The recent news that Starbucks is closing 600 under-performing stores, and the thread about that news in the Roadfood.com Forums, got us thinking about how much we dislike chains, and yet how much we like Starbucks. We recently got back from a 10 day trip to the Denver area. We must have visited a Starbucks about once or twice a day while we were there. Yes, even though there were plenty of good independent coffee shops to be found. Here's why, in decreasing order of importance:
1) Outside of the New York area, it's the only place you can count on finding a copy of The New York Times. Other than the big bookstore chains, everywhere else is hit or miss.
2) The bathrooms. Available without buying anything, clean and private. If we’re in the car, we just use the GPS to search for the nearest Starbucks.
3) Good breakfast places often have lousy coffee (this was common in Denver). When that happens, we make a quick post-breakfast stop at Starbucks for the real thing. The Pike Place blend is a compromise but they often have something stronger on tap too. We have to admit we love the coffee.
4) Late afternoons we often recharge with either an Arnold Palmer or a Coffee Frappuccino. They just taste good and are incredibly refreshing.
All that despite the fact that we hate chains.