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For a long time, I avoided Starbucks because they charged for wifi, but this year with their card, I can get free wifi and free refills. I actually end up patr

For a long time, I avoided Starbucks because they charged for wifi, but this year with their card, I can get free wifi and free refills. I actually end up patronizing Starbucks more because, unlike the local places, I can be a horrible customer and only buy one $1.50 brewed coffee and stay a long time. When I go to a decent local cafe, I end up buying a lot more because I want them to stay in business (or because they're snooty and insist on it), but if Starbucks goes out of business, I don't care. Kind of weird how that works.

lg 16y ago
This is something that surprised me when I went to Spain and ate almost every meal in tiny family-owned restaurants. Rather than appreciate the closeness between owner and customer, I ended up just feeling awkward a lot (the owner/host would sometimes scold me for not ordering enough food) and I missed my old faceless American conglomerates, with their multiple layers of indirection between the shareholders and me.
kqr2 16y ago
It will be interesting to see what kind of impact this has on independent coffee shops and cafes. People who typically spend $5-10 might migrate to Starbucks now. For me, I also end up spending more at a local coffee shop since I also feel a little guilty if I don't leave something in the tip jar.