You are not your grande latte.

This must the most meaningful sentence in a long time. I have met many an American who thought Starbucks is overpriced. But I have met even more people who could not live without it. I am annoyed by how dependent people are on things other people make them believe - that they cant go through the day without their grande whatever.

There is definitely nothing special about the coffee. It tastes just like if you'd mix/blend all the same stuff at home. It brings me back to the days when we argued how 'Bru' and other filter coffee companies actually bid for the best coffee, and Nescafe was somewhere far behind. They took those not-so-great coffee beans, marketed them, and made more money than the filter coffee cos. Its definitely not the coffee. Its the customer that says "can i have a grande vanilla latte, splenda, with a little whipped cream, and low fat milk please" for whom this establishment survives. It is hard for me to believe that there are that many people who care SO much about their morning coffee. Its like theyre scared to spoil their own mood by drinking some other kind of coffee.

Yet unarguably it is a great loyalty and customer retention strategy. Starbucks is recommended a hold even during its bear trends. Its a volume traded stock and projects a good amount of growth into the future. Its currently at $27.46.

I cant deny the grande lattes are taking over my make-it-yourself cold coffee. I guess I am a bit late.