New West Network

The world is full of Starbucks and the number increases rapidly the farther you get from Missoula MT

By anniegalen, New West Unfiltered 3-15-05

Sigh...I give up.
Although I knew it was ultimately inevitable, I was outraged when I heard that Starbucks was planning an invasion of my most favorite of all towns, home of my alma mater, Missoula Montana.
Yes, I was outraged, and I felt compelled to tell you all that I was, and explain why. But when it came down to it and after much thought, I realized that I don't have a real solid, knock-out reason why the thought of a Starbucks in Downtown Missoula offends me. It began to sink in that my Raving Objections to Starbucks are as futile now as they were to cell phones a year ago (I now own a cell phone and use it just as obnoxiously as anyone). Sigh...
My issues with Starbucks are pretty standard really. Starbucks perpetuates the homoginization of American Culture. Starbucks is really expensive and doesn't use Fair Trade coffee. At least not as much as it should. Starbucks is successfull because it is maddeningly ubiquitous, thus taking business away from locally owned places(there is usually a Starbucks across the street, and it is usually at least five blocks to your locally owned coffed shop - and your late). And then, on a more personal level, I guess I feel like there is something about a good coffee shop, more so than other businesses, that seems inimatable - its essence is beyond reproduction and indeede looses its greatness if an attempt at reproducion is made. Starbucks has tried to do, and has obviously succeeded in doing just that... but where is the soul? And, well, thats all I've got. I don't have any specific reasons why there shouldn't be a Starbucks in Missoula. I'm not really worried about Starbucks putting other local coffee shops out of business - Missoulians are nothing if not loyal to there favorite places. I guess it was just nice to be able to walk down the street without seeing that damn glaring green sign, screaming that it's corperate crusade had successfully claimed my downtown too.
And so, Starbucks, you win. I most certainly wont patronize you, in Missoula or elsewhere, but I guess you have a right to exist just like other businesses, and I'm simply tired of caring. This is my last public tirade against you, I'm keeping my mouth shut from now on. 'Sides, your coffee can't even dream of being as good as Bernices'...

Thank you for you time,
Annie Rentz