Having spent the past ten years of my life living in a town
so small they don’t bother to count how many people actually live in it; a town
so rural it used to be a cornfield; a town so obscure Google Maps doesn’t even
recognize it as a legitimate location, I feel very out of place in the city. Today I
had some time to burn before meeting my friend downtown, so I elected to find a Starbucks
and hang out for a bit. I walked down a random street in search of an ubiquitous
green siren. In less than five minutes, I had found one.
Having skipped dinner, I spent literally five minutes trying to decide which snack
I felt like eating. In an effort to expand their vast domain, appeal to a
larger population, and make more money, Starbucks now satisfies their patrons’
hunger as well as their thirst. True to form, the sweets and goodies are placed
in an illuminated, glass case conveniently located at eye-level to the
customer. Pumpkin bread, golden orange and studded with pumpkin seeds; muffins
as big as your fist; tarts, pies, and even bagels—they have everything you
could possibly want and even some things you didn’t know you wanted. Below the
treats, in a dark, rather obscure cooler lies a variety of milks, juices, and
yogurts—the “healthy” stuff. They recently introduced their Bistro Boxes—little
bento-style plastic containers filled with dainty portions of cheese, crackers,
vegetables, and assorted sides. I give them props for offering such healthy and
appealing options but am disappointed by the way in which they display them. I
had to bend down awkwardly to inspect the options and when I finally settled on
one (tuna salad, cheddar cheese, crackers, and blanched green beans), I was
shocked at the price. But I suppose everything seems expensive on a college
budget.
I am not a coffee connoisseur. I worked at a coffee shop for
eleven months and, although I can make a double Ristretto and a vanilla Frappuccino
and a nonfat double shot Irish cream latte in under seven minutes, it takes me
about that long to make heads or tails of the menu here. First off, there are
about twenty seven different kinds of drinks to choose from. Once you settle on
one, you must then decide on the milk—nonfat, low fat, regular, or soy? Then
you get to choose how much caffeine you wish to consume. It is a double or
triple shot day? Or, if you’re new to caffeine (like me), you should probably
play it safe and opt for half-caff or you won’t be able to sleep for three
days. Once my brain finally finished processing all of this and I realized that
a Tall is the smallest size you can
order (go figure), I coughed up nine bucks and change, grabbed my dinner, and waited for my drink
to be ready.
“Nonfatmocha”. Oh, that’s me. I check out the side of my
cup, scribbled with markings so illegible it is a miracle they turned up the
very same drink I ordered. I sit down to munch my tuna salad and wait for my
drink to cool enough so I don’t burn my tongue, a common newbie mistake I manage
to re-learn every time I drink coffee. Glancing around me at this stylish
building filled with a collection of trendy 18-40something year olds sipping
their custom hot beverages out of the clean, classic green and white cup that has become
an American icon, I suddenly feel hip and trendy myself.
I suddenly have the
urge to blog.
This entry is supposed to be more than just a story of my
experience at America’s most well-known and loved coffee shop chain. My
experience here has caused me to think. First of all, is it odd that I knew I would find a Starbucks if I
walked down the street? Is it strange that we can (and do) take places like
this for granted? Is it a good or bad thing that they’re literally everywhere or that we expect to be able
to whip out our MacBooks and tap into the free, lightning-fast WiFi? Why do I feel like I should be wearing skinny jeans and boots
instead of jeans, a T-shirt, and Chucks? Why do I feel a full 35% trendier as
soon as I walk in the door? Finally, what function does Starbucks have in today’s
culture? Is it more than a trendy, overpriced commercial behemoth? Have they
successfully filled a niche market—or did they create a market for themselves to fill?
Your comments are
appreciated. Meanwhile, I will sit here and sip my coffee.
Hey, that's a good point ;)
ReplyDeleteSo Starbucks is creating and/or reinforcing our decision-making abilities. Those who feel like they have no control over their life get to make four to seven incontestable decisions every morning. It feels comforting, in a sad sort of way, I suppose. And, thus, everyone has their own, unique "drink" that they require not only to get through the day but to stay sane.
Hmm...the psychology of coffee.
speaking as a starbucks barista, i think it's fair to say that starbucks created a niche that they could fill. because back in the day it was taverns and pubs and sitting around catching up with townspeople... but we also all lived in small pockets of the world and we didn't need the anonymity that we crave now.
ReplyDeletepros of starbucks: it's an inspirational place to be. there really is just something magic about going to a cafe, opening your laptop, and writing about life. and some stores, like mine, have enough regulars that it has a sense of community. which is nice, but only if you're actually part of that community.
cons of starbucks: it gives us yet another thing to take for granted. there *will* be a cafe around the corner. it will have the same drinks every time and we can complain about how it was made because we have standard expectations.