Starbucks is increasing their prices.

I don't think that I've ever given them a dime of business. If I did, I was purchasing something for someone else. I don't even drink coffee. As I've noted in the past, if I were the market, there would be no Starbucks (and the economies of several tropical countries would be devastated).

A lot of Freepers seem to agree. Even the coffee drinkers. I like this proposal:

We need a $10 federal excise tax on Starbucks’ lattes to pay for children’s health care. The primary payers of this will be liberals.

OK, I don't really agree (if I did, I'd be hypocritical, because I oppose all such targeted taxes, particularly federal ones), but I can sympathize with the sentiment.

Neil Cavuto on FOX this afternoon said this will raise the average cost of a cup of coffee at Starbucks to $200.00

I laughed, but I've never even been IN a Starbucks, so...how close is he?

May I recommend:
http://www.rangercoffee.com/shop.htm

Starbucks has some fine products but they are quickly pricing themselves out of my range. If I didn't have a friend that manages one of their stores I would probably never try it. I have spent as much as $4+ on a large(venti) latte since I always get at least one extra shot of espresso.

I drink the occasional overpriced coffee drink at Starbucks. But I'm not passionately attached to them. I'd much rather we had as many inexpensive diners that sold real meals as well as cheap but good coffee, but as long as enough people are willing to shell out four dollars a pop for a "brand" then we'll have places like Starbucks.

Actually, Panera has better coffee. And they serve sandwiches, soup, pastries, and sell all kinds of bread. Still overpriced but more bang for your four bucks. But what I really miss are the Cuban cafes in Miami. I don't believe that anything like them exists in any other city in the US. There are tons of them, on street corners and in blank little strip shopping centers. They always have a counter inside with stools, and always a window to the outside where you can get fried things and cold (free) water from a cooler, to drink out of a cone-shaped paper cup, and of course Cuban coffee, which Robin Williams (and he should know) described as "liquid crack." I don't think they have any of these places where you live in Boca -- they start to get pretty scarce above Flagler Street and east of Hialeah, and I don't recall any at all in the Broward County area. Though there was a Lester's Diner in Ft. Lauderdale.

I think you folks are missing the point of Starbucks, and the key to their success. It's not the coffee, it's the ambiance. My morning ritual involves a venti Americano and a campout in the comfy chair for an hour or two. No one hassles me. In an ordinary restaurant, one is constantly bombarded with "Can I get you anything else?" "Here's your check." "Thanks for coming!" "Let me know if there is anything else I can get you." "Are you SURE there is nothing else I can get you?"

It's a social thing. One can sit and surf and watch people. Many, many people.

And in today's America, there are darn few public places where one can feel comfortably at ease, sit and chat, or just sit and read, with refreshments just a step away, real music (at comfortable volumes) to listen to, and an interesting cross section of folks to watch.

And no, dammit, I am not a liberal!

Regards
BBB

+1 on the Cuban coffee.

I always disliked coffee until I tried this stuff.

The ambiance of the cafes is very pleasant, as well.

The proof of this pudding is Wall Street. How has Starbucks been doing, stock price wise?

At the end of the day THAT is what matters concerning whether they have a viable business model.

After 30 seconds of google, it looks like Starbucks grossed $8.5 billion in revenue last year with a net net profit just under $1 billion.

If I am correct, here, those financials would beat the snot out of any New Space company, right?

Betcha they don't miss Rand's $2.50 per day although its those $7 milkshake drinks that make 'em the real money.

Ah, but if Starbucks started buying rocket rides to sell "Space Coffee", you all might change your tune. You might think that is crazy but people buy coffee that has been shat out by bats. One could roast coffee in zero G and market it as "buoyant" in flavor.

I hope none of you ever experience 'Tim Hortons' in Canada. Surprisingly, annoyingly addictive, and (relatively) reasonably priced. There is almost surely something else mixed in.

[i]I laughed, but I've never even been IN a Starbucks, so...how close is he?[/i]

A large (I refuse to say venti, our national language is english) flat white used to be $0.20US back in 2002. $4.00US now.

Gah, my mind's all UBB code today.

Completely agree with bbbeard. I go to Starbucks almost every day, mostly to sit and read, because it is one of few places I feel completely relaxed. Coffee is almost a detail. Although I find Starbucks coffee quite good. Much better, IMO than Dunking Donuts.

I don't often go to Starbuck's for two reasons:

First (most important), they don't have free wireless. Every other coffeeshop, even grungy dives run by hippies who don't believe in electric lighting nevertheless have free wireless. But at Starbuck's, you have to pay for it. And their stores are carefully designed to have no accessible electrical outlets for those of us who want to do some laptop work. Which suggests that the "ambiance" is crafted to make it _look_ like a good place to linger and sip your coffee, but actually move you out the door as efficiently as a McDonald's.

Second, I grew up drinking coffee in New Orleans, so the whole Seattle-style burned-roast leaves me unimpressed.

I guess depends on where you are. Starbucks in Massachusetts have plenty of electric outlets, and AFAIK, wireless is free. I say "AFAIK" because I do not use wireless, and very rarely bring a laptop to Starbucks at all. But plenty of other people do, and I see them working, sometimes for hours.

It's my experience that Starbucks is often cheaper than a local non-chain espresso joint (and comparable to the other chains like Tully's).

Josh: Cats, not bats, and very few people actually do buy that. (And it's been cleaned and roasted since the eating and pooping, anyway.)

Ilya: oh no, Dunkin' Donuts coffee is much better, and cheaper -- their straight coffee anyway, I've never tried their limited repertoire of special coffee drinks. But their stores are usually dirty, or at least lacking in "atmosphere," though they get the job done. But no wireless at all.

Panera's, however, has free wireless. And a small place near me called It's A Grind has free wireless and it's also quiet to boot (if you don't count the piped in music without which no emporium in the land is apparently complete).

Andrea --

It's a matter of taste -- I always detested Dunkin Donuts coffee, but know that other people don't. And I agree that Panera has better coffee than either Starbucks or DD, but none are conveniently placed for me. Also, two Panera shops I know of have too much light and noise for my... taste :) And, as I said already, the presence of wireless is irrelevant to me.

well seattle best jumped 20 cents last year, and was quite disapointed.