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Home grown: Local coffee culture wars? |
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Written by Julie Brown/Tahoe World - View Profile
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
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It took Starbucks 36 years and more than 6,500 company-operated national stores before the international coffee corporation - or rather, empire - exposed itself to Tahoe City this summer. (I’m not counting the licensed franchise in the grocery store.)
What a feat. I saw (OK, purchased coffee in) Starbucks shops in Paris, Rome, Berlin, London, Bangkok, Chang Mai and Taipei before the Tahoe City store opened it’s doors.
And when I checked out the coffee corporation’s local location — out of simple, innocent research — the first things to catch my eye were the big windows, the spacious atmosphere and the center fireplace. If you haven’t noticed, I would say we have one of the choice Starbucks right here in our small, little ski town.
As I was ordering my earl grey tea, I asked the clerk how business was doing. It’s been a slow month, he said. But the summer was busy. And I expect next summer to be even busier, the clerk added.
 And so it happens. In a moment, Starbucks seems to have established itself in a town whose only chain corporation in the food industry, for as long as I can remember (which is my entire life), has been McDonald’s - not including the grocery stores.
One of the things I’ve prided myself on is Tahoe City’s plentiful array of coffee shops - independently owned coffee shops, that is.
For starters, there’s Syd’s, in the heart of downtown with a colorful board of bagel schmears and sandwiches. Ah Syd’s, the place we always used to come to when we ditched class in High School.
Coffee Connexion is the favorite after working out at the gym next door. Java, Juice and Bagel tends to be the lunch break since it’s the closest to work. The Dam Cafe has “dam” good breakfast burritos. And nothing beats a cup of coffee and an almond biscotti from Tahoe House on a snowy day.
Will Starbucks hurt the local coffee shops? That seems to be the question running through my mind with each purchased double-shot americano.
But then you stop and think about it. Starbucks revolutionized the industry. They took a cup of coffee and turned it into an international culture. Would coffee shops be as much the gathering places they are today, had Starbucks not created their standard warm and cozy atmosphere?
And for corporations, Starbucks is in the A-list category. They treat their employees with respect, not to mention the benefits. They invest into communities. They promote fair-trade coffee.
The one in Tahoe City offers a “Lake Tahoe” blend. Part of the proceeds is donated to the League to Save Lake Tahoe.
And the coffee empire ensures a good cup of coffee. No matter where you are, you can always count on a decent drink with that familiar flavor at the nearest Starbucks — which in most places, is no further than the next block.
I’m the first to admit that Starbucks is a good company with great coffee.
But when it comes to the local coffee culture, it’s my opinion that we need to support our hometown espresso joints because Tahoe City would not be the same without them.
What’s a billion-dollar corporation compared to an espresso brewed with some character?
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