Everywhere I go, and that is particularly true in Portland, I find coffee drinkers who criticize Starbucks. Never mind that you (almost) always know what you'll get when you go there. Never mind the principled stands that Howard Schultz has taken. No matter how friendly Starbucks employees are, particularly in Spokane. Case in point? Yesterday at the Starbucks outlet on the near South Hill, I ordered a venti mocha frappuccino light (my go-to summer afternoon drink). And as invariably happens, the nice woman behind the counter asked me if I wanted anything to eat. This time, though, when I said no, she smiled. “Would you like to try a sample of one of our new pastries?” she asked. “They're delicious”/Dan Webster, Dually Noted. More here.

Question: Why do so many people hate on Starbucks. In descending order, I grab coffee from Starbucks, Kootenai Coffee, Calypso's and Java on Fourth. How about you? Are you anti-Starbucks?