October 5, 2007
As you've probably surmised, I've spent most of the week at the hospital with my nine-year-old son.
We've been at one of the premier university hospitals in the US, and it's got everything imaginable to keep a kid comfortable and entertained during his/her stay. They bring activities to the bedside–painting, crafts, video games, movies, books, etc.
And for mom and dad, there are chairs that turn into beds and long (and some not-so-long) couches for sleeping. A great food court/cafeteria with almost anything you could imagine. And, as they proudly told me, a Starbuck's.
Now, I'm not a coffee drinker. Never have been, can't see that I ever would be. (Although I do like the smell of freshly-ground beans. Mmmm.)
So I just don't get the Starbuck's thing. What is it? Is the coffee that good? That much better than McDonald's new McCafe stuff, or all the other coffee shops everywhere? Someone explain it to this coffee-ignorant person.
And even if I would have been a Starbuck's fan, I think that I would have changed my mind after a friend of mine related this incident to me.
True story, according to my friend Jane:
My friend–I'll call her Jane–does a lot of business traveling, mostly to NYC and Seattle. She's an attractive (in a down-to-earth, professional way–not a brittle way), very self-assured woman in her late forties, single, and confident.
Some time ago, she was in NYC for business, and as she often does, she eats dinner in the hotel restaurant alone. Afterward, she went into the bar to have a glass of wine. She's single, but in a relationship, and wasn't in there trolling for men…but an attractive man about her age was sitting at the bar and so they struck up a conversation.
When the man left, another well-dressed, attractive man–I'll call him Dick–who had been sitting nearby and had overheard their conversation began to talk with Jane.
They had lots in common–both traveled a lot to NYC, and he was from Seattle, so she was familiar with that area as well. They were both in sales, or as he put it, business development. It was a nice conversation, but that was all it was. He was married with two children, and as I said, Jane was otherwise involved.
But when Jane finished up her wine and stood to leave, and Dick said, "Would you like some company? You could come up to my room for a bit."
Jane replied politely, "No thank you." And she left.
She went upstairs and got off the elevator by her room, and as she was approaching her room door, key in hand, Dick stepped off another elevator behind her. (I'm guessing he saw her room number on her bar tab; but I'm not sure.)
"Hi," he said. "Are you sure you don't want some company for a bit?"
Jane–who, as I said, is very self-assured and confident–looked at him. She was standing at the room door, ready to open it. "If you don't leave right now, I'm going to make so much noise–and I'm going to hurt you."
"Okay, okay, okay," he said, backing away, hands in front. He got in the elevator and left.
Can you believe this? Married guy, two kids, meets a friendly, intelligent woman and immediately assumes she's going to jump in bed with him.
So here's the punch line: two weeks later, Jane's at home, watching the morning news, and a very high-level executive of Starbuck's is being interviewed on TV.
And this very high-level executive of Starbuck's, the married guy with two kids who travels between Seattle and NYC, who followed my friend up to her hotel room after she told him NO, is none other than Dick.
Dick.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Geez! People are so strange!
I’ve never gotten the whole coffee thing either. I’ve tried it every way imaginable and simply do not like the taste. Just give me my Diet Coke and leave me alone. *g*
October 5th, 2007 at 10:57 am
OMG. What a crazy story. Dick is right!
October 5th, 2007 at 11:21 am
I’m not a coffee drinker — although I love the smell of it.
As for this story, I hope it gets widespread attention before the lawyers see it. Not to smear the guy, who might be a very nice man, so much as to remind him that he’s a public figure, like it or not, and that his actions reflect on his company. Even on his own personal time.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
*coughs and raises hand* I’m a Starbucks drinker (sadly trapped in the land of Dunkin Donuts *sob*). I don’t usually drink there because it’s expensive — much cheaper to buy the beans at the grocery and make it at home — but I do get their “toffee nut latte” every so often as a treat. *grins*
As for your friend’s story, well, I don’t really associate the head of a company with the company itself (unless it’s like a mom and pop shop, but that’s different). There are assholes everywhere.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I drink Starbucks…not that I’m supposed to have coffee anymore, but I do. It has a richer coffee taste than some of the other brands. I happen to like it. I’ll drink the other stuff though.
