In the early 1980s, Howard Schultz, a new employee to the Starbucks Coffee Company, visited Milan on a buying trip for good coffee beans. Walking the streets of Milan, he was struck by the
Anyone who has spent more than a few days driving the streets of the United States-- or of most other countries--recognizes the black-and-white Starbucks Siren, surrounded by her bright green moat. It is true that Schultz and crew have realized Schultz's original vision. There is, as some say, truly "a Starbucks on every corner." Some might see this as coffee house overload, as a corporate street-washing, but these coffee companies are providing a valuable service to each neighborhood that has one. Every neighborhood needs a local coffee shop.
Coffee shops offer neutral ground. Because life
Most coffee shops have a variety of food and beverage options. Starbucks has a range of espresso drinks: frozen, iced, and hot, a range of tea drinks, and smoothies and other coffee-free options. In the last few years, the company has even expanded its food offerings, including warmed sandwiches and breakfast wraps. There is something for everyone at most coffee shops.
Most important of all, coffee shops can serve as the modern community center. In ancient times, settlements were built around the temple, the cathedral, or the church. Often, the monks, priests, and clergy would also serve as the teachers, lawyers, and doctors of the villages. In today's more secular society, coffee houses are a natural "town center." An emerging dominant philosophy of valuing all equally finds its freedom in a place where nothing reigns but the freshest brew.
Though to some, the
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