Its their own fault for opening so many damn stores. Just here in Atlanta, there is a shopping center where you can stand at the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble and look into the Starbucks in both Target and Kroger. There are also places here too where they are literally blocks away from each other, and malls that have upper level and lower level Starbucks, in addition to the one in Barnes and Noble.
Their coffee is terrible- overroasted, burnt, like motor oil. I have to dose it with half and half. To me, the measure of really good coffee is if I can drink it black, which these days just seems to be at places like Waffle House, IHOP, etc.- There coffee is the best when it is fresh. Even since McDonalds started serving "premium" coffee, it is much too dark and I prefer the older cheaper kind!
As far as being a good place to work for, I worked there for about 3 weeks
and I will say comparatively it is good with the health options, etc. but the reason I stopped working there is because I got terribly sick with mono, with a 103 fever, and couldn't find someone to cover my shifts after getting on the Starbucks store directory and frantically calling local stores to see if someone could cover my shift. I understand most retail outlets work like this- find your own replacement if you are sick- but I really don't think that is right. I understand if you just want to skip out of work, but if you are really sick or have had some kind of emergency and the manager knows you to be an honest person, they should find someone for you
Also, I was surprised at just how DIFFICULT a job it was, esp. at the location I was at, in the Macy's at Lenox (super posh mall in Atlanta- Buckhead). There was no seating except for a few tables outside, so almost all the customers were in a hurry to shop or get to work- very few "chill" folks. Treat those kids nicely and patiently everyone , they are workin' hard!
I will say that I agree with paradoxically they HAVE been largely responsible for the mass interest in coffee, coffeehouses, and coffeehouse culture, which has in fact paved the way for the explosion of independent coffee places. If someone chooses a Starbucks with an independent place nearby, that is not Starbucks fault
So def. not a black and white issue- those are some of my feelings on Starbucks.