Starbucks Statistics and Charity

It's just like an annoying partner that dishes out really good sex; despite the irritation, you always end up coming back for more.

And so it goes with Starbucks.

There are a total of 127 Starbucks chains in the DC Metro area, and so the petulant partner peddles its addictive devices at every turn, corner, and fork in the road of the District.

Starbucks appeals to the American ideals of convenience and choice. Convenience because you can't take two steps without seeing the all-too-familiar rotund green sign, and choice because of the unending ways you can order a drink.

According to the Guide to Starbucks Beverages, "barista-speak" consists of 5 steps: the cup, the shots and size, syrup, milk and other modifiers (what) and the drink itself. There are 4 cup options, 5 types of espresso choices, 12 syrups, 6 types of milk, and 6 modifiers ... all of which can be ordered using the 36 vocabulary items printed in the front of the Guide.

In the "Giving Back" section of the brochure, Starbucks details how it goes to great lengths to help its local communities. "Each Starbucks store chooses a charity to receive its leftover pastries and past-date coffee". WHAT???

First of all, Starbucks is further contributing to the fattening of America with its butter-enriched pastries (another American ideal?) by donating high-fat and unhealthy foods to charities which probably serve an under-fed population. To add insult to injury, they are giving them stale coffee.

If it is past-date for the consumer, how is it still safe to give to charity? That's like donating expired condoms to a family-planning center.

Besides, I've seen the size of some Starbucks employees and I seriously doubt that many of the pastries make it to the "leftover" phase.