What use is Starbucks?

Starbucks. Do you love them or hate them? Do you go there as a matter of course to grab a fix on the go, or do you take your time and enjoy the vibe of that overall Starbucks experience?

For  a long time now I’ve asked myself how they do what they do, how they can draw such big audiences, for this is a theatre isn’t it? It’s not just a coffee shop, we’ve had those for centuries. No, this is coffee as theatre where experience counts.And recently that experience hasn’t been so great and recent revelations about tax management has not helped their cause. I therefore had to smile when I read Catlin Moran in The Times  suggesting we should all wake up and smell the coffee. She too has seen the rise and rise of the street theatres and now has also realised that not even the coffee is good. But she has, as always, an entertaining slant that suggests our love of Starbucks is now predicated on their ubiquity and their availability of toilets. With local amenities closing, Starbucks has stepped in to bridge the gap.

Now I know what Starbucks is for, even though I must confess to already having been there and done that.