Ahhhh Starbucks...

I probably get more criticism about my fondness (read: obsession) with Starbucks more than anything else. Believe me there is lots of other things about me more prone to criticism. There are two primary issues I get hit on.

First issue is the price. The simple argument is "You get what you pay for" which covers 2 things. First, when I pay $3.83 for my Vanilla Latte I am getting a beverage that is made with real espresso and real milk. Tim Horton's will charge you half the price for one of their French Vanilla Cappuccinos but you are getting a powder reconstituted in water. The actual products simply cannot be compared if you ask me. Second thing I personally am paying for when I get my Latte is the atmosphere at my Starbucks. My Lattes are often accompanied by up to 2 hours of sitting in their front window tables watching people, reading, surfing the internet, and as right now, blogging. With a registered Starbucks card (which is simply a reloadable gift card and therefore free) I get 2 hours of free wireless internet per day. I don't seem to ever read at home so the pile of books would never go down if I didn't come here. And for people watching, well Starbucks is a magnet for good looking people. Read this blog for an example.

The second thing I get grief on is the name of the drinks. People think Starbucks is too complicated. Well I of limited mental capacity managed to figure it out so it can't be that complicated. Admittedly I received some instruction from some Starbucks promotional materiel but that really only solidified the meaning and order of the words I was saying. Some of the "complication" comes from the fact that Starbucks bases their naming using Italian words. Italians are rather rabid about their love of coffee so I see why they went that route. If you go to a French restaurant you are going to find French on the menu, same with German, Italian, Greek, and so on.

So here is the breakdown of my particular beverage. Grande, Non-fat Vanilla Latte. Now I ask for it several times a week so it isn't complicated for me. Grande is the Italian part and simply refers to the size, Large. Non-fat is the milk, Vanilla is the flavour syrup, that part is optional in a latte I add it as a sweetener; I don't put sugar in coffee. I also play that up sometimes as they have some seasonal choices like Pumpkin Spice in the fall and Gingerbread for the Holidays. Finally, the Latte part I explained earlier. Now I admit this is one of the easier drinks but if you find something you like you will figure out the name.

If you still don't get this then you should continue going to Tim Horton's. I don't want that to sound like I am knocking Tim Horton's, I just don't really think the two places can be compared. The products are totally different, at least in reference to beverages other than a regular coffee. Atmosphere however is not comparable on any level.