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San Francisco is not the city that knows how to tip, according to a survey. A poll of coffee purchases made by Square reveals that only 34.2 percent of San Francisco purchases were accompanied by a tip, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. That was the eighth-lowest out of nine cities surveyed. In Tampa, 62 percent of coffee drinkers tipped on a Square purchase, according to the survey. Even New Yorkers did better, with about 41 percent of coffee drinks topped off with a tip. Only Chicago was worse -- there, baristas get extra cash 12.3 percent of the time,...

The real Starbucks (SBUX, Fortune 500) isn't happy with the parody coffee shop calling itself Dumb Starbucks that's popped up in Los Angeles, and wants the faux baristas to drop the act. "We appreciate the humor but they can't use our name," Starbucks spokesman Jim Olson told CNNMoney. "It's a protected trademark. It's our trademark."

A would-be thief got a warm surprise after attempting to break into a couple's flat in northern Sweden. The couple were asleep in their home when they awoke with a start around 1am upon hearing a noise coming from the balcony of their apartment in Kvarnåsen. Homeowner Tomas Holmberg rushed to the balcony, flung open the door from the inside and managed to overpower the hapless thief – who didn't resist – and promptly called the police, according to local media reports. Holmberg then sat the 21-year-old burglar down in the kitchen and offered him some coffee. "He looked forlorn...

MUMBAI: It is a rite of passage for many young journalists and filmmakers in Mumbai. You enter the Irani cafe, take in the atmosphere of peeling walls, old calendars and dusty cabinets, the bentwood chairs and glass-topped tables, the screened-off sections that no one seems to have entered in years and the few people sipping tea or bun-maska. Then you pluck up courage, approach the aging owner at the counter and ask if you can speak to him for a story on vanishing Irani cafes. It is some measure of the kindness usually lurking under the owners' gruff exteriors that,...

What if coffee were like 0-care? http://cnsnews.com/video/cnsnews/what-if-coffee-were-obamacare

Coffee has long been a friend of students working through the night, but it does more than just keep us awake. A study provides the first convincing evidence that caffeine enhances long-term memory in people – provided the dose is right. The effects mirror similar results seen in honeybees, where a boost to memory from caffeine-laden nectar may help bees return to certain plants. Researchers strongly suspected that caffeine enhances memory, but studies that tried to show this in people weren't conclusive, as any apparent benefits in memory could have been due to increased attention, a known benefit of caffeine....

Researchers in Baltimore, Maryland, carried out tests on 100 people Showed them a series of images which they had to remember Then gave some participants 200mg of caffeine - the same as a strong cup Those who took dose could remember pictures more clearly the next day Coffee doesn’t just perk you up – just one mug a day can give your memory a boost too, experts claimed yesterday. ‘We have always known caffeine has cognitive enhancing effects, but its particular effects on strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting has never been examined in detail in humans. We...

KANAB, UT – The Utah Department of Transportation is urging motorists to plan ahead for daily three-hour closures of U.S. Highway 89 immediately north of Kanab beginning Wednesday. UDOT will completely close three miles of the highway in both directions, from Kanab north to the Kanab Creek Bridge, Mondays through Fridays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. until approximately April 11.The highway will be open to single lane traffic for the remaining 21 hours each day and also open on weekends. Depending on a driver’s origin and destination, suitable detours could take as much time as waiting; so the Kane County Office of...

Oh, I resisted for a very long time. I can’t claim to be a coffee traditionalist, really, thanks to my preference for flavored coffee. My father likes to scoff at me for that whenever he visits out here, but I like the real thing as well.  I drink it straight, no cream or sweetener whether flavored or not, and I brew it in large pots, totally full, every single time. And most days I drink all of it, too. All of that changed when my sister bought us a Keurig system for Christmas this week while visiting out here. Specifically,...

A quaint tourist town in Washington State has become divided over a coffee stand run by scantily clad bikini-wearing baristas. At the center of the dispute is Meghan Calavan, owner of the Sips Ahoy coffee stand, and a female resident of Anacortes who accused Calavan of making offensive comments about her weight. The argument between the two women has caught the attention of local authorities, has compelled members of the community to engage in fist fights and has threatened the survival of the popular sailor-themed bikini barista stand. The feud first began on Facebook when Jesseka Kathleen Cladek posted on...

