[SamAdams76]

I like their coffee a lot but I hate going into these places because I feel like I'm out of my skin. It just doesn't feel right. The hired help are always very polite but there is such an air of pretentiousness and uppityness among the clientele that I just can't wait to get my coffee and get the hell out of there. Never once have I sat inside a Starbucks to drink my coffee. Those people, with their goatees, flip-flops and iMac laptops just creep me out. And does Starbucks know that there are other newspapers to sell besides the New York Times?

[Not A Snowbird]

The Starbucks I go to isn't like that at all, because it's a tiny little place inside an office building. People show up to get their coffee, chat with the employees for 30 seconds, and get back to work. No poofy chairs to sit in.

[Horatio Gates]

The nice thing about Stabucks is that if you don't like one store, you can always go the other Starbocks across the street. 8>)

[in hoc signo vinces]

Houston, Texas is a bit different...depending on area...in regard to the client base for starbucks.

They sale the local paper too, which isnt much better than the NYT. Fortunate thing is...both papers sit...no one buys them.

[Frank_Discussion]

I find the SB's in Houston to be pretty much OK, at least down here in the south part of the metro, though the least pretentious seem to be at the Borders bookstore locations. You'd think the opposite...

[EdHallick]

Does Starbucks know that they can sell regular coffee as well? I went in there once for a coffee and when I saw the "frappa rappa dappa latte crappa" that was it for me, I was out of there. Starbucks reminds me of Oprah, absoutely nothing there but for some mysterious reason they make a hell of a lot of money.

[MikefromOhio]

the 2 Starbucks I have been in here in Ohio (both in Columbus), dont seem that bad....

[Cecily]

My Starbucks has a drive-through, and I rarely go inside.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

My experience has been the same as yours though I had not given it much thought. I am old and confident enough that those folks amuse me more than anything else. I am in Dallas but have visited SBs in Austin several times also. Unlike Frank, in my experience the ones in the book stores have been the epitome of an air of intellectual snootiness.

[Textide]

My Starbucks has several cute chicks working there. Haven't met the manager yet, but when I do I'll shake his hand for his hiring prowess...then confess that that's the reason why I study in his store.

[bronxboy]

my Starbucks is not like that...All different kinds of people go there...as for young men with goatees, this is the style among young men (including my nephew) who are mostly really nice guys

[mupcat]

We have a very small Starbucks in our area, and in fact, thank heavens, it has a "drive-through" along with their regular store.