Starschmucks
Starbucks has a deal going with AT&T as their new wireless provider; if you register a giftcard on their site (and use it at least once per month), you get two free hours of in-store AT&T wireless daily. (Plus a free drink coupon, free refills, and some other stuff — I registered mine!) On the one hand, yay — I tend to choose Panera over Starbucks when I have a kid-free hour or two to get work done, precisely because of free wireless (and free refills). On the other hand, boo — why run people through the random “register a gift card and get an AT&T account” hoops? I can walk into any Panera and hop onto their wireless without having to remember account info (or to keep using that giftcard). I don’t even really like Panera’s weak coffee, but they trump Starbucks in terms of customer service on this one.
(And yes, I could go to the library — but they don’t have any coffee at all!)
joshua m. neff:
Daily Dose, an independent coffee shop in Johnson County, KS, offers free wifi and great coffee. (They also have a bar in the back, if you want something a bit more alcoholic.) I’ve known of other independent coffee shops that offered that. Why people continue to patronize Starbucks (who continue to underwhelm me with their coffee) is beyond me.
6 June 2008, 12:07 pmrachel:
I actually like Starbucks coffee quite a bit (I know, I know…). But, I appreciate independent coffee shops when I travel & can find them — unfortunately, there are none anywhere near me here in Chicagoburbia.
6 June 2008, 12:11 pmMarcy B:
One’s coffee palate is so variable…I *like* the weak coffee at Panera. But then, I think Dunkin Donuts’ coffee is about the best out there…
6 June 2008, 4:39 pmHarvey Schwartz:
Panera coffee is just brown hot water made by one armed paper hangers.
Harvey Schwartz
18 November 2008, 5:46 pmLong Island