"Starbucks is the best thing that ever happened to coffee", according to the owner of one small coffee shop in Seattle.
At first, such a remark seems strange, coming from someone who should be, by most popular accounts, concerned about being driven out of business by the coffee giant. Yet this is not the case, as he goes on to explain that Starbucks "pioneered the idea of paying up to $5 for a cup" of specialty coffee, a concept that would have run most coffee shops out of business years ago, as people were used to paying much less. The chain also raised general coffee awareness, which allowed smaller shops to thrive in even Starbucks-dense areas by promoting artisanal coffees and providing a neighborhood alternative, which many consumers appreciated. Indeed, at some coffee shops, almost all of the customers are "regulars."
Starbucks spokespeople say that they do nothing to discourage competitors, a position which is supported by the fact that many businesses thrive only doors down from the corporate cafes. The loss of some shops would indicate a process or natural selection, with interest in a perhaps low-quality product waning as the standards of the area increase. The shops that succeed make good coffee, often offer it at prices similar to Starbucks, and "a selling point of being small," something that they couldn't do without coffee giant.
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