So long, Starbucks

I will admit to being thrilled when it was announced that a Starbucks would be opening in town.

But also a little puzzled.

Starbucks? Here?
And the location, although quite convenient for me (between my house and town) was questionable -- almost 2 miles from the interstate.
I will also admit to totally buying into the Starbucks hype.
I would go every day if I wasn't so cheap.

I almost always get the same thing -- venti latte non-fat. Or in the summer, an iced passion tea, unsweet. I usually take a coffee to Knit Night, parish council meetings, etc. Last Christmas, I received 6 Starbucks gift cards -- it was a great Christmas. The store is a good place to tutor, knit and talk.

And now, it's on the closure list.

I am sorry for the friends who work there; the company has said they will try to place workers at other shops, but the closest is 2o miles away in Columbus (where there are 3!), and with gas at $4.00, I wonder if many of them will jump at the chance.

So I will miss our Starbucks. But I won't miss the guilt of buying a $3.85 cup of delicious but non-fair trade coffee (only 6% of the coffee they buy is fair trade -- not quite enough to hang your fair trade hat on, which they try to do).

Starbucks will go back to being an on-the-road, once-in-awhile treat, and I can brew coffee, make passion tea, listen to soft jazz and bake cookies with those little M&M's at home.

Peace.

PS - Dear Starbucks, even my arch enemy Wal-Mart sells fair trade coffee now.