I don&#x27;t buy the comparison of Starbuck&#x27;s to McDonalds. Starbucks sets much higher standard in coffee than McDonalds does in burgers. And prior to Starbucks nationwide roll out, McDonald&#x27;s weak coffee in a styrofoam cup set the standard. Yuck<p>I remember the time before Starbucks. American coffee was some watered down beans with 5% non-coffee filler that had been sitting in an open air carafe on an electric heating plate for the past 3 hours. Yuck<p>I love my local coffee houses, but 30 years ago there were almost none. You had to live downtown in a major city or in a university town to easily find good coffee. Yes, I am sad when I visit Seattle or the Bay Area and see how many local places have gone away, but out here in rural Colorado I think Starbucks helped grow demand for good coffee and local shops.