Sunday, July 27, 2008

Starbucks is to Paradigm as to Walmart is to...


I haven't felt such disappointment in this city since the day I went to the city clerk's office with my papers and check in-hand to acquire an application for a beer and wine license; was met with the statement "Even if we were to grant you a license, it would be ripped out of your little hands in six months due to violations."

Today. The Reader's Choice Awards were posted in the Sheboygan Press. As a business owner I look forward to the competition and the 'audience participation' of the event. Knowing that we weren't in the winning spot for the best cup of coffee, I expected to see our sincerely respected predecessor... The Weather Center or maybe my former employer Z Spot.

What I saw was Starbucks; A corporate giant. Three have opened in our city of barely 60,000 in the past three years. By no means will I deny that their existence has made our need for a gourmet cup of coffee a commodity. They've come a long way from their humble beginnings... they've moved from the neighborhood hot-spot brimming with warmth, character, quality and consciousness to McDonald's answer to the local drive-in. Factory. Sterile. Corporate.

What happened to the appreciation for "Family owned and Operated"? What part of McDonalds (won best french fries) is 'Sheboygan'... a truck pulls up to the back door and unloads boxes of prepared(cut, sprayed with beef stock) and frozen potatoes... from... Factory X in... ?

One of my favorite customers just said it right: "We vote with our wallet."

Thank you to all the folks out there who think twice about where they will spend their buck. We whole heartedly appreciate every one of you.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is ridiculous. (well written post tho)