blogger profile

Sabrina Heise

Editorial Assistant

True confessions: * Not as politically aware as I should be. * I bite my nails. * I didn't love the Sex and the City movie. * I am actually, really addicted to sugar and should probably be in a 12-step program. * By addicted, I mean, I lash out at people and get grumpy when I haven't had my sug...

READ MORE

Star-no-bucks

Starbucks announced today that they are closing 5% (600) of their stores, nationwide this summer. While I have a family member and friends who work/have worked for the super-caffeinated corporation, I am actually THRILLED to see some of them go. The deal is, Starbucks has become their own (and only) competition. There are three Starbucks locations within a mile of each other in downtown Charleston. I can’t even begin to count how many Starbucks were in a square block in my old hometown of Charlotte. 

 Thinking about the ridiculousness of how Starbucks are actually building practically on top of each other reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite movies, Best in Show:

Meg Swan: We met at Starbucks. Not at the same Starbucks but we saw each other at different Starbucks across the street from each other.

This movie came out eight years ago, and it was already a total joke.

The main reason I’m thrilled that some of these locations are closing,is because I am a die-hard fan of the independent coffee house. I’ve always felt so comfortable in these places...big, overstuffed couches and coffee tables stacked with board games (who cares if a few pieces were missing?), some young musician playing acoustic in the corner, hoping their music will connect with someone in the audience and catapult them to instant stardom. I’ve watched as some of these places couldn’t compete with the urban-manufactured-hip of the Starbucks down the street (Strong’s Coffee in Chapel Hill, anyone?) and didn’t have the corporate backing to pay rising rent costs.

No matter how many new flavors of pastries, no matter how high the towers of whipped cream, no matter how many indie bands sell out to cash in on Starbucks compilation albums, I will never feel cozy in one of those places. Their couches are stiff, compared with the gently worn-in ones of the local place down the street. The music is pumped from hidden speakers at high volumes from all over the room, instead of wafting gently from a pre-teen in the corner. Worst of all, Starbucks is always COLD. It’s probably their not-so-subtle way of  trying to get you to buy more piping hot (and charred tasting) coffee.

 For those of you that are bummed that your local hot spot might soon be shutting its doors, have no fear...there will still be another 11,400 locations still staying open (and that’s just in the U.S.).

P.S. For those of you in Charleston who are looking to venture beyond this Seattle-based superpower, here are some other downtown hangouts to visit:

Kudu Coffee House
4 Vanderhorst Street
843.853.7183
iheartkudu.com

City Lights Coffee
141 Market Street
843.853.7067