Various Articles about coffee....
All About coffee....GOOD and BAD
Trouble brewing? iReporters talk Starbucks
- Story Highlights
- The Starbucks coffee chain announced Tuesday it will shutter 600 stores
- CNN readers respond to the news, exchange divided opinions of the coffee giant
- iReporter FlashBauer58 says as gas prices climb, pricey drink purchases will fall
- iReport.com: Love Starbucks? What about the chain? Share your opinion
- Next Article in U.S. »
(CNN) -- In an effort to alleviate problems facing the company, Starbucks announced that it will close 600 company-run U.S. stores over the next year. Most of the stores are near another Starbucks and aren't profitable.
Nancy Blomquist moved from Georgia to Arizona and sent friends this photo of her first 'houseguest' -- Starbucks.
CNN.com asked iReporters to respond to the news that the coffee giant, known for its saturation of the market, is shuttering some retail locations.
iReporter mattwilliams says he's happy to see some Starbucks go, opening the market for independent coffee shops. Rusty1978 says he can't imagine how Starbucks is in financial trouble, given that his local store is always packed. Cval predicts more people will give up their lattes as the economy tightens.
Below are a selection of iReport responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on Starbucks here
Stefan: Starbucks Coffee, no doubt, has been a powerhouse phenomenon in the American barista world. The coffee super-giant has not only introduced, but set a national trend in coffee drinking for years to come ... they have created a culture.
Everywhere you look, from street corners, to bookstores and now even supermarkets, there is a Starbucks coffee shop or stand. So what will we do if we no longer have our daily dose of super-charged joe? Go somewhere else.
Since they started becoming a national chain, there has been a rush of smaller coffee shops trying to duplicate the relaxing, welcoming feel of Starbucks, and some do well and even exceed the patron's expectations, offering sofa's, tables, background music and even free internet.
But what about the coffee? As for those specialty drinks, many small coffee shop owners have started sending their employees to barista school, where they learn how to make the "perfect" cup of coffee / espresso with those perfect little beans. ... It is possible we may see a new coffee shop in town; and maybe, just maybe, the "next big thing".
FlashBauer38: I am glad to see Starbucks finally realized you only need one store per city block. I personally do not like or go to Starbucks. I normally get my coffee from Dunkin Donuts on the way to work or buy grounds from them to make at home ... for a reasonable price. I already have to spend $4 a gallon on gas, why would I spend $4 for 12 oz of coffee?
cval: You're kidding me, right? Anyone heard of the Mr. Coffee machine? You can get one for $15, and set it to have your coffee ready for you when you roll out of bed, then it turns off an hour later so as not to burn your house down should you forget to turn it off. Starbucks has always been a luxury item, when people need to get back to basics to survive.
Don't Miss
Maybe people are just realizing this, and it is way overdue if you ask me. It's as expensive as smoking, think of all the money you can put into savings if you brew your own coffee.
Johnmcook: "My Starbucks", in the Uptown section of West Village is much more than a place to get a cup of java. It is a real part of the community, a busy, urban, somewhat trendy area near downtown Dallas.
I know each employee by name and they know me. I keep track of their progress through college, another's budding music career, and will attend another's wedding. When on the patio with my Chihuahua, they bring him water to help beat the heat or whipped cream as a treat ...
If you have ever spent time in the UK... you understand the social importance of meeting at the local pub... my Starbucks is the equivalent of that. You come there to get your favorite coffee but you leave with and come back for ... so much more.
rusty1978: Well, amongst all the Starbucks frowners around, I must say it's strong coffee and that's how I like it. I've got a Starbucks in commercial space in my building -- so convenient. I love the Verona, Gold Coast and Kenya blends.
I just can't believe they're not doing good business as most every store is always packed with people -- and they've even raised their prices last year, so I can't understand the closings at all. Someone please explain. Yes, I prefer strong Starbucks coffee in the morning!
mattwilliams: Could I live without Starbucks? The answer is a resounding YES! I live in a small tourist town on the coast of Georgia. Our many different local restaurants provide unique dining experiences with their atmospheres and menus. This is something I fear is being lost because of big chains like Starbucks coming in and replacing local, unique businesses with the same atmosphere and dining experience one could have in Anytown, USA.
