The Starbucks Challenge

I tried to not like Starbucks. I really tried. But I didn’t succeed.

My neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver is saturated with coffee shops. On nearly every street corner around for blocks you will find a cafe that serves some combination of espresso, pastries, and desserts. A staggering amount of coffee options are available, all within minutes’ walking distance of each other.

Fancying myself a grassrootsy guy, I try to support local independent businesses whenever possible. And coffee shops can be found aplenty in both large chain and independent varieties. So over the last couple of months I made it my mission to find the best latte available in a local indie cafe and settle on that for my semi-regular caffeine fix.

After the eighth or ninth flavoured latte that tasted, well, burnt from the li’l localites, I gave up. While I try to root for the underdogs as much as possible (I sell Mac computers, for goodness’ sake) I just could not for the life of me find a latte to match the wondrous taste and texture of one from any Starbucks. And since my wife has turned me into a coffee snob (thanks, hon), I simply cannot bring myself to spend money on anything less than perfection when it comes to my drug of choice.

There’s an inevitable point where one’s ideology collides with reality. For me, this occurred over a cup of coffee. It seems I’m no activist after all.

(My apologies to all those little shops that could. I may still pop by now and then for a muffin.)