Coffee is more of a treat for me now than anything else. That’s how I can justify Starbucks.
And as for Dick…even CEO’s are jerks. I hope they get rid of him.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Starbucks…hm…before I learned what good coffee was I thought Starbucks was great, but now that I am a true connesseiur I can say it is not all it’s cracked up to be. I like fancy drinks once in a while, so they’re ok for that, but if I want a good house coffee (which is my ususal) I don’t go to Starbucks. I like Espresso Royale’s House blend the best for chains and try to stick with independent coffee shops to get a truly good cup of house blend. Though indie shops aren’t always the best for fancy drinks.
And as far as this “Dick” fellow goes…when you have a lot of money and/or are in a position of power it’s obviously shocking to hear the word NO for once.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Oh, I can TOTALLY believe it. After all, I worked on an AF base for almost 15 years. The things you see!
Colleen…did you see the pic of your second book on some driftwood in St. John?
October 5th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
He was definitely aptly named!
I love coffee but am fine with a home brew!
And now my mother’s in the hospital…hope this isn’t a trend…
October 5th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I love coffee! but I don’t like Starbuck’s. They are bitter. I do like a good home brew though. I’m addicted to the warm caress on my throat, the smell reminds me of mornings with my grandmother and the caffeine rush seems to be faster and more powerful than soda.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Not a coffee drinker, but I can certainly relate to the comfort that others get from it and from places like Starbucks.
Um…so, everything is okay??!?! I hope. You and yours are in my families prayers.
October 5th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Yes, Starbucks is that good. I just asked my mom if she could stop off and get me a Peppermint Mocha Frappcuino while she’s out. I love those things. I didn’t use to be a coffee drinker, but in the mornings, when I’m at work, I get so tired that I just decided to try a cup one day. Now I’m hooked and Starbucks is my favorite. And while the president of the company may be a jerk, it has no bearing at all on the goodness of the coffee. LOL.
October 5th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Err, that should be Frappuccino. LOL.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Ahhhhh, Starbucks, mmmmmmm… what was the question? Oh yes. Dick’s well, a dick, BUT Starbuck’s is good coffee. It’ll be interesting to see if they contact you to “change” your story.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Oops! Dick goofed big time, didn’t he. Colleen, I hope that all is well with your son.
October 6th, 2007 at 11:25 am
I drink my coffee black, straight up with none of the fancy stuff in it. I agree with Cosmic Kid that Espresso Royale House Blend is the best stuff out there, but Starbucks isn’t bad, either. There’s something about that green symbol on the white paper coffee cup that just makes me happy. Sick, I know.
As for Dick and Jane…kind of scary for Jane. She handled that exactly right. Interesting that Dick never said who he was during their conversation about their work.
October 7th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
It’s not so much that Starbucks coffee is fantastic. There are independent roasters who offer a far superior coffee, though it is several times better than grocery store coffee beans, which are several times better than anything in a can or *shudder* instant.
What Starbucks delivers is accessibility. In places like Grand Prairie, TX, where I live, the only local independent coffee houses are “hobby businesses” and close at three, or are overrun by students. Starbucks is open til 10 at least on weekdays, midnight on weekends, and while they don’t discourage lingering, it’s a different mix of people.
Also, their product is consistent. A mocha is a mocha whether you’re in Portland or Peoria, and their bathrooms are always clean, their staff is polite, and if something’s wrong, they fix it.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:22 am
I see what you mean–part of it is consistency. You know what you’re getting.
Is part of it also the whole brand-name becomes the generic? Like, I might say I need a Kleenex, but I don’t really care what brand of tissue I get as long as I get one?
So people say, “I need a Starbuck’s” but really just need/want a coffee or latte or something?
Veddy interesting.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:25 am
i AM a coffee drinker and i don’t get the starbucks thing. i always think people are talking about the battlestar galactica character.