Starbuck's: The Revolution from Above

In 1929, Stalin launched a revolution from above which resulted in thousands of top party people being slaughtered. Most were already guilty of atrocities so they probably deserved it. Stalin, also, having sought the cult-following that the dead Lenin had, wanted to rid the present of anyone who had known him prior to the revolution in 1917.

So too, Starbucks' the former great place for a good coffee and an even better cappuccino is now forcing change and altered perceptions from above in an attempt to draw away from the caramel-laced atrocities of the past 8 years.

There was a day, not too long ago, when the nation was perculating along under the prosperity created by the steady hand of Bill Clinton and Starbuck's was coffee. And then, as if with the appearance of the financial derivative, the "buck" lost its way in its caffeinated-inspired reality: sugary and cold frappuccino's and macchiatos with nice margins and really milky cappuccinos that no Italian in his worst nightmare would drink took front and center on the chalkboards. Gooey and diabetes-inducing caramel pressing against Jetson-esque plastic lids replaced cool, white with green logo-ed cups smelling pleasantly of coffee, steamed milk and a hint of chocolate shavings.

But I don't Want an Egg Sandwich

This week, in Starbuck's across the nation, in an attempt to fight back against the so-called unfair tatics of McDonald's where they say that all coffee at Starbuck's costs $4, the $4 breakfast is being introduced.

The breakfast to me means nothing: I have stopped eating anything of empty-caloric value for breakfast since 10 January of this year. The coffee means something still but even too, my super veggie-drink with muesili threatens to push this out of the picture also--simply no room for a coffee after one of those drinks.

Yet, I do watch the "buck" with great interest. For me, this company is the epitome of excellence in many respects. All companies make mistakes yet somehow, when it came to their core identity, the good cup of coffee in a pleasant setting, they always seemed to protect themselves. Until, that is, they like the nation in the late '90's and up until the crash of our economic system, found the brilliance of expanding margins thanks to the use of things like corn syrup and ice, simply too sweet to resist.

Yes, Howard Schultz, the coffee addict with the original vision in early '80's, lost his way in the world of greed. Money and the endless pursuit of getting more so you can sit and count those meaningless numbers (numbers for the sake of numbers) led him astray. And, thanks to Schultz's walkabout from the CEO-ship of the company, from 2000 to 2008, many, many Americans grew a lot fatter than they would have thanks to those hyper-caloric non-coffee drinks (one caramel macchiato with Breve milk has close to 600 calories and 42 (26 saturated) grams of fat!)

Now, in an effort to regain its lost coffee aroma, Starbuck's has introduced the $4 breakfast (actually $3.95 breakfast). Ok. Fine. I am sure it is tasty. But, Howard, you know as well as I do that it is not the absence of food that led you guys astray. It is not the economic downturn that has forced you to make deals with chicken-owners instead of coffee plantations (sure, some people have stopped going there but not as many as you may think).

It is greed. It is greed that drove you and your stockholders to the macchiatos. Now it must be a commitment to your original vision, to the idea that got your heart racing with excitement, to the passion you poured into this formerly almost-perfect company, that will take you back to where you should be: a great cup of coffee, a perfect cappuccino in a great setting whether alone over un giornale or talking with a priest about pre-Cana classes in a corner whilst seeking confidence in that frothy latte.

That is what Starbuck's used to be. Bring it back to those of us who now only find that same dedication to coffee-excellence in place as far away as Moscow! The caramel macchiato has not yet been introduced there.

Make Us Proud

I don't want Starbuck's to vanish. But, until this great company realizes that focus should not be on the bottom-line but on the values that made it the world's leader, the hard times are going to continue. In the meantime, a great Vienna-based company, The Coffeeshop Company has opened near me: the best cappuccino I can drink outside of Italy. The next best cappuccinos are being made by McDonald's in their "MacCafes".

Like our nation which has lost its commitment to the core values that made us what we were, so too a great company was seduced by the fatness of modern society. Shame on you Starbuck's. Now, go on back out there and make us proud!