So rather than make every little getaway town in this country the very same one Starbucks at a time, I say boycott them all and shut them all down! That won't happen because Starbucks has become part of a routine for so many people.
What would be nice is for the average American consumer to wake up and try to have a unique experience in his or her hometown. Rather than going to that same Starbucks that is so convenient with its drive-thru and perfect location on the way to one's destination, why not take a detour and find a mom-and-pop coffee shoppe, like our own Palm Coast Coffee or Daddy Cate's, and support their brave attempt at making the landscape of where one lives unique.
Nblomq: Definitely a Starbucks Junkie! I moved from Georgia to Arizona last fall, and the first digital picture I sent my girlfriends once I arrived in Tucson was a picture of my first official visitor to my new home ... a Starbucks Chai!
grdpxjmpr: I absolutely could live without Starbucks.
Reason 1: I don't like the taste of Starbucks coffee, especially since they had their closure back in February to make their coffee shop more like a coffee shop. The coffee they have started using since then is terrible.
2. If the Starbucks chain would close some stores, it would allow mom-and-pop-type places to get a footing in the market or allow local smaller chains to expand.
3. Buying beans for home and making your own coffee is substantially less expensive than getting coffee every day from Starbucks. In this economy, being able to pinch pennies helps.
MrRealtor: I hate to say this, but I just like a good ole cup of coffee, and that cannot be found at a Starbucks. Even their most mild coffee is terribly bitter. Will I miss them? No. I would miss a 99-cent cup of coffee from 7-11 worse than a $4.50 cup of yuck from Starbucks.
Blueken: In my entire life, I have had exactly one coffee from Starbucks. Nothing special. I'm not a coffee snob, of course, but I do like a pure Kona roast. I get my caffeine fix at the local gas station. Fresh brewed, $1.49. I predict overpriced microbrew beer is the next to take a hit as the economy gets real.
IchDenke: Yep, Starbucks is too pricey, too burnt and too mega for me! Gimme a hometown-y joint that ain't too expensive and supports our veterans like Just Plain Joe's, and I'm OK! :)
Can coffee protect smokers against bladder cancer?
Study draws criticism
(CNN) -- Caffeine and cigarettes are among the human population's two biggest vices. But a new study, which has drawn fire from health experts, suggests that drinking coffee might protect smokers from bladder cancer.
"It sounds a little bizarre," said Dr. Annie Sasco, chief of epidemiology for cancer prevention at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization. Sasco and others said examining the protective effects of coffee's components is an interesting hypothesis, but one that needs further testing before any real confidence can be placed in the theory.
At issue is a preliminary research paper, published this week in the London-based Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, which found that bladder cancer was about half as likely to occur in smokers who regularly drank coffee as in smokers who did not.
"This could suggest that the coffee consumption modifies the effect of tobacco smoking," said Dr. Gonzalo Lopez-Abente of the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid, Spain, who led the study.
But he added: "Do not smoke. I think it is dangerous to see coffee consumption as a preventive habit."
Smoking is recognized as the most important cause of bladder cancer. Experts estimate that about 50 percent of these cancers in men and 30 percent in women are due to smoking.
Cigarette use increases the risk for bladder cancer by two to five times and, when smokers quit, their risk declines in two to four years, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
The Spanish study involved 497 people with bladder cancer who were compared with 1,100 people without the disease. They were all asked about their smoking and coffee-drinking habits. Those who drank less than two cups of coffee a week were classified as non-coffee drinkers.
Their researchers found that smokers who drank coffee were three times as likely to develop bladder cancer as non-smoking coffee drinkers. Smokers who didn't drink coffee, however, were seven times as likely to get the disease as non-smokers.
"We have found that the probability of bladder cancer was higher in smokers that do not drink coffee," explained Lopez-Abente.
The scientists are not sure how the protective effect of coffee would work on smokers but they suggested it could somehow reduce toxicity.
