucks in Seattle.
But in all fairness, there are many other great coffee cabanas in Portland that leave starbucks in the dust!
I just got a hankerin for my 16oz decaf sugar free white mocha no whip!
Beaner, I can trump you. Just down the street from the Good Nite Inn in Calabasas where I stayed during the Pepperdine lectures there is a nice-sized Starbucks. One hundred and fifty feet away across the parking lot, tucked inside the Albertson’s, is another nice-sized Starbucks.
I love Starbucks. But I’ve been reading too many Greg Kendall-Ball and Travis Stanley blogs to be able to patronize them anymore. I can’t justify spending $3.00 for a Starbucks cup and $0.15 for coffee when I know that money could feed a family of four in Africa for a week, or dig the better part of a well that would provide water for hydration and sanitation and possibly save their lives, or some other quantifiable good that I would have to make up like these because I can’t remember the facts.
Cusses on you, Greg and Travis. You’ve ruined my addiction.
(By the way, I think a chain called Boulangerie in San Francisco actually beat Starbucks to the dark rich & overpriced coffee market by offering calorific Mrs. Field’s pastries along with it. But I don’t know if they still exist.)
The only thing that I’ve figured out about the Starbucks thing is why they call those things “Latte’s.” It’s because they charge a lotay for them. I’m a water/diet coke/sweet tea kind of guy myself.
Coffee: the modern day excuse to legitimately sit down and have a meaningful, connected conversation with someone without feeling guilty about failing to run around doing “all those important things.”
And thus I propose it should be a verb, as in “Let’s coffee.”
I like it because of the smell, the lighting, the free newspaper, and the coffee. In no particular order.
I like Starbucks because of the coffee. The rich, smoot taste of Verona is like nothing I ever experienced with Folgers.
BTW - a tall coffee is $1.52
mike thought you might like this.
Which Princess Bride Character are You?
Style without pretense, perhaps?
Here in AZ we have a competitor, Coffee X-treme, which was recently voted better Frappaccino Style drink over Starbucks… I would agree.
Yet I remember the first Caramel Cream Frappaccino I had ~ I’d never enjoyed my Starbucks experiences (I agree the coffee tastes burned, now when I get coffee I only get soy lattes) until I had the Caramel Cream Frap in Edinburgh. On the opposite end from the Visitor’s Centre of Prince’s street, there is a SB upstairs, that is large and open, with a spectacular view of the castle and gardens…. I was meeting two other American expats, which in itself was comforting — and drinking this delicious liquid dessert — luck enough to have snagged the comfy couch & chairs facing the view — and enjoying the company. That memory alone gives me reason to appreciate Starbucks.
All the reasons given above — a place to meet and have a beverage & snack for *under* $10.00 and not have to feel you have to rush out when you’re done… no age limit, no pressure to converse unless you want to, a place it is okay to sit and be by yourself and not feel weird, a place to meet “after” - exercise (3 hours one day with a friend), eating lunch - you’re full and don’t want to eat– but always room for coffee with a different buddy, dropping kids off at school, shopping… it can be fast or quick — it is what you need it to be, which can be different - (!)
Oh Mike, this post was meant for me to respond: Just ask the Danley family, I am a Starbucks woman. (Their graduation gift to me was, of course, a Starbucks card. ) Here are a few thoughts from a Starbucks addict:
1. While Starbucks admittedly does not have the number one tasting coffee in the world, it’s all about the experience for me. My best friend at ACU and I would go to the Starbucks at Buffalo Gap and terrorize the place with our loudness. Once we went there eight consecutive days in a row. Let’s just say we were on a first-name basis with every single Starbucks employee. And the especially smart ones always knew what I wanted- “A tall, non-fat hazlenut white mocha with whip.”
If you a maniac social person, like I am, Starbucks is great to strike up a conversation, grab a copy of the NYTimes and just chill.
2. I love the fact that Starbucks sells Fair Trade coffee and has important policies for its employees, everyone from the counter to the farmers growing the coffee beans.
3. Now, about the competition: there are a lot of private coffee houses with much more personality, better drinks and more reasonable prices. I visit those places as well. It’s just that Starbucks is everywhere. There are two in the city next to me in southern Japan. In the States, Borders, Caribou Coffee and Seattle’s Best Coffee are contenders for competition, but none of them have really got the Starbucks edge. However, I will visit those if there’s not a Starbucks around OR if I’m in the mood for a particular drink that Starbucks does not sell.
Okay, I think that’s enough for now. Except, twice I gave up Starbucks for Lent and that was INSANE.
Teresa
Mike,
I too have lamented the world-domination of Starbucks. My take on the whole thing can be found here:
http://russandrebecca.blogspot.com/2006/04/scary-lady.html
By the way, a friend of mine works at SB in the Maybee Library. Her name is Ning and she’s a Christian friend of mine from Thailand. Drop by and tell her Russ says hello.