Coffee is actually very healthy. It is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that can improve your health.The studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of several serious diseases. Here are the top 13 evidence-based health benefits of coffee, that have been confirmed in actual human studies.1. Coffee Can Improve Energy Levels and Make You Smarter Coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy levels (1, 2). This is because it contains a stimulant called caffeine, which is actually the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world (3).After you drink coffee, the caffeine is...

The next time you take a coffee break, you might want to consider a triple espresso. The extra caffeine will help get your blood flowing—and possibly reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. A study presented Wednesday at the American Heart Assn.’s Scientific Sessions meeting offers new evidence that coffee boosts the function of small blood vessels in people who are already healthy. …

This is hysterical...from Reason Magazine: What if buying coffee was like we now have to buy health insurance?

Starbucks Corp has failed to persuade a federal appeals court to stop a small, family-owned New Hampshire roaster from selling coffee known as "Charbucks." Ruling in a case that began in 2001, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Black Bear Micro Roastery and its owner, Wolfe's Borough Coffee Inc., may keep selling "Charbucks Blend," "Mister Charbucks" and "Mr. Charbucks" coffee.

McDonald’s wants to be a bigger player in the global coffee business. The world’s biggest hamburger chain on Thursday highlighted beverages as one of its key growth opportunities at a day-long presentation for investors. … The push comes as Starbucks Corp. is enjoying strong sales growth even in the choppy economy. In the latest quarter, the Seattle-based chain said global sales rose 7 percent at locations open at least a year. At McDonald’s, the figure edged up 0.9 percent. …

tarbucks has become the latest foreign firm to be roasted by China's state-run media, with a series of accusations that the world's largest coffee shop chain is overcharging Chinese consumers. State broadcaster CCTV aired a seven-minute report criticising the firm's pricing in China, arguing that a tall latte in Beijing is more expensive than in London, Chicago and Mumbai. The report on Sunday gave the price of a Beijing latte as 27 yuan ($4.42), compared with 24.25 yuan ($3.97) in London, 19.98 yuan ($3.26) in Chicago and 14.6 yuan ($2.39) in Mumbai.

Java, Guns and Rock’n Roll…….with Ted Nugent Filed under Rock N Roll, VIP Coffee Interview If you listen to Rock and Roll music or have listened in the past oh, four decades, then you know the name Ted Nugent. Aside from leaving a huge mark in the rock world with Wango Tango, Snakeskin Cowboys, Cat Scratch Fever, and Stranglehold (to name a scant few, a few over 30 million sold that is.), Ted is an unapologetic and highly opinionated force in the media. No matter what the Nuge does these days it comes with controversy, from his pro hunting and...

It's really unbelievable what happened to Stella Liebeck. You just have to watch to see how the media turned on this little old lady who lived in Albuquerque. Obviously a villain, right? And at 5:00, prepare to see what the coffee actually did to her. It's not pretty. Well ... nothing in her situation was.

Here’s his letter about it to the company. It’s just a request, not a ban. If he made it a ban, then employees would have to enforce it. And he’s quite candid about his misgivings over putting an unarmed worker in the position of telling someone who’s packing that they’re unwelcome. Lots of grumbling about this on Twitter this morning, which surprised me. Surely there can’t be that much overlap between fans of open carry and fans of pumpkin spice lattes. Turns out I had missed the news about “Starbucks Appreciation Day” by gun owners last month, though. This isn’t...

(Reuters photo- with article) While many U.S. restaurant chains and retailers do not allow firearms on their properties, Starbucks' policy had been to default to local gun laws, including "open carry" regulations in many U.S. states that allow people to bring guns into stores. In August, this led gun-rights advocates to hold a national "Starbucks Appreciation Day" to thank the firm for its stance, pulling the company deeper into the fierce political fight. Locations for Starbucks Appreciation Day events included Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were shot dead in an elementary school in December. Starbucks closed that...