Experts not connected with the research had mixed reactions to the main finding, ranging from the view that it highlights the often-unexpected protective effects of substances found in food to the opinion that the theory is fatally flawed by the study's methodology.
Sasco said she was not impressed with how the study compiled its coffee-intake frame of reference. She also didn't like the way researchers omitted important references to "potential other sources of caffeine, such as tea and Coca-Cola."
Coffee contains caffeine, a mild stimulant also found in other popular drinks. But research into a possible link between caffeine and decaffeinated drinks has proven inconclusive, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report
VERY VERY INTERESTNG, HUH???
By Ellen Wulfhorst Sun Jul 6, 7:40 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - One coffee drinker's bad news is another coffee drinker's good news, it seems.
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Financial woes at Starbucks Corp., which is planning to close 600 underperforming U.S. stores, is evoking glee and little sympathy from aficionados who say they resent the coffee shop giant and favor small independent cafes.
"I'm so happy. I'm so not a Starbucks person," said Melinda Vigliotti, sipping iced coffee at the Irving Farm Coffee House in New York. "I believe in supporting small businesses. Starbucks, bye-bye."
"Amen," chimed in Keith DiLauro, a local caterer. "They went too big, too fast."
Seattle-based Starbucks burst onto the national scene in the 1990s and grew to more than 6,000 locations around the world. But with cups of coffee that can cost several dollars, it faces a slowing economy and slowed consumer spending.
"Starbucks has really created a coffee culture, raising awareness of good coffee, which is good for independents," said Carol Watson, owner of the Milk and Honey coffee shop in Chicago. "But on the other hand, they're on practically every corner, and that makes it tough on the little guy too."
In Birmingham, Alabama, retiree Peggy Bonfield, drinking coffee at the Crestwood Coffee Shop, said: "When a Starbucks closes, it makes room for a local business to start.
"I consider that good news," she said.
The schadenfreude of coffee drinkers drawing satisfaction from another's misfortune is part of the popular culture that enjoys the downfall of companies or celebrities, said Jim Carroll, a Canadian-based trends and innovation expert.
"There are a lot of people out there who take delight in seeing an icon torn down by the masses," he said.
Starbucks fell victim to a rapid change in attitude, fueled by Internet bloggers complaining endlessly about everything from layoffs to its breakfast sandwiches, he said.
"Starbucks was a cool brand, and then all of a sudden it's not a cool brand," he said. "There's this new global consciousness that is out there that can suddenly shift."
CAFE CULTURE
Indeed, said Pye Parson, who hails from Seattle and works at Birmingham's Crestwood, "Once it went corporate, it wasn't Starbucks anymore."
New York Web designer Zachary Thacher, who favors Greenwich Village's cafes, said he avoids Starbucks. "They've commoditized cafe culture, which is why I don't go," he said.
The environmental movement toward buying and appreciating locally grown products has helped neighborhood cafes and hurt the myriad look-a-like Starbucks stores, said Judy Ramberg, a consumer strategist at Iconoculture, a Minneapolis-based trend research company.
The company that began as innovative is now known for consistency and convenience, she said. "To me, that's a huge step down," she said. "You've built your franchise on people who are coming in because they know exactly what they want."
Precisely, said Justin Sergi, explaining why he preferred Lux, a cafe in Phoenix serving lattes with a fern-like pattern teased from steamed milk in ceramic cups, over Starbucks.
"The people that work there are very pleasant, but the stores are devoid of any kind of real charm or personality," he said. "They push a button, and a machine does everything from grinding the beans to brewing the drink."
It's not as though Starbucks doesn't have defenders,
"It's convenient," said Anthony Castro, sitting in a Starbucks near his job at New York's Museum of Modern Art. "I know what to expect."
In Birmingham, Crestwood regular Gary Adkins said he felt Starbucks gave employees good salaries and benefits. But now Starbucks' plans call for cutting up to 12,000 full- and part-time positions.
Not everyone felt strongly. "It's just coffee," said Marc Poulin, a systems administrator at Zibetto Espresso Bar in New York. "If I was an investor, I'd care."
(Additional reporting by Tim Gaynor, Andrew Stern and Verna Gates; editing by Todd Eastham)
