• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    The only time I ever go to Starbucks now is if I’m traveling and don’t want to stop and run in somewhere and it’s the only real option at the exit.

    Their coffee is god-awful and always has been.

    I will always go to local places before Starbucks. And even if I don’t want to get out of my car, local places with drive-throughs are becoming pretty common now. There’s several here. There’s a guy in a small town nearby who owns a tiny drive-up kiosk with a Starbuck’s on one side of town and another chain called Biggby’s being built on the other side of town. I talked to him about whether or not he’s worried. He’s not. He has a ton of loyal customers and offers a bunch of stuff that the others don’t, like a huge number of smoothie flavors and multiple types of cake you can get slices from. There’s even a fresh vegetable stand a friend with a farm set up next to the kiosk so you can get some fresh produce after you get coffee if you’re so inclined.

    • A Phlaming Phoenix@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      If you scorch coffee beans, all the nuance of their flavor is destroyed, leaving you with beans that taste like shit. However, the beans will also all taste the same no matter where they’re sourced from. I’m convinced this is why Starbucks coffee tastes like shit. They want it to have consistent flavor no matter where in the world you’re getting it. If you cover that with enough cream and sugar and artificial flavoring, you can make it palatable again.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Considering, like any other major fast food corporation, they likely have a large number of food scientists on staff who could absolutely make a better-tasting cup of coffee if they were tasked to, I think you’re on to something there.

        McDonald’s is similar with pretty much all of their food. No, a Quarter Pounder doesn’t taste like a normal burger, but it essentially tastes the same in New York as it does in Vancouver or (I presume) Mexico City.

        • CheeseNoodle@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          If McDonalds tastes the same everywhere as it does where I live how the hell are they still in business? Crap tastes like greasy (yet somehow also dry) styrofoam at this point.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            First of all, many people just like it. Secondly, if you’re traveling, even if you don’t like it, you know you can rely on it to be what you expect.