Mmm....lattes

I used to question the placement of each Starbucks coffeehouse, and not just because they seem to crop up on opposite sides of the same street. I know they do that to get customers who are too lazy to cross over, and that kind of makes me laugh. I also realize that they do in-depth surveys and studies to determine where to build/takeover and such but the real thing that gets me is the emotional strings that customers attach to the place. I have noticed this more and more in myself as the weather grows colder, however the real jarring thing is what I've discovered about the placement of 'my' Starbucks.

When I'm walking the fifteen minutes or so to the subway, I have found that the Starbucks I frequent is at a sweet spot. It's just at the point in my walk where I begin to feel as though I will never be warm again, that my face is so frozen it's going to fall off and that I am so glad I'm almost at the subway. It's where I begin my daily pep talk to get through the last yards of the walk. I see the sign, and I am powerless to pass by. I have to go in, not only to warm up, but also to grab an Americano. I figure since I'm already there I might as well get coffee too. So, I get coffee and I warm up. See? Those bastards.

Armed with this knowledge, you'd think that I would do my best to avoid the coffeeshop altogether. Maybe I'd walk on the other side so that I wouldn't feel manipulated into buying overpriced coffee. That's where the emotional part comes in. Whenever I walk in, I feel as though the entire staff has been waiting for me to show up. They say good morning, ask me how I am and remember my order. They know that in the morning I ask for an Americano with room and that if I come in at night on my way home ( a reversal of the morning walk which I will discuss in a minute) I will ask for a soy Tazo Chai. Personally, I feel powerless to avoid them because I feel as though I'm disappointing them.

In the evening, when the temperature dips down and the walk home feels so much colder than the morning trek, I am drawn into the Starbucks again; this time for something to keep me warm as I walk home. Sounds ridiculous but when it's freezing cold out a nice warm latte in the hand is worth the five dollars. At the same time, I can forgo my pre-dinner snack (don't judge me) because of said latte. Two birds, one stone. My world is perfect.

Basically, although I know that Starbucks is a big corporation and bad blah blah blah, they make a damn fine Americano. And seriously, when it's cold outside and I need to warm up, I would much rather drag myself into a Starbucks where they not only remember my order but also get it right the first time . Very important when the first instinct you have in the morning before coffee is the urge to kill.