by Karen My

Created on: November 13, 2009

Most people start their day out with a fresh cup of java. But chances are they don't spend much time in the morning, before leaving for work or school, to prepare a home brewed cup of coffee in a standard automatic drip coffee maker. Most Americans probably spend ridiculous amounts of money on a poorly brewed shot of espresso mixed with too much milk and ungodly amounts of their favorite flavored syrup. But where do they get this sugary caffeinated concoction? Often enough it is not from the quaint bakery and coffee shop that they pass each morning on their way to work, it is instead a case of them waiting in line for 20 minutes at the store that spends millions of dollars on advertising to bring people in the door. I myself am not innocent of this crime either! I have been known to stop into Starbucks from time to time to enjoy a caramel macchiato. What is it that lures so many people to the same, undeserving location? Why has Starbucks become the standard for coffee destinations?

Most people aren't coffee connoisseurs and wouldn't know a good cup of coffee if it hit them in the face. In fact, the most expensive and best tasting cup of joe made is brewed from beans that have been digested by a cat like animal that lives in the very trees which produce coffee beans. The ironic thing is that most people aren't willing to drink coffee made from crap and yet they will drink coffee that tastes like crap; poured by poorly trained baristas that probably couldn't explain the difference between a cappuccino and a latte. Starbucks coffee isn't the worst in the world, but it's definitely not the best and is hardly worth the four bucks that is spent for a medium beverage. Even though I don't like venturing into these popular coffee chain locations, I still do it from time to time. Why? Because it's convenient, there is one in nearly every supermarket. Almost every Barnes and Noble has a Starbucks location inside. There is one on practically every other street corner in most cities. There are over ten thousand Starbucks locations in the US alone. The company has also begun to spread into Canada and Japan. Convenience is a factor in almost everything Americans do these days. With Starbucks being so accessible, it is simply not as convenient for a person to make his own cup of coffee at home.

Starbucks offers more than just the convenience of location. Their menu is constantly growing to add room for not only coffee and pastries but hot breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, bottled

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