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L.A.'s fast food moratorium raises questions about choice and personal responsibility.
Over the years, I've had a love/hate relationship with coffee. On the one hand, when I worked in a cafe/bakery, the free, unlimited chocolate-covered espresso beans made it a lot easier to bake bread all night. On the other hand, when I developed acid reflux, coffee was the first thing that had to go. Over the years, I've repeatedly reunited with coffee, only to leave it again a few months later. Between warnings about digestion, blood pressure, and various other problems, I've learned to fight my deep love of the beloved elixir, settling instead for water or tea. Right now, I'm drinking one or two cups a day, which seems to be working well, although I have to fight my feelings of guilt and fear with every sip.
Recently, however, a 24-year study by the University of Madrid has given me hope that coffee and I might be able to enjoy a rich, guilt-free relationship. According to Esther Lopez-Garcia, the lead researcher, the scientists have discovered that up to six cups of coffee per day may have a positive effect on one's health. According to their data, coffee seems to lower the chances of heart disease and other illnesses.
The study, which followed the coffee-drinking habits 84,214 American women from 1980 to 2004 and 41,736 American men from 1986 to 2004 showed clear linkages between reduced heart disease and coffee consumption, although it was also clear that decaf had almost the same results as caffeinated coffee. Although I won't be able to drink the full six cups of coffee that the study seems to endorse, it's nice to know that my little 2-cup habit may actually be good for me. The only question remaining is what I'll use to toast the researchers: French Roast or something a little milder?
As Shayna (and every major media outlet) noted a couple weeks ago, Starbucks is going to be closing just over 600 stores (616 to be exact) over the next year. Yesterday, they announced which stores, across 44 states and the District of Columbia, are going to get the axe. California, Florida, New York and Texas are losing the highest number of stores. The list on the Huffington Post is searchable, which makes it easy for you to check out and see if your local store will be closing.
News agencies all over the country have been reporting the news. Starbucks, the coffee mega giant, is closing around 600 stores!
Most analysts blame it squarely on the company's over-expansion and a slowing economy. Starbucks has opened too many stores too close to each other, and that proximity has hurt the profits considerable. According to the Word of Mouth Blog from the Guardian, 70% of the stores being closed were opened in the last 18 months. Add to that the fact that people just don't have the extra cash to shell out on a luxury latte and Starbucks had a recipe for disaster.
The 600 stores represent about 5% of Starbucks' American stores. No word on whether they'll close any overseas outlets. According to reports, international expansion is apparently, still very much part of the plan.
There seems to be a lot of Starbucks news over the last few months. Here's some more, anyway.
It seems that Starbucks not everyone was happy about the switch to the Pike Place roast coffees. The Consumerist reports that the coffee chain got a lot of requests for consumers for the older, stronger roast coffees. Apparently some people likened the old roast style as having a burnt flavor, while the new Pike Place roast is much milder.
Anyway, the public demanded and Starbucks has conceded. They'll begin selling both varieties of coffee in stores that make fresh coffee all day. So if you're going to Starbucks for a leisurely weekend coffee, you can have your pick between the old and the new.
Last May, I was invited to a press tasting at one of my local Starbucks, to try out their new breakfast sandwiches and the warming program. Over the course of two hours, I tried four different sandwiches, a warm chocolate cookie and a bagel that had gone for a ride through the warming oven as well. The woman who was presenting was passionate about these sandwiches and her energy was infectious. By the time I left I was ready to eat my breakfast at Starbucks every day!
Of course, I didn't end up eating there every day (I think I've had just one breakfast sandwich from Starbucks since that morning) and as it has turned out, neither did most other Americans. Back in February, word broke that they will be phasing out the breakfast sandwiches come fall. And now, Denny Marie Post, the top executive in charge of food and beverages at the coffee giant has left the company. They haven't filled the slot yet and appear to be looking for someone who can come up with new food that will be tasty and compelling enough to drive flagging sales.
There's a pretty interesting story in the New York Times about the prevalence of coffee "cuppings" - basically wine tastings for java, minus the spitting. Aficionados sit around discussing different roasts, trying to find the right words to describe the subtle flavors of a cup of Kenyan or Guatemalan roast.
Now, I drink coffee every day, usually multiple cups, black. Aside from water, it's probably the single consumable I have most regularly. But while I can certainly taste the difference between the watery, acidic, sewage brown stuff sold in most gas stations and a good French roast, that's about where it ends. When people tell me they drive half an hour for special beans or they 'hate' the (to me) perfectly ordinary cappuccinos at my local cafe, I just shrug. I mean, I'm willing to believe that other people have the ability to discern flavors I can't sense. But is a bag of beans from a single farm lot discernibly different than beans from a handful of farms in the same region? In a town with dozens of independent coffee shops, is it really plausible that one has the absolute 'best' coffee?
What do you think? Do you have sensitive coffee palates?
Imagine you're perusing your favorite food blogs, and you come across a headline that reads "How to order at Starbucks and not put on weight". If your first thought was anything like "Oh wow, finally, a map to not getting fat at Starbucks!", then you, like me, would be disappointed to read the actual article.
I see now that I was overly optimistic. Of course it's getting to be common knowledge how many calories are in most of the coffee chains' creations, and anyone can figure out that you need to order low fat items to maintain a healthy weight. I was simply, momentarily, envisioning a magic formula. Silly, I know.
