Item: Starbucks won't slug it out in ad wars: Coffee chain says it'll take high road/Seattle PI

More Info: McDonald's has erected a billboard in sight of Starbucks headquarters declaring, "four bucks is dumb." If Dunkin' Donuts' taste test commercials were the schoolyard equivalent of blowing spitballs at the coffee giant from afar, then the latest from McDonald's is like pulling a wedgie. Starbucks employees driving northbound can see the billboard on their way into the city. Another billboard slogan jabs, "large is the new grande." The two phrases are displayed on 140 billboards in Western Washington, some of them near Starbucks cafes.

Question: In the current bad economy, is $4 too much to pay for a fancy cup of coffee?

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