# Starbucks isn't worth it any more (and the company is getting \[already?\] evil) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [June 3, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645 "2022-06-03T20:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/121 "2022-06-10T15:31:28Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > I’m sure this phenomenon has been studied by sociologists and given smarty-pants names, but there’s definitely a herd mentality of “I want to go to the place with the line; they must be good!” If you ask around, nobody really goes there. It’s just too crowded. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/122 "2022-06-10T16:41:31Z")
Starbucks is not in the business of selling coffee. They sell chocolate milk, to which some customers add coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/123 "2022-06-10T17:01:14Z")
I knew it was a scam by the Dairy Mafia! Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/124 "2022-06-10T17:45:01Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > Starbucks is not in the business of selling coffee. They sell chocolate milk, to which some customers add coffee. It’s true that they sell a lot more milk than they sell coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/125 "2022-06-10T17:53:04Z")
Drinking coffee increases both longevity and life satisfaction. If you are going to pay too much for a drink it is a good choice. Is it worth it? If it was worth it in the past, it probably is worth it in the present. If it was never worth it, find another place to make silk purses. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/126 "2022-06-10T18:01:18Z")
This reads almost like a Tantric homily or the poetry of Frank O’Hara, but I’m still not joining your milk & sugar cult. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/127 "2022-06-10T18:05:11Z")
You’re smarter than you look. But in a study I just made up, coffee increases life satisfaction by thirty percent. Of course, you could make your own or go to a place which actually serves delicious coffee. Fortunately there are now many such independent places, even in small towns. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/128 "2022-06-10T18:16:42Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > You’re smarter than you look. Wait…how smart do I look? [![](https://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Dumb-Dumber-To-Jeff-Daniels-Interview.jpg) ](https://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Dumb-Dumber-To-Jeff-Daniels-Interview.jpg) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/129 "2022-06-10T18:37:59Z")
It varies by location and clientele, but in my experience, Starbucks sells plenty of drip. I can’t find the stats I did a number of years ago where it was the most popular item (among many items, though, so I don’t remember actual percentage) , but I did find this Reddit thread where baristas chime in, some reporting in their locations, morning orders are 50-90% regular drip. Others are in locations where it’s more like20%. I only order drip there and I see plenty of it being sold. > **[r/starbucks - How often do people come in to Starbucks to order a basic cup...](https://www.reddit.com/r/starbucks/comments/67a8sr/how_often_do_people_come_in_to_starbucks_to_order/)** > > 8 votes and 15 comments so far on Reddit ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/130 "2022-06-10T20:08:38Z")
I don’t buy coffee much but sometimes wind up at Starbucks. I find even the lightest roast still a bit too dark but tolerable. What really really takes me by surprise is how wired I get after a cup. I drink 2-5 cups a day during the week at work so it’s not like I hardly consume caffeine but theirs can make my heart race. There is a standalone store in the outlot of a stripmall near me that seems to always have a line for the drive-thru. It might be 8 or 10 cars deep at 7pm. It seems nuts to me, I’m never going to wait in a line like that for a coffee. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/131 "2022-06-10T20:19:17Z")
[quote=“Stranger\_On\_A\_Train, post:128, topic:965645”] Wait…how smart do I look? So _that’s_ where Boris Johnson got his inspiration! ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/132 "2022-06-10T20:58:16Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > > [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > > > I’m sure this phenomenon has been studied by sociologists and given smarty-pants names, but there’s definitely a herd mentality of “I want to go to the place with the line; they must be good!” > > It’s more likely just convenience and familiarity. They know exactly what to expect from Starbucks, and they are everywhere. They get consistency of experience, service, price, and product. That’s exactly what makes the franchising model so successful. They don’t have to ever wonder what to expect when going into an unfamiliar place. Yes, similar with Chick-Fil-A. You generally get very good customer service and they don’t mess up your order. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/133 "2022-06-10T23:15:50Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > No. Folgers was not good. No grocery store coffee was ever good. I don’t know whether Folgers is selling fresh roasted whole beans now, but in the United States, if you were buying coffee grounds from a store, you were not getting good coffee. In other words, you’re a coffee snob. I assure you that any NORMAL person realizes that Folgers, Maxwell House, etc. make good coffee. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/134 "2022-06-11T00:19:34Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > I assure you that any NORMAL person realizes that Folgers, Maxwell House, etc. make good coffee. “Bad” and “good” are obviously subjective. My boss makes a pot of Folgers every day. The rest of us drink Peet’s. I can smell the instant I walk in the door which one has just brewed. The Folgers smells and tastes awful to me. There’s no snobbery involved in not liking the taste, any more than it’s snobbery to dislike the taste of _all_ coffee. Maybe you don’t smell or taste the same things I do. A friend of mine thinks beets taste like dirt. That doesn’t make him a snob. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/135 "2022-06-11T00:32:29Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > There’s no snobbery involved in not liking the taste, any more than it’s snobbery to dislike the taste of _all_ coffee. Maybe you don’t smell or taste the same things I do. A friend of mine thinks beets taste like dirt. That doesn’t make him a snob. But does your friend say that beets are _not good_? That’s different than saying you don’t like them. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/136 "2022-06-11T00:37:17Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > But does your friend say that beets are _not good_ ? That’s different than saying you don’t like them Agreed. Acsenray should have realized that. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/137 "2022-06-11T00:43:03Z")
You know, I’da been happy with a cup of Taster’s Choice. And you go springing this _gourmet_ sh\*t on us! ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/138 "2022-06-11T00:47:59Z")
Admit it, you just drink it because of the commercials: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wBsO22fsSLg/maxresdefault.jpg "Taster's Choice Coffee "Taster's Choice Couple" Commercial - 1992") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBsO22fsSLg) I hope you aren’t that creep who uses a peculiar obsession with instant coffee to scam your way into a woman’s apartment and then refuse to leave. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/139 "2022-06-11T00:55:02Z")
My father-in-law, may he Rest In Peace, made me a cup of instant coffee every morning when we would visit with them. I don’t know how he did it, but it was delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2022, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645/140 "2022-06-11T01:03:14Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > > > But does your friend say that beets are _not good_ ? That’s different than saying you don’t like them > > Agreed. Acsenray should have realized that. Grocery store coffee is just bad. That’s a fact. Any coffee that has been roasted and ground god knows when and has been sitting on shelves somewhere is stale coffee. It’s impossible to get a good cup of coffee from that. It’s not snobbery. It’s just tasting different things and paying attention to the taste and using your senses to compare. It’s no different from listening to lots of musicians playing and being able to tell good from bad. (Unless they can tell you the origin of the coffee, when and how it was roasted, and grind it fresh for you, which if that happens, then that’s specialty coffee anyway.) The comparison between fresh coffee and stale grocery store coffee is not the difference between preferring EDM over reggae. It’s the difference between preferring someone who can actually make good music and a cat walking on a piano. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-isnt-worth-it-any-more-and-the-company-is-getting-already-evil/965645.md?page=8)