Starbucks is coming to downtown Missoula, Montana -- and, of course, there are protests

The concerns are misplaced, says a newspaper editorial. "Those small independent coffee shops and kiosks all over town that Starbucks now threatens? They owe their existence to Starbucks. It was Starbucks that got people to plunk down $2 for a cup of coffee and be glad about it. It the process it launched an entire industry - made up, by the way, largely of little, independently owned espresso shops that took a whole lot of business away from the cafes and restaurants that once did a brisk business with 25-cent cups of drip coffee." (Missoulian)

Comments

[RD]

Well said. That editorial hit the nail on the head, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm going to save it and quote it frequently, because I hear and read so much whining about "neighborhood coffee shops." There weren't any coffee shops in my area until a couple of years after Starbucks opened up in the city. "It was Starbucks that got people to plunk down $2 for a cup of coffee and be glad about it."

[McAuliflower]

Those small independent coffee shops and kiosks all over town that Starbucks now threatens? They owe their existence to Starbucks. ...so Missoula coffee shops have to pay Starbucks tax now? Coffee feudal system? The mocha mob?

[Chris Meisenzahl]

People vote w/ their feet and wallets every day. If enough people prefer the older smaller shops, they'll continue to do well. If more people prefer Starbucks there, that will prosper.

And I agree w/ the comment about Starbucks kicking off this market.

[this space for rent]

This has nothing to do with Missoula's new SBUX, but I need your help, o Web master. I can't seem to find a real 24-hour SBUX in Seattle where we can sit down and have a coffee at any hour of the day or night. Portland, Ore., has one but Seattle does not. Doesn't this just seem wrong and bad?

[TG]

That editorial is awesome. Any protests are flat-out bogus. It's the rare indie coffee shop that knows how to keep its gear clean... nothing worse than stepping into one of those places and seeing an inch of crusted-over milk on the steaming wand.

Seattle's university village Sbux is open 24 hours

[Leigh-Ann]

We had an "indie" coffee shop open near us a few years ago, and we tried to be regular customers because they offered a nice variety of specialty drinks. However, the coffee they used was Illy, pre-ground and from a can, and while it wasn't the most horrible thing I've ever tasted, it wasn't particularly good. The people who owned the shop were very nice and personable, and they had a very marketable business name, a fun logo, etc., but they just knew nothing about coffee. They stocked a local brand of whole beans in a variety of roasts, but it was obvious that they'd never tried the beans themselves, and they had trouble making recommendations. They were smart and branched out to include "bubble tea/boba tea" on their menu (the only store in our part of town to offer it), but they made no secret of the fact they thought the drink was "weird". When we'd order a bubble tea drink, it wouldn't be unusual for the person working to make a comment like, "You really like that slimy tapioca?"

Starbucks isn't perfect, but I've always had the impression that the majority of the employees I encounter drink the product, enjoy the product, and can discuss the product. The fact they're good and consistent at what they do is one of the major factors which keeps them in business, when smaller shops are going out of business.