I definitely fall into that category and I don't rate Starbuck's either. I also thought Tim Hortons was incredibly mid and Canadians love that shit so what so I know.
They have this ad that “only 2% of the world’s coffee is good enough for Starbucks” but the real stat is more like “Starbucks uses 2% of the world’s coffee” 😂
Convenience. I make my coffee at home, but I pass dozens of Dunkins, Starbucks, gas stations, etc. on my way to work. Can't say I'd be able to locate a local café in my area.
That seems rarely the case in the UK. Even the Starbucks drive through is often next to a service station with an espresso counter serving something better, such as a BP with their " Wild Bean Cafe" counter. Sure it's not great coffee but it's not as bad as Starbucks burnt weak offerings !
Their coffee sucks, but their tea lattes are some of the better ones. Admittedly probably due to the sugar, but I only tea out as a treat anyway. But that's why I used to go.
The coffee on it's own is brewed poorly aka burned, however; if you order a specialty coffee with lots of sugar and milk then its alright.
I believe its intentionally made that way because it makes sense for the quality control of the specialty coffee mix drinks that people buy. Their premade refrigerated drinks are okay at best but I wouldn't not drink one if somebody gave me one for free.
Clearly Lemmy isn't their target market demographic and the people that keep buying it are not going to boycott the product.
As an American tourist, I about screamed when I saw dozens of people lined up outside Starby’s in Milan. Better espresso within two blocks in every direction!! Aaahh!!
In a lot of places in Europe, they are forced to give you free tap water. Now, the tap water is basically free for them (and that's why they passed that law), but they give it to you in one of their paper cups. Those cost money.
For years now I've been boycotting starbucks by asking for a cup of water every time I see one, and not buying anything from them.
I've probably only made them lose 2 cents, but I'm proud of it. Fuck starbucks.
(Of course, be respectful to the employees when you ask them for the cup of water)
I have never went into a starbucks but there are those little shops in other stores and that coffee smells bad. Like a desert truck stop where the coffee machine is stained and the pots have a thick black buildup of tar.
Never appealed to me, I rarely eat or drink outside. But if I WANTED to, I'd still avoid big stupid chains and would go to the tiny shops or indeed a truck stop.
My first date with now-wifey, she invited me to a hotdog at gas-station. We both drown in money but this was a special moment for 2 x 2 moneyz.
How could a fancy starbucks latte frappe suckmynut beat this 😁
I started boycotting them a couple years back when I first heard about the union-busting practices. I was previously a twice weekly customer. -More money for me.
This is where I am. Haven't been there since 2019 when they shut down a store than respect unionizing.
My wife, a Starbucks addict, finally cut the addiction after her job's union went on strike. Suddenly, it clicked with her how important that shit is.
With how much they cost, this could also be good financial advice.
I remember Starbucks being used as a comparison to university fees. It was something like "oh of you go to Starbucks every day that costs as much as you would spend on uni!". That had the opposite effect on me to what they wanted, put me off going to places like Starbucks.
Having to pay for a takeaway pizza in my teens once also put me off ever doing that again when I saw how little I got for how much I spent. I was disappointed before I even started eating it and the pizza its self was nothing special either.
Where are you getting pizza that it's so expensive? $10-$12 will get you a large pepperoni most places in Canada. I'd say pizza delivered averages closer to $20 but it's leagues better than store-bought. Homemade is a different story, but not everyone can justify that.
I started 'boycotting' them after the first time I had one of their coffee adjacent drinks when I was in the US in late '08. I love how badly they ate shit when they tried to come to Australia where we already knew about good coffee.
Lol I genuinely can't remember the last time I had Starbucks. There's always a small business coffee shop doing it better just about anywhere you go if you bother to look.
Haven't had a Starbucks coffee in 5+ years. I love going to many local coffee shops in my city and supporting them. I'd do it regardless of the quality difference, but damn, local coffee is light years better than that corporate swill.
I run a 'local coffee shop'. On behalf of all: thanks for your patronage, we appreciate it. Overheads are higher than you might guess and we really do benefit from every drink sold.
Also, we can easily tell the Starbucks regulars from the non-Starbucks people, not by their order but by their mannerisms. Starbucks people are frequently rude and typically not very able to listen to us answer any questions they ask. Some people are diehard Starbucks superfans (which is fine, live and let live) and I think it's because the experience is so standardized that they don't have to engage their brains.
Maybe if I'm feeling groggy on a road trip. Locally there are far better options especially including making it at home with my own espresso machine. Too expensive for how mid it is.
they did recently, like last year shut down several starbucks in our area, also they dont want customers staying in thier cafes anymore, by making it uncomfortable for them to sit down.
Their coffee is shit. Their international reputation is so negative, they've failed so many times.
