"StarbucksGossip" news and stories

I know, I know, I know, many of you are going to say in the comments, "when was it ever cool?"

Writer Douglas Brown at The Denver Post has a story about the incredible expansion the coffee shop chain is going through, with a goal of 40,000 stores (they have 20,000 right now). He calls it the "Growth-Into-Plague," the Krispy Kreme model, where they open so many stores that they are everywhere and they are overexposed and become, as Brown says, "uncool" and "repugnant."

I understand what he's saying. Businesses seem to want to push their dominance to the extreme, and I wonder if customers - even if they are diehard fans - will just get sick of it. I'm not a hardcore Starbucks fan. When I lived in the city and I had a Starbucks a two minute walk away, I did go there a lot (I was addicted to the mocha frappuccinos), but now that I have to drive to go to one, I don't seek it out, even if I do drive past one on my way to Borders.

Readers?

[via Starbucks Gossip]

On Wednesday, March 15th, Starbucks will host a nation-wide coffee break. At stores across America, from 10am to noon, Starbucks baristas will be giving out free tall cups of freshly brewed coffee. There will also be coffee-experts on hand to answer questions about the coffee itself or the brewing process, as well as any questions about brewing at home or the specialty drinks on the menu. For reference, the "tall" cup size is 12-ounces and the drink served will be black coffee, not lattes, though the condiment bar will be available for those who take cream and sugar.

Source