McDonalds is now offering the "linger zone" in some of its stores where it will be similiar to a Starbucks environment with couches and Wi-Fi. At my local McDonalds, a large cup of coffee is only $1.71. For a few dollars extra you can get a sausage biscuit and hash browns. The temperature is just right and you can tell them how many sugars, how many creams...I believe some stores now offer flavored coffee. I saw "bold" flavors in some stores. I have not seen any "linger zones" in my area, but I would gladly switch over to the McDonalds if the area was redesigned to be more of a welcome atmosphere. Another plus about McDonalds coffee is that they are very fast. Waiting in the line at the local jam packed Starbucks is so time consuming. The taste of Starbucks coffee is inline with what I can find at the local gas station. Mediocre. Dunkin Donuts has the best coffee (expensive though). McDonalds is better then Starbucks, but only slightly behind Dunkin Donuts.
I just discover at Moe southwestern grill, a slurpee 16 oz of margarita cost 3.99, now that's a bargain http://www.moes.com/locations.aspx
At this rate a large cup of coffee in Starbucks will surpass a good bottle of fine wine. I guess if you get your coffee and hang out a bit to socialize it's ok but if you drop by, wait in line, get coffee and jet without even using their WIFI services or taking a nasty dump in their bathrooms (assuming they are clean) then I must say it can't be the taste alone, perhaps the person at the cashier's is cute
There is another thread just now about the minimum wage. It seems these two threads go together. When the minimum wage goes up companies that depend on people in that wage category have two choices: do with less help or raise prices. It's a profit deal. If you had a business and your costs were going up what would you do?
Tim Hortons has the best coffee. Never quite understood the demand for Starbucks coffee. It's sub-par in taste and quality. I'm assuming people are paying for the ostentatious surroundings and snooty sales people.
all this tells me is that we are starting to smell the coffee, starbux is probably a great short here. Has plateau'd.