So if you're an American and love Starbucks, maybe try to figure out why that is because it's obviously not for the coffee. Or keep paying full price for something as high in quality as their work environment.
Joke's on you, I stayed boycotting them years ago cause their coffee went down hill. Year after year I've been justified as they've added union busting etc
I've never bought from them. Never been in one. Why? Well, because every time I see a shitty Starbucks open up in my area it makes the other shops put up their prices.
When one opened up near me I could get a latte from Tesco cafe for 37pence, or a takeaway latte from Greggs for about 75pence.
These prices quickly went up and up and within about two months I stopped going to Tesco or Greggs completely.
And I could get a really nice cup from a local cafe for about £1. This went up to about £2 within about 4 months of Starbucks opening.
I don't believe it was about the extra competition, it was just plain greed of "of they can charge X for a cup of shit then we can charge X for a cup of notshit."
So fuck Starbucks. Fuck Costa etc etc etc. Fuck most big corporations!!
Every one of the comments in this thread is almost the exact same thing. "I already boycott them, duh!" or "Starbucks is crap compared to what I like."
I don't like Starbucks either, but you don't have to be pretentious to stand for work reform. Like what is going on here? Get over yourselves.
I bought a cool rainbow union tshirt to support that folks fighting the corp. I love it. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be selling them anymore. Donate to the strike fund. A quick web search will get you there.
Don't criticize me for not linking to it. People need to learn how to do things for themselves. Search. It's easy. There's a reason why https://lmgtfy.com/ became a thing.
78 Comments
DonutsRMeh@lemmy.world · 46 pts · 1d
I’ve always boycotted them naturally. Their black coffee is shit and expensive. That’s why they fill it with so much sweets. Anyway, fuck them
SorryQuick@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 11h
More like because people are addicted to sugar.
Faithless@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 19h
As a European I have no clue why Starbucks is so popular. It’s horribly bad coffee.
Is the succes just due to the many options / sweets you can add? Just drink a quality espresso
Matty_r@programming.dev · 14 pts · 19h
Its coffee for people that don't like coffee.
Kushan@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 18h
I definitely fall into that category and I don't rate Starbuck's either. I also thought Tim Hortons was incredibly mid and Canadians love that shit so what so I know.
UpAndAtThem@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 14h
I tend to describe Tim Hortons coffee as 'tepid dumpster juice'
mjr@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 18h
Timmie's flavoured lattes are so sweet that it's probably sugar addiction.
kestrel7_7@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 11h
They have this ad that “only 2% of the world’s coffee is good enough for Starbucks” but the real stat is more like “Starbucks uses 2% of the world’s coffee” 😂
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 18h
People who like coffee flavoured things but not coffee.
But why go to a massive international corporation for that? Local independent cafes exist and many of them do much better coffee cakes.
skidicarus@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 17h
Convenience. I make my coffee at home, but I pass dozens of Dunkins, Starbucks, gas stations, etc. on my way to work. Can't say I'd be able to locate a local café in my area.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 14h
Never heard of dunkins. Is it convenience or laziness?
skidicarus@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 13h
A bit of both, I'd wager. Same goes for fast food and whatnot.
Grilipper54@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2h
They used to be called "Dunkin Donuts", I think the name changed to "Dunkin". They are a widely known brand in the United States.
I've never been to their coffee shops but the coffee you can buy of theirs at the grocery store is alright.
Its convenience but also around here, the private coffee shops that aren't commercialized are more expensive.
SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 18h
It's often the only available coffee if you want it on the go
mjr@infosec.pub · 3 pts · 18h
That seems rarely the case in the UK. Even the Starbucks drive through is often next to a service station with an espresso counter serving something better, such as a BP with their " Wild Bean Cafe" counter. Sure it's not great coffee but it's not as bad as Starbucks burnt weak offerings !
IronKrill@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 1h
Their coffee sucks, but their tea lattes are some of the better ones. Admittedly probably due to the sugar, but I only tea out as a treat anyway. But that's why I used to go.
Grilipper54@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2h
The coffee on it's own is brewed poorly aka burned, however; if you order a specialty coffee with lots of sugar and milk then its alright.
I believe its intentionally made that way because it makes sense for the quality control of the specialty coffee mix drinks that people buy. Their premade refrigerated drinks are okay at best but I wouldn't not drink one if somebody gave me one for free.
Clearly Lemmy isn't their target market demographic and the people that keep buying it are not going to boycott the product.
GroundedGator@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1h
How do you stock tens of thousands of locations around the world and maintain a consistent (all be it shit) brew? Over roast your beans.
