How Starbucks stunted my growth
Photo: Andrea Wright
You may be tired of hearing me drone on about my disappointment with the beloved Starbucks chain. After many months of pokes and prods, I’ve finally come to realize what makes my hair stand on end. Let me explain and I promise this will be the last time you hear from me on the subject.
Let’s start with a quick stream of consciousness. When you think of “good” music, what musician or musical group pops into your head? I’ll wait why you think of your answer. I found that whenever I ask myself this question the bands from the early-to-mid 1990’s keep popping into my head – Nirvana, R.E.M., U2, etc. The reason, those were my formative years. I was in college. It was a time when I was learning what “Matt, the adult” liked, disliked, believed, and of course, what I wanted to be when I grow up. That span of time has directly and indirectly shaped who I am today.
Like many of the early adopters at the time, I was also experimenting with this thing called the Internet. I recall purchasing one of the first Mac laptops, nothing like the Macbooks of today — this thing was big, bulky and very gray. Any available time between classes and work was spent at Starbucks noodling with my laptop and commiserating with friends. There was real excitement happening in the world of technology and design at that time. And much of the conversation was occurring at Starbucks throughout the country. Drinking coffee that didn’t come from a can was new territory. The atmosphere was addictive and always sent my creative endorphins into hyper drive.
Well, the shock to my endorphins began to subside a few years ago. Could be age, but I started to realize that Starbucks had become this big, bloated conglomerate that cared less about the atmosphere of the coffee experience and more about sales. They had adopted a mentality where cross-sales trump creating environments that help spring to life new ideas and creativity.
Coffee to me is a very personal experience and is better served in groups. It brings people together and allows us to “be still” for a short time and just be in community. The Starbucks of today is a cattle drive of sorts.
“Churches should have PEOPLE PLANS before they draw up building plans!”
Like Starbucks, many churches and denominations across the country have lost sight of their core purpose — to make disciples for Jesus Christ. We build our buildings. Market and advertise. Raise money to build more buildings, then market and advertise even more to grow membership. You get the idea. At some point, what was once a vibrant ministry becomes a big, bloated conglomerate that cares less about Jesus and more about numbers and money.
Jesus gave us three basic commands to follow in the Great Commandments and the Great Commission: Love God; Love our Neighbors; and Make disciples of all people. I found the following mandate from the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions’ directive on constructing new church buildings in their state — I think it is a mandate that churches of all affiliations should follow.
“Churches should have PEOPLE PLANS before they draw up building plans!”
I love it! I don’t remember the early days of Starbucks, as I was in middle school. But for me, Starbucks went downhill with the addition of the drive-thru. Why pay that kind of money for drive-thru coffee??
Working in a mega-church, I often feel that we have left that early Starbucks mentality behind of simple relationship. Many of us have settled for the drive-thru church as opposed to the sit-down-for-an-hour-and-have-a-cup-of-coffee-with-me-church.
Have no cash to buy a car? Worry not, just because that’s available to take the mortgage loans to solve all the problems. Thence get a college loan to buy everything you need.
I want to start blogging too, what do you think, which blog cms is good for noob?
Very interesting site, but you must improve your header graphics.