Agreed... I travel heavily as well, and I can't think of any trip recently that did not include a Starbucks visit (FWIW, Panera is my other go-to). I know wha

Agreed... I travel heavily as well, and I can't think of any trip recently that did not include a Starbucks visit (FWIW, Panera is my other go-to). I know what I'm going to get (and not get) when I go there, and the last thing I need on the road is more random variables. When I am at home, I stop in every day at a local small coffee shop that imports their own beans, roasts them, etc. The coffee is WAY better than anything at Starbucks. But independent places can be very hit or miss (as you note). I wouldn't go to an independent coffee shop on the road unless it came highly recommended by someone local. I don't go to Starbucks because it's the best possible cup, I go there because it's the best possible consistent experience.