At least that's always been my theory.
kestrel7_7@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 11h
As an American tourist, I about screamed when I saw dozens of people lined up outside Starby’s in Milan. Better espresso within two blocks in every direction!! Aaahh!!
black0ut@pawb.social · 18 pts · 1d
In a lot of places in Europe, they are forced to give you free tap water. Now, the tap water is basically free for them (and that's why they passed that law), but they give it to you in one of their paper cups. Those cost money.
For years now I've been boycotting starbucks by asking for a cup of water every time I see one, and not buying anything from them.
I've probably only made them lose 2 cents, but I'm proud of it. Fuck starbucks.
(Of course, be respectful to the employees when you ask them for the cup of water)
fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com · 3 pts · 1d
I use their restrooms
SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 14 pts · 1d
I started boycotting them years ago when I found out they were union busting.
Now, because I can't start doing it twice, I'll just get somebody I know to boycott them next time they ask.
eurodyne@piefed.world · 13 pts · 1d
Their coffee is terrible. I don’t know why people go there, let alone pay outrageous prices for their shitty coffee.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 16h
Boycott? Never even entered that shitshow 😁
pseudo@jlai.lu · 2 pts · 16h
I did once. For a tee. 4 €. The tea bag placed next to the paper cup of hot water. Very aromatic though.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 11h
Never saw the appeal. I buy tea by the kilogram and have hundreds of liters from it. If I wanted tea outside, I'd fill a can and take it with me.
Cheapskate? Yes.
pseudo@jlai.lu · 1 pts · 11h
Cheapskate? No, reasonable. That was a one time mistake. I am now vaccinated.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 10h
Hehe. To each his own. If I'd own Starbucks I would probably be happy about these masses of people willing to spend so much for so little .
MehBlah@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 14h
I have never went into a starbucks but there are those little shops in other stores and that coffee smells bad. Like a desert truck stop where the coffee machine is stained and the pots have a thick black buildup of tar.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 11h
Never appealed to me, I rarely eat or drink outside. But if I WANTED to, I'd still avoid big stupid chains and would go to the tiny shops or indeed a truck stop.
My first date with now-wifey, she invited me to a hotdog at gas-station. We both drown in money but this was a special moment for 2 x 2 moneyz. How could a fancy starbucks latte frappe suckmynut beat this 😁
NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 1d
I started boycotting them a couple years back when I first heard about the union-busting practices. I was previously a twice weekly customer. -More money for me.
VitoRobles@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 1d
This is where I am. Haven't been there since 2019 when they shut down a store than respect unionizing. My wife, a Starbucks addict, finally cut the addiction after her job's union went on strike. Suddenly, it clicked with her how important that shit is.
Malyca@lemmy.zip · 11 pts · 1d
People aren't doing that already? It's overpriced and over roasted
Funkt4st1c@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 13h
I was unaware we stopped boycotting since like... Covid?
Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 12h
I've been boycotting since...no cup of coffee is worth $6
itsBlorpinTime@feddit.online · 10 pts · 16h
You can only boycott something if you see value in them. I see no value in Starbucks.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 9 pts · 18h
With how much they cost, this could also be good financial advice.
I remember Starbucks being used as a comparison to university fees. It was something like "oh of you go to Starbucks every day that costs as much as you would spend on uni!". That had the opposite effect on me to what they wanted, put me off going to places like Starbucks.
Having to pay for a takeaway pizza in my teens once also put me off ever doing that again when I saw how little I got for how much I spent. I was disappointed before I even started eating it and the pizza its self was nothing special either.
Flatfire@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2h
Where are you getting pizza that it's so expensive? $10-$12 will get you a large pepperoni most places in Canada. I'd say pizza delivered averages closer to $20 but it's leagues better than store-bought. Homemade is a different story, but not everyone can justify that.
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 1d
It’s not even good coffee.
Jackusflackus@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1d
I’ve been boycotting them for my entire life. Won’t stop now
tomkatt@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
Starbucks coffee is hot garbage, it’s not hard to boycott them. I don’t think I’ve set foot in one of their shops in over a decade.
nullspace@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 22h
So what did Starbucks do today?
SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org · 6 pts · 21h
Easiest boycott of my life.
catboy_slim@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 23h
I pee at Starbucks on my bike rides and I don't buy anything.
sudoer777@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 19h
I tried to pee at Starbucks due to the lack of public bathrooms but they required buying something to pee there
kestrel7_7@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 11h
Just ask for a water cup and then pee in it right there in the cafe. Stupid problems require stupid solutions
mjr@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 18h
So that's what that odd taste to the coffee was!
pxlkttn@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 1d
Been boycotting them for years! I love supporting local coffee shops who actually make good coffee.
Almacca@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 18h
I started 'boycotting' them after the first time I had one of their coffee adjacent drinks when I was in the US in late '08. I love how badly they ate shit when they tried to come to Australia where we already knew about good coffee.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 11h
Still am.