Anyway, the article by Mark Strausman, in the Huffington Post, is an interesting one, full of reminiscences and observations, but no magic bullet. The real advice offered is to order low fat items and to order small sizes. Sounds like something to keep in mind as you're ordering your morning caffeine.
I'm not a big coffee drinker, and I hate to sound pretentious, but I have been against the coffee chain since I was a teenager and I rarely go into one of their stores (though my parents love, love, love the place). What I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't be able to spot these customers at Starbucks, though, after reading the list you could say that it applies to customers in general.
The list is pretty funny. My favorite is the person getting coffee for the office, but because I absolutely hate that person. Also, the person making a complicated order and then expecting it, like, two minutes ago was particularly entertaining. If this kind of thing concerns you, there is some foul language in the post, so be forewarned. All in all, though, an amusing way to start your Sunday morning, and hey, maybe you can be on the lookout for types on the list.
The woman, an employee of a Tim Hortons coffee and donut chain in Toronto, gave a fussy toddler the tiny, 16-cent donut (called a "Timbit") to eat, and was promptly fired by her overzealous manager.
The woman said she would have paid for the donut, but the store was busy and she had to work.
As soon as Tim Hortons' corporate offices heard of the firing, they quickly issued a statement that the firing was a mistake (it was implied that the woman was re-hired).
Seriously, though: who would want to go back and work for that maniac? Whatever happened to the customer coming first?
Hopefully, the woman will be able to get away from the boss with the anger management issues, and get a better job. Like at the local IHOP.
I love it when people care. Even if it's about something minor, like whether you can get a slice of lemon with a Starbucks iced tea, it's always refreshing when someone actually gives a damn. I feel like I'm generally too busy (read: lazy) to care about things, and it's good to know that someone out there is doing the caring for me. Plus, caring gets other people caring.
Take, for example, Al Lewis at the Denver Post, who cares desperately about the fact that Starbucks doesn't provide fresh lemons to squeeze in iced tea. I never noticed it before, but now that I think about it, I might really like that option. I always ask for lemon with iced tea in restaurants, but it never occurred to me that Starbucks has been denying me. So while part of me thinks Al Lewis should just invest his time in finding another establishment for purchasing out tea, more of me thinks he keeps fighting the good fight. Your thoughts?
Do you go to coffee shops with any regularity? Are you there every day, or do you make it a weekend thing? Whenever you go, have you ever wondered about the people who make your coffee?
As we should all remember they are people too (not just automatons, created to serve our caffeine whims), and they have just as many pet peeves about you as you have about them. The RedEye blog interviewed baristas extensively and put together a list of everything (well, ok, 10 things) that they really want you to know. Next time you order your favorite beverage from your favorite coffee shop, keep in mind these tips while you're leaving yours.
Is tax day bringing you down? Dunkin' Donuts wants to help raise your spirits. All day today, if you buy a cup of coffee at DD, they'll throw in a free donut. Because while there's no such thing in life as a free lunch, on April 15th, at least you can get yourself a free donut. I recommend the chocolate glazed.
As you may have heard, after years of growth that kept them on track for world domination, in recent months global coffee phenomenon Starbucks suddenly hit a few stumbling blocks. Back in February, they closed their stores and retrained their employees on how to make the perfect shot of espresso. Yesterday, in response to critics who say that their beans are over-roasted, they introduced a new roast called Pike Place, named after the iconic market in Seattle, the city where they first started out.
They handed out free samples of this new roast yesterday at 12 noon to passersby and have scattered free coffee cards in daily newspapers all across the country. The clip you see above is from Mahalo Daily and in it, they capture reactions to the new coffee from Starbucks.
Have you tried the new roast? If you have, what do you think?
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Over the years, I've had a love/hate relationship with coffee. On the one hand, when I worked in a cafe/bakery, the free, unlimited chocolate-covered espresso beans made it a lot easier to bake bread all night. On the other hand, when I developed acid reflux, coffee was the first thing that had to go. Over the years, I've repeatedly reunited with coffee, only to leave it again a few months later. Between warnings about digestion, blood pressure, and various other problems, I've learned to fight my deep love of the beloved elixir, settling instead for water or tea. Right now, I'm drinking one or two cups a day, which seems to be working well, although I have to fight my feelings of guilt and fear with every sip.
Imagine you're perusing your favorite food blogs, and you come across a headline that reads "How to order at Starbucks and not put on weight". If your first thought was anything like "Oh wow, finally, a map to not getting fat at Starbucks!", then you, like me, would be disappointed to read the actual article.
Do you visit Starbucks on a regular basis? If you do, you might notice one or more of the type of patron that Holy Taco names in its list of annoying Starbucks customers.
The feature story this week is on the Bay Area's small-batch coffee roasters.
The woman, an employee of a Tim Hortons coffee and donut chain in Toronto, gave a fussy toddler the tiny, 16-cent donut (called a "Timbit") to eat, and was promptly fired by her overzealous manager.
I love it when people care. Even if it's about something minor, like whether you can get a slice of lemon with a Starbucks iced tea, it's always refreshing when someone actually gives a damn. I feel like I'm generally too busy (read: lazy) to care about things, and it's good to know that someone out there is doing the caring for me. Plus, caring gets other people caring.
Do you go to coffee shops with any regularity? Are you there every day, or do you make it a weekend thing? Whenever you go, have you ever wondered about the people who make your coffee? 
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