Having recently found myself in two airports during the early morning hours, I was impressed at just how loyal Starbucks’ coffee drinkers are. In both airports (different states, mind you!) I was quite surprised by just how many people are willing to stand in lines that are both very long and extremely slow.
Now I should probably tell you that two Christmases ago, Santa brought me a Starbucks’ $20 gift certificate – which I have yet to use. It’s not that I have never had a Starbucks’ coffee – I have had at least half a dozen of them, and there are actually four of Starbucks located very close to my house. I just am not willing to wait that long to order a coffee that I can’t even describe as “large”! That’s just not for me…
This is not to say that at 5:00 AM I don’t want my coffee! Maybe that’s just it… maybe I’m in simply too big a hurry to get my coffee, that I am not willing to wait over twenty minutes in line. Or, maybe it’s because I probably couldn’t tell the difference between my large cup of coffee ordered from an employee behind the counter of a pizza kiosk, and a “venti” cup of coffee that is ordered from a “barrista” >>> at twice the price! Either way, I feel like I -and a few other people- are in a win-win situation. We get our cups of coffee quickly from the no-name food vendor stores at about half the price, enabling us to get to our flights’ gates twenty minutes faster than the Starbucks’ lovers.
Hmmm… Maybe next time I fly I’ll go ahead and get out my Santa’s gift card – I haven’t had a venti, lowfat cappucino in years. Twenty minutes in line or twenty minutes at my gate… it’s all the same amount of time…
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Hubby is a big coffee drinker, but he doesn’t care for starbucks much. He orders green coffee beans, roasts them to his desired darkness each week, then grinds the appropriate amount of beans every morning and then brews. Talk about a 20 minute wait!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, I can’t even imagine waiting for a cup of coffee at the airport>>>yet alone at my own home!
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
In fairness it’s a mocha he makes every morning–not just plain coffee. His plain coffee is much faster to make!
Laura says
Maria: Ha-ha. Well, I haven’t gone so far as to roast my own beans, but I do buy whole beans and grind them every morning. Danna: I can’t stand Starbucks coffee. The large coffee at McDonald’s for $1.00 is pretty darn good. Also, since In-and-Out introduced their new coffee blend, they have a large coffee for $1.35 that’s good. Having the opportunity to make a choice is the important thing.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laura, it’s not that I don’t like Starbucks’ coffee>>>I’m just not willing to wait in line for a cup. Also, I have noticed that the McDonald’s coffee lines at the airport are too long for me. While I enjoy a good cup of coffee, I will not wait in line that long when there are plenty of “no name brand” coffees available.
Shawn says
I am not a fan of Starbcks at all, we prefer Dunkin Donuts. I have a Keurig Coffee Maker and we use that to brew our own coffee a fresh cup at a time. If we do go out I have to say the coffee at our favorite italian place has good coffee and the little sandwich shop does too.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Shawn, when our Texas grocery store chain started carrying donuts, they sort of ran our one and only Dunkin’ Donuts out of town. When I visit my daughter in Massachusetts, I always hit the Dunkin’ Donuts.
We also have a Keurig coffee maker, and we absolutely love it. (With as many gadgets as my husband has, it amazes me when he says that is his favorite doo-dad!)
Shawn says
My husband also loves the Keurig too. So much so that I have purchased four … yes you heard that correct. One for the home, one for his office, one for the kitchen of his workplace and a personal for his mom…. I have turned everyone into Keurig freaks 😮 LOL …
Frostie says
Tea, anyone ?
linda says
Starbucks is just too expensive. I can get the same tasty coffee at the speedway gas stations for 99 cents and not have to wait in such a long line. If I found myself in a place where Starbucks was the only place to get a cup of coffee I would buy one there but that would be the only reason. So just maybe when you were at that airport that day, there might have been no other place. But then I have been to places such as a shopping mall where there were other places to get coffee and Starbucks was crowed , so maybe you are right. Starbucks has a great following. Who knows!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
My sister and her family in Chicago don’t go anywhere without their Starbucks coffee… They are quite willing to wait, and wait, and wait…
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Oh, I love a good cup of tea! I drink a few different kinds, but mostly just plain, hot tea with milk. I prefer it with half and half, but well, my thighs do not need such encouragement!
Marisa says
Well… I don’t drink Starbucks coffee… because, for me, it isn’t coffee *ducking stones* I’m Spanish, I drink black coffee, a nice and REAL italian expresso is what I like, so no, no Starbucks coffee for me (chai tea, on the other side, yes, I like it a lot).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marisa, cafe con leche is an occasional treat for me…
Susan says
Definitely a tea drinker here. 🙂
I’ll have the occasional mocha or Irish Coffee, but I really just don’t like the taste or smell of the stuff.
I LOVE Chai!
Julia says
I’m a Seattle’s Best fan myself – I adore the Organic French Roast (though I’m usually not a big fan of organic roasts because they’re not as strong). I will certainly buy Starbuck’s though, mostly because they sell it at Barnes and Noble (which I’m in 3 or 4 times week ).
regina says
I am from Boston originally and live in CT now. For me the only coffee I will drink is Dunkin Donuts. No Starbucks please it is too strong.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, then you are in luck! When I went out to visit my daughter in Cambridge, I was quite surprised by how many Dunkin’ Donuts there were in that area! (We don’t have any around here, and I miss them.)
linda says
Danna, Give me a fresh cup of Maxwell House or Folger’s coffee and a big shot of Coffee Mate’s french vanilla creamer I am good to go. Our library here in town has a coffee shop attached to it. The first thing I notice when I go into the library is the aromma of fresh coffee. This is great!!!! Fresh coffee and a good book! What could be better!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, I don’t use Coffee Mate, but I love my Flavour Creations tablets >>> especially the French Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Almond Amaretto. I used to be able to buy them at our local Albertson’s grocery store… before Our H.E.B. grocery stores ran them out of town. Now I have to order them, but thank goodness for the internet!