BigBenis@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 9h
Lol I genuinely can't remember the last time I had Starbucks. There's always a small business coffee shop doing it better just about anywhere you go if you bother to look.
Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
I've been boycotting them since 9/11/2001
VoteNixon2016@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 22h
Frappuccinos can't melt steel beams
Lettuceeatlettuce@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 23h
Haven't had a Starbucks coffee in 5+ years. I love going to many local coffee shops in my city and supporting them. I'd do it regardless of the quality difference, but damn, local coffee is light years better than that corporate swill.
Cursed_Fig@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 22h
I run a 'local coffee shop'. On behalf of all: thanks for your patronage, we appreciate it. Overheads are higher than you might guess and we really do benefit from every drink sold.
Also, we can easily tell the Starbucks regulars from the non-Starbucks people, not by their order but by their mannerisms. Starbucks people are frequently rude and typically not very able to listen to us answer any questions they ask. Some people are diehard Starbucks superfans (which is fine, live and let live) and I think it's because the experience is so standardized that they don't have to engage their brains.
Raiderkev@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 21h
Maybe if I'm feeling groggy on a road trip. Locally there are far better options especially including making it at home with my own espresso machine. Too expensive for how mid it is.
Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 21h
Starbucks is one of the most overrated brands on this planet.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 20h
they did recently, like last year shut down several starbucks in our area, also they dont want customers staying in thier cafes anymore, by making it uncomfortable for them to sit down.
MrRandom@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 1d
so easy I started years ago
Creat@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 1d
This is going to be somewhat ineffective from me, I haven't been to one in about half a decade or so I think?
Lor@leminal.space · 3 pts · 11h
Have been for well over 6 years now
dan69@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
It’s sad that I see ppl - especially young kids with adults who shop at malls with 10$ cups of 500-750 calories.
saltesc@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
Their coffee is shit. Their international reputation is so negative, they've failed so many times.
So if you're an American and love Starbucks, maybe try to figure out why that is because it's obviously not for the coffee. Or keep paying full price for something as high in quality as their work environment.
crystalmerchant@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
Joke's on you, I stayed boycotting them years ago cause their coffee went down hill. Year after year I've been justified as they've added union busting etc
UnrepententProcrastinator@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 4h
That one's easy
D_C@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 19h
I've never bought from them. Never been in one. Why? Well, because every time I see a shitty Starbucks open up in my area it makes the other shops put up their prices.
When one opened up near me I could get a latte from Tesco cafe for 37pence, or a takeaway latte from Greggs for about 75pence.
These prices quickly went up and up and within about two months I stopped going to Tesco or Greggs completely.
And I could get a really nice cup from a local cafe for about £1. This went up to about £2 within about 4 months of Starbucks opening.
I don't believe it was about the extra competition, it was just plain greed of "of they can charge X for a cup of shit then we can charge X for a cup of notshit."
So fuck Starbucks. Fuck Costa etc etc etc. Fuck most big corporations!!
mlg@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 3h
You hate starbucks because of their unjust hiring practices
I hate starbucks because they were always a shit coffee spot to get shit coffee
We are not the same
mechoman444@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 3h
Ya... I was about to say I don't need to boycott Starbucks they have terrible coffee so I just don't buy shit from them.
UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 7h
Didn't have to boycott, I never liked their overpriced coffee
TheRiskiestBiscuit@reddthat.com · 2 pts · 1d
Done. Fxxk Starbucks. I’ll never give them my money again.
PissMissile@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 12h
Every one of the comments in this thread is almost the exact same thing. "I already boycott them, duh!" or "Starbucks is crap compared to what I like."
I don't like Starbucks either, but you don't have to be pretentious to stand for work reform. Like what is going on here? Get over yourselves.
absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz · 1 pts · 2h
Done.
I will continue to not drink their coffee; as I always have.
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2h
You mean continue not buying over priced bullshit coffee?
Gee, I dont know.. It'll be hard, but I think I can manage it.
Polisheocket@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 1h
For someone like my wife, it’s very hard, she spends like $30 a week at coffee places, not necessarily all Starbucks. It tastes better apparently
some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 13h
I bought a cool rainbow union tshirt to support that folks fighting the corp. I love it. Unfortunately, they don't seem to be selling them anymore. Donate to the strike fund. A quick web search will get you there.
Don't criticize me for not linking to it. People need to learn how to do things for themselves. Search. It's easy. There's a reason why https://lmgtfy.com/ became a thing.
aceshigh@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2h
Pretty much all of these boycotts are easy because I’m not much of a consumer.
DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth · 1 pts · 1d
Okie dokie! I was already boycotting from last time lol
AngryRobot@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1h
My wife got a coffee there like 3 or 4 times a week, but we both refuse to cross a picket line. She hasn't been there in a year and a half.