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Starbucks vs. local: part two
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Many coffee-lovers prefer locally owned shops such as Badger Brother’s Coffee and Internet Bar. I asked another student from UW-P their take on the matter. He is a fellow coffee fiend and disagrees with the image of Starbucks as “the best coffee shop”.
“I could buy Starbucks Coffee on campus if I preferred. But it’s so industrial. I see the peace and hobby, if you will, of coffee drinking more as a personal activity,” he proclaims, “There’s no way you could find me in their shop. It’s very sad to see small businesses being put under by places like Walmart and Starbucks. We need to support our local business owners and give them the business they deserve!”
At the time, I thought his answer was somewhat deeper than I was looking for and almost seemed like a nonconformist outlook. But that thought would be biased. So I dug a little deeper into my thought process. In a weird way I think he might be right, I thought. And so, my analysis began.
Walking down Platteville Main Street I could see the striped awning that welcomes everyone to stop in. I’m sure I looked a little odd as I approached the door. Of course, I investigated the “door swing/coffee aroma” trick. Then I looked all around me when I entered. The walls were a similar warm color, except instead of a flesh tint they had used a burnt orange color. Already, this seemed a little more personal than Starbucks, and I liked it. I could hear the street ambience of passing cars and talking pedestrians. Inside the shop was the sound of people typing, friends conversing, and the espresso machine hissing like a train engine. On the walls was framed photography and paintings. Upon closer investigation, I noticed it was all local art, mostly students from the University. As I sat in my state of thought, I was served my order: Extra Bold Argentinean Blend with a shot of espresso. Needless to say, it was quite possibly the best blend I’ve ever had.
The argument is still in the air, and we will never really know a true answer. Different people have different outlooks and that is one thing that will never change. Do people buy coffee from Starbucks simply for convenience? In the end, one thing is certain: Coffee will always be coffee, no matter where it's from.
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