Losing an old friend

I lost an old friend yesterday. The Starbucks that I have patronized for 7 years was closed in a round of consolidations on Howard Schulz's part. I don't think he realizes how it made me and lots of others who faithfully went there feel.

I am a Starbucks addict. I would drive 10 miles out of my way to go to a Starbucks instead of anywhere else. When I heard that they were closing I immediately do what I do best: I got mad. I wrote and called Starbucks. I wanted to picket but they wouldn't let me. I wanted to start a petition drive to keep it open but was told it would do no good. Maybe it wouldn't have but it would have shown corporate Starbucks in Seattle that there are a lot of little people in little towns who love the people and the product and they should just leave us alone. As a business person I can completely understand why Howard is doing this. They built a big, fancy drive through Starbucks not far away that does a much larger business. They are also building a new one farther down on I-5 that I will just as easily be able to access that will be open in November. That is not the point.

This was a tiny Starbucks that didn't have all the room for the merchandise and huge seating areas. This was a cozy, intimate place where after 7 years I knew everybody that worked there. They knew my car and if they saw me drive up would have my coffee ready. They went through some rough times with me and I them. I heard about school, lovers, parents, and grandparents passing. They heard about Colin getting diagnosed and those trials, Taylor moving into her teens, and the joys and pains of life in the Navy. Most importantly they were a smiling, stable part of my day during the times when I was quite sure I was losing my mind and unsure if I would ever get it back. I spent part of my afternoon there yesterday. I snitched a momento or two. I made sure that they realized how much they meant to me. Then I went home to figure out how I'm not going to instinctually drive there every day.