Starbucks was a good place for me to hang out when my kid had sports practice or dance lessons or whatever. I could spend maybe $5 on tea and have a comfortable chair in which to read. Score!

Anonymous wrote:At the 3 Starbucks near us, I only see very old people sitting down. Usually in groups. I think it's their social outing for the day.

Yes--both Starbucks and McDonalds have mostly this--old people meeting up with friends. I don't mind it--I think it's great they have that social outlet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. Too noisy to do work, kind of dirty as no one cleans it up. Nothing appealing. I just order online and leave

People like you have ruined Starbucks for people like me that like to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee.

I enjoy coffee in nice, cozy settings -- ex. my house or a nice hotel. What is cozy about a Starbucks? They have all the charm of a hospital waiting room, they're drafty because the door is constantly opening, the furniture is purposely uncomfortable to make you leave quickly, baristas constantly yelling out names, if not weirdo homeless loitering you have weirdo DoorDash people hovering, on and on.

Please name the nice hotel where you enjoy getting coffee? Do they have wifi and good workspace?

You've never stayed at even a moderately upscale hotel? All of them have little lounge areas all around the property where guests can relax with a coffee. Read paying guests, not creepy people who leech wi-fi from cafes all over town six days a week.

Anonymous wrote:People who want free wifi. People who need a place to work or study.

So poor people and/or loser leeches? Awful vibe.

Anonymous wrote:There are two Starbucks near me and one of them is actually one of the cleaner, more pleasant coffee shops in my neighborhood. Like there is also a Blue Bottle, a Maman, and a couple others nearby, and I would choose the Starbucks if I needed somewhere to work or hang out for a bit because the seating is more comfortable, it has better temp control (the Maman is always super hot for some reason), and I feel anonymous/invisible there in a pleasant way -- no one bothers me.

The other one is kind of meh but it's near my kid's school and I will sometimes stop in and sit for 5 minutes if I'm early for pick up and want somewhere to read a book.

I'm a tea drinker and the earl grey at Starbucks is fine, plus usually cheaper than other places. They use Harney & Sons which I also use at home, so it's actually a wash for me in terms of quality.

I'm mainly a tea drinker, too, but never buy it out of the house. If cafes are going to charge $4 to plop a tea bag in hot water, then I'm spending a couple bucks more to get a coffee drink that someone had to actually put some effort into. The markup on tea is outrageous.

Anonymous wrote:Who are the people who order from Starbucks? Nothing there is all that appealing.

I guess everyone has their thing.

People who don't care about their health or pocketbook. Daytime desserts for adults.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. Too noisy to do work, kind of dirty as no one cleans it up. Nothing appealing. I just order online and leave

People like you have ruined Starbucks for people like me that like to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee.

I enjoy coffee in nice, cozy settings -- ex. my house or a nice hotel. What is cozy about a Starbucks? They have all the charm of a hospital waiting room, they're drafty because the door is constantly opening, the furniture is purposely uncomfortable to make you leave quickly, baristas constantly yelling out names, if not weirdo homeless loitering you have weirdo DoorDash people hovering, on and on.

They used to be nice places to drink a cup and kill 45 min to an hour. Then everyone starting ordering on the app am rushing in and out.

People who want free wifi. People who need a place to work or study.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it. Too noisy to do work, kind of dirty as no one cleans it up. Nothing appealing. I just order online and leave

People like you have ruined Starbucks for people like me that like to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee.

I enjoy coffee in nice, cozy settings -- ex. my house or a nice hotel. What is cozy about a Starbucks? They have all the charm of a hospital waiting room, they're drafty because the door is constantly opening, the furniture is purposely uncomfortable to make you leave quickly, baristas constantly yelling out names, if not weirdo homeless loitering you have weirdo DoorDash people hovering, on and on.

Counterpoint:
- My Starbucks never yells out names, they have a board showing where your order is in progress and it's actually quiet with music playing (and usually decent music if you like sort of indie, singer-songwriter stuff which I do)
- Temp control at Starbuck is way better than most other places. Some airflow from the door opening means fresh air. Don't sit right in front of the door if you are worried about getting hot or cold.
- IME furniture at Starbucks is perfectly comfortable for a few hours of computer time. I'm not looking for a big cozy armchair. I'm looking for a seat with some cushioning and back support, a hard surface at an appropriate height, and a nearby power source. Starbucks as all of that.
- Starbucks no longer allows people to loiter inside without buying something, so the homelessness issue has been much improved. It's not that there are never weird people at Starbucks (homeless or not) but it's not more than pretty much any other public place. And at Starbucks they do tend to keep to themselves.

Please name the nice hotel where you enjoy getting coffee? Do they have wifi and good workspace?