In advance, I would like to point out that I, myself, am a coffee addict. Not only that, I am a Starbucks coffee addict. From the title of this article, that seems very contradictory. The truth is, I love the feeling of the warm paper cup in my hand while I am walking to work or class. I love sorting through the brightly colored, decorative thermoses and mugs that are sold in-store, picturing how cute they would look paired with my bright spring clutch during summer or my warmest PJs come winter time. I love the sense of accomplishment when a new “star” is added to my Starbucks app after every purchase. Even better, I love the sense of excitement when I receive the alert that a free drink or food item is awaiting me during my next visit. I feel a sense of pride when I pull out my Starbucks Gold Card. I am that friend that sends you Starbucks e-gift cards for every tiny success or dreary day.
Lets take a step back and put this into perspective. Broke college students, like myself and other caffeine-crazy individuals, are paying over two dollars for overly bitter cups of coffee. Worse, we pay five dollars for a milk shake we try to pull off as coffee. We ingest a day’s worth of sugar and calories to walk around holding the iconic white (or red) cup filled with a drink containing more whipped cream than coffee beans. For what, a gold star? Congratulations, you have just spent half of your hourly wage on a beverage.
Starbucks has us held in on a tight set of reins. They are there at your nearest convenience, frequenting most street corners, shopping centers, airports, and even work places. Prefer to enjoy your coffee at home? Starbucks makes their coffee grounds available for your standard coffee pot, Keurig, or your own Verismo. You can even enjoy your coffee in the oh-so-trendy Starbucks mugs that are released every season. In a hurry? More recently, Starbucks has added Mobile Order and drive-thru options to most of their stores. Their rewards program has even added a devilish sense of accomplishment to every purchase: once you reach the gold level, help yourself to a free any size drink or food item after 12 purchases.
The problem with Starbucks is that we drink it for the status. Starbucks makes your everyday coffee run sound like a luxury. Their overworked and underpaid employees behind the counter are baristas. Their sizes aren’t your standard small, medium, large but Tall, Grande, and Venti. Their rewards program offers you a sparkly, attention-grabbing Gold Card to advertise your elite status. Their cups aren’t made out of plain, white Styrofoam but of stylish, polished cardboard that they know will look good sitting next to your laptop. You’re not just holding a cup of coffee, you’re holding a Starbucks.
Think about what you’re doing while you order your next iced, non-fat caramel macchiato. Is the status of the Starbucks logo truly worth the price? Are their low-grade, over-roasted coffee beans actually better than the grounds served at your local coffee shop?
I’ll let you ponder that, my Venti latte is getting cold.
