Starbucks 12-5-14
In the interest of full disclosure, I don't drink coffee. I do understand the original allure of Starbucks however. I can picture a collection of Bohemian types sitting around the first one in Seattle in 1971, deciding which bag of coffee beans to purchase and requesting a fresh brewed sample. Years later, the interiors seem very earthy and refined. People with laptops dot the tabletops and friends chat or ignore each other as they stare at their cellphones. What I simply cannot comprehend is the outdoor seating at some of them. Any architect with an IQ over 70 should realize that many are located too near a main thoroughfare. The original premise seemed quaint enough...basking in the early morning sun as one's bones are being warmed by a hot cup of coffee...passerby on the sidewalk waving hello as they recognize a patron or are themselves recognized by one. But I have seen people out there on an August afternoon in Sarasota! They are guzzling icy something or others, but their lips are chapping and cracking as they squint and sweat. Cars and trucks roar by just feet away, kicking up dust, fast food wrappers and cigarette butts to settle on their tables. I enjoy dining outside, even more so knowing that the outside temp in Michigan is below freezing. I patronize a Sweet Frog's frozen yogurt near my home on occasion. There was plenty of room to locate the "patio" in back or to the side...but did they? Of course not. It's far more exciting to dodge side view mirrors in between spoons full of tart, caramel corn and sweet coconut. This is a disturbing trend, and I fear that streetside hospital rooms will be next. Back to home page click here.
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