I've long argued that the draw to Starbucks isn't that it's really good coffee, it's that it's consistently mediocre. You always know what you are getting and it's not going to suck. The lesser draw for me was that being vegan, I know for sure they have soy milk which a lot of smaller shops didn't have. In my part of town, I know the good indie coffee shops and prefer those, but traveling or in unfamiliar territory Starbucks was always a safe bet. And the thing they had going for them was that the people working there always seemed to care. That is no longer the case. I've been keeping track, and the last 10 times (in a row) that I've been in a Starbucks they have messed up my order. They have gone from listening to what you order and getting you that, to assuming you are ordering the same thing as the last 20 people and rushing you through to get to the next person. A side effect is that the drinks are starting to suck. My dog could make a better espresso at this point. So that's it. I'm done. I will now go out of my way to avoid Starbucks. Admittedly, this is probably something I should have done a long time ago. The good news is, it's been a long time since I've been to an indie shop that didn't have soy so I think people are getting the idea.