Waiting in line for coffee - what's your limit?

5-17-2006 @5:48PM watpro said... 55 minutes? For coffee? And we wonder what's wrong with America these days...
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5-17-2006 @5:50PM Alan said... I bought a super-automatic expresso machine add beans and water and presto the $3 cup of coffee for around 25 cents. At a $2.75 saveings per cup it wont take many months for this machine to pay for itself. And the wait is around 1 minute for the machine to warm up.
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5-17-2006 @5:51PM Kim said... I would never wait more than 5 minutes, especially at Starbucks, the McDonald's of coffee. In their defense, they have at least improved their service in the last few years. Several years ago, every smart-alec kid they brought in told that he was a barista thought he was part of some sort of annointed priesthood that gave him license to pour his rudeness over the mere mortals ordering his product. I bought a stainless steel, 18 ounce, Bialetti stovetop espresso maker about 6 months ago and I much prefer the coffee that I make in it than what Starbucks serves.
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5-17-2006 @5:52PM Lonny said... 55 minutes??? Are you crazy? They are not serving liquid gold. It's coffee for crying out loud. Get a Mr. Coffee and buy it at the store.
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5-17-2006 @6:00PM Robert said... I've seen lines, long lines, when I vacationed in Atlanta. I also saw either Carabu or Starbucks, at virtually every corner, or at least every other corner, and they were all jammed.

It looked like that entire city ran on caffeine! I live in a small tobacco farm community that has gone (finally) from 3 to 5 stop lights, has an 80 bed rural hospital, and just recently got it's McDonalds and Subway restaurants.

I live near, however, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which, although it's not Atlanta, it's much more of a city, albeit with a major tourist industry.

I've been to Charelston, and to Columbia, in South Carolina. I've been to the RDU area in North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), and Charlotte.

And I have never seen a city so stoked on massive volumes of coffee shops as Atlanta was.

I have also never had to wait as long at any of the other afore-mentioned cities, as I have in Atlanta, either.

How long is too long? I don't know. I guess it depends on my destination, and how pressing time is. (Sorry, not meant as a cop out, but just as a reality.)
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5-17-2006 @6:03PM gloria stein said... There are far to many coffee shops for me to ever wait in a line. It is hardly worth the effort. If there is a line of any length, then you can color me gone.
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5-17-2006 @6:11PM Mike said... 55 minutes is absolutely insane! I don't even drink coffee but I am an alcoholic and that's about as close to a coffee obsessed person as it gets! I wouldn't wait more than 5 minutes. After that I would go elsewhere.
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5-17-2006 @6:23PM Roberto said... Customer service is so poor these days that lines are a common site. Young employees are poorly trained, if trained at all. I don't blame them so much as I do the employer how is always driven by "Bottom Line". To hell with Customer Service, they want profit, profit, profit. As lond as comsumers stand in line and buy their products, the situation will never improve. Wear comfortable shoes, or stop buying!
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5-17-2006 @6:24PM Kelly said... I don't usually have to wait in line for a cup of coffee but I have to drive 30 miles to the nearest Starbucks for a Mocha.
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5-17-2006 @6:28PM Tammy said... When I am out of my element I will wait.. but here in my town.. a true die hard coffee drinker like me knows where to go and when.. I will say this.. the coffee at McDonalds has improved 100%. I actually prefer it to Starbucks.. My true favorite is my own of course..
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5-17-2006 @6:29PM kathy said... 7-11 has great coffee... and who knows maybe you will get to see a cute construction worker getting his 7-11 fix. Starbucks is over priced and not that great. DD is alot better and cheaper...55 minutes is crazy! My time is to valuable
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5-17-2006 @6:31PM Alysia said... On a break, at a confrence, YES I would wait. What else do you have to do? Stand in line with others if you want to mingle. I'm sure you weren;t the only one there from the confrence. At home, that's a different story. There are about 5 EACH Starbucks & Dunkin Donutswithin 5 miles of my house and some within 60 second walking didstance of each other (and that is not counting the small mom & pop's). No need to wait, then why? I would complain to the Confrence organizers. Shouldn't they be offering coffee to those who attend?
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5-17-2006 @6:40PM Kirsten said... Roger that on Caribou. As to somebody's 55 minute wait? I wouldn't. HELLO: once upon a time people used thermoses. Not a bad idea if you're going into battle, whatever your fray may be : )
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5-17-2006 @6:52PM pamphyila said... Almost an HOUR? If you needed a caffeine fiz - you could have had a diet coke - or take some of the ginseng/kola energy pills or sprays - I schlepp those along with me in such situations, just in case by the time they get to me all the coffee/coke is GONE!
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5-17-2006 @6:54PM Alicia said... I started drinking coffee only in the last few years because I was introducd to those damn flavored creamers! Now I grind my own beans, etc. I enjoy an occasional cup from Caribou Coffee, but Starbucks coffee is not that good and they have terrible business practices! I have a gift card to Starbucks that I got for Christmas that I still haven't used. I barely wait 5 minutes for coffee.... I'm just not a patient person! So I walk away $5.00 richer and 800 calories lighter!
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5-17-2006 @7:09PM Jorgen Burke said... I am retired and way to busy to want to wait for a cup of coffee. I go to a Java City in a Rallys store and get a cup for 63 cents. There is no wait and the coffee is great.
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5-17-2006 @7:15PM John Waterman said... I own a coffee shop,Java California open 24 hours... I-80 and Pitt School road in Dixon California.....if you just want coffee or tea at my place we have it self serve with an honor box, YOU CAN even make your own Change, I trust you...of course I have camera's and I am Sicillian! :-) sorry bout the shameless promotion, but the waiting time is Zero!
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5-17-2006 @7:16PM ann said... I love Starbucks. I have moved around a ton and it seems like every house we buy is right down the street from starbucks. I will not wait long. I usually just come back later. My husband and I think they should have just a line for those of us who just drink a regular cup of coffee, and a different line for people who want a specialty cup. The wait would be much shorter for the true coffee drinkers.
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5-17-2006 @7:21PM Michael o'Neill said... Why would you even wait 5 minutes to pay $5.00 for a coffee isnt there a store like 7-11 or wawa, or Duncan donuts that you could just pay a $1.00
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