Wow! I really got here late on this one. I don’t even like coffee but I love going to Starbucks with a group of friends. I am just a social drinker. It is just a fun place to sit around and talk.
Back at Harding I had a friend that worked at Western Sizzlin. He taught me a lesson I will never forget, “you don’t sell the steak, you sell the sizzle.”
I like the liquid candy bar comment too. It doesn’t even really taste like coffee. If it did I wouldn’t be drinking it.
My 14-year-old son became hooked on Starbucks on his school trip to Washington DC last summer. His travel group had a flight cancelled and spent 6 hours in O’Hare airport. Most of the kids decided to spend the last of their travel money on Starbucks - about 4 or 5 trips to the counter. They all came off the plane very energetic, but their poor chaperone looked pretty dazed. She has earned my undying respect.
There’s no reason to spend $4 on “coffee”. A plain tall coffee is $1.40 (no sales tax in Oregon!) at Starbucks and around that price just about everywhere else you go. The only time I get one of those expensive drinks is when my Fred Meyer Starbucks punch card is filled up and I get a FREEBIE!
Of course if I just spend $7 I can buy the unground beans at the store, and I have Starbucks for two people for about two weeks, which amounts to about $.50 per cup of coffee.
If Starbucks burns their beans, so does everyone else. That’s why the process of making the beans is called ROASTING.
“Coffee is for closers.”
Well, all this discussion, I will miss, but wanted to add this…..I am a TEA drinker and when it comes to tea, I much prefer strong tea. Which…BTW, I can get at Starbucks!
Coffee, tea, w/e go hand in hand, but I am surprised they allow it in a library!
J. Pierpont’s earlier post cracked me up. They just don’t make coffee makers like they used to. I learned to drink tea in Scotland simply in order to survive the cold. But it’s hard to beat coffee from the Kettle in Abilene. Or the coffee at Towne Crier. I remember my first experience at Starbucks a few years ago during a morning of Christmas shopping. After that one cup of coffee I ZOOMED all over the place, made quick decisions and was done in nothing flat. Kind of scared me!
I don’t know if anyone will read this, since I am post 97… BUT I feel that I must say something.
I don’t drink coffee or soda. I don’t smoke or drink either.
But I must say how much I HATE (yes I know it is a strong word) HATE Starbucks. I hate SB just like I hate McDonalds. For the simple fact that they pretend to care about their customers, but all the while they sell something that is HARMFUL to our bodies. There is a reason some Christian groups don’t drink coffee or soda or beer or smoke … because they are ADDICTIVE!
But for some reason we all think being addicted to soda or coffee is cute or funny. It is socially acceptable. I don’t understand this. Anything that affects our brain like alcohol or caffeine (even large amounts of sugar) negatively impacts our ability to talk with God. It colors the relationship, and it makes a graven image out of whatever it is “we can’t live without” …. I cringe when I hear people say that they “can’t function” before their coffee or that they can’t “make it through the day” with out thier big gulp.
Money makes the world go around… and that is the only focus of Starbucks…. money… Whatever they can do or sell to get us lazy fat addicted Ameicans to spend our money on - and enjoy it is the corporations only goal.
Our goal is to lead a Christ centered life, to reflect him in all we do… being a slave to a corporation is not apart of that life.
Woo-hoo, don’t hold back baby!!
Quoting Keith Brenton:
“I love Starbucks. But I’ve been reading too many Greg Kendall-Ball and Travis Stanley blogs to be able to patronize them anymore. I can’t justify spending $3.00 for a Starbucks cup and $0.15 for coffee when I know that money could feed a family of four in Africa for a week…”
I wonder if Travis or Greg ever spend $4.00 on a sandwich from Subway that cost about $0.75 to make?
We all spend lots of money on things that don’t cost near that much to make? How about computers, internet connections, cars, and the like? This is not directed towards anyone in particular, it just seems like a straw man arguement, and it is very tiring.
Travis and Greg say a lot of things with passion that haven’t been thought through very thoroughly, and make some comments that are pretty out there. Sorry…
Getting to the airport before 5AM to get the 6AM flight, calmness gets me through knowing there is a Starbucks at that gate. As I board the plane with the cup tightly clenched in my hand, I know all is well in the world.
My point exactly…..
Found this blog lost late, cannot believe how many comments a post on Starbucks with ellicit.
As a Starbucks employee, I can garuntee that we put nothing more in our coffee to make it addictive than the Girl Scouts put into their Thin Mint cookies.
Hey Mike - there is just something about Starbucks that isn’t about coffee. It’s the atmosphere that I think most people find appealing. It’s a quiet and withdrawn place where you can experience a great cup of coffee - and not feel stressed or rushed. I think that is worth the money any day!!