wow. that's so disappointing. but good to know, at least. maybe stumptown can move into the open airport slots? much better than the ubiquitous evil 'bucks.

As my husband is fond of saying, it'll all soon be the "One Corp"(and he's been saying this for many years). Or, for Tolkien fans, One Ring to Rule them all...

I remember thinking to myself this could be coffee or it could be just coffee.

There was a time when I stopped every morning at Coffee People at Holladay market for a Kahlua Charger.

What a business model! Four bucks for a few cents of java and fancy flavors.

I've always wondered what the magic is about these coffee places. It's just coffee, after all.

the magic? the freakin shakes are the magic. black tiger shake. mmmm... i used to go to that holladay market one as well. but purely for the ice cream.

Jack,

The kiosks in the airport are not owned by Deidrich, which is why they weren't part of the Starbuck's deal. I think it's a logical extension to assume they won't be shut down but can't say that with complete certainty, of course.

NOOOOOOOOOO! Starbucks took away my granita from Torrefazzione, now they are taking away my Black Tiger shakes. Is there no end to their evil!

Seriously, though, go to Stumptown instead, better coffee and support a local business.

I've never understood the fascination. Back when I lived in NW Portland and Coffee People was still just a "mom&pop" shop, I'd occasionally stop in. Great coffee. No backtalk.

But then they started expanding, and I moved, so I never went in any more. Then Starbucks showed up. I went into one, once. Somehow, the idea of having to learn a new language and pay a large sum of money for a cup of coffee just didn't appeal to me.

If you think it's cool to wander in and pay around $4 for a doubleskinnylatte,withasideback, notakickback, justadoubleskinnylattewithasidekick, notaspeedstick, I'dlikeastir-stick

Whatever works for you.

I'm sorry to hear that. I go there fairly often when I need a nice cup of ice tea (I'm from the South and am not much of a coffee person), but am in a hurry. Not many Starbucks have drive throughs since they want you to come in so they can tempt you into buying other items. With Coffee People, I could drive up, pick up my tea, and be out of there. The employees were also all friendly as well.

I've been to a few of the smaller drive up places, but they typically have flavored teas that have artificial flavors and/or sweetners. That stuff makes me sick and gives me a headache. I just want a plain 'ole ice tea.

Besides, it's never good when the amount of competition gets smaller.

Maybe someone will buy some of the CP locations since Starbucks won't want to use them. There are a few that are on my regular driving routes where there aren't any other coffee places around.

People said nothing was standing in the way of TWA and GM either....

Still, I'm confused why people stop by Starbucks on Twilliger when Papachinos is across the street. Someone explain this to me? The only time I stopped at that Starbucks was after running in Tyron Creek on a holiday and Papas was closed.

Why is Starbucks "evil". They triumphed because they offer a superior product and service.

I tried to patronize Coffee People on MLK for years, but they'd get my order wrong at the drive through about 1/3 the time. I fianally gave up an drove a block further to the Starbucks by the Convention Center....drive through and gets my order right 9 out of ten. And they make a pretty good iced late. You libs can call it Darwanism.....

I think people just stay on the side of the road they're driving on. If you're going toward I-5 or down to Macadam, it's a real bee-yotch to get out of Papa's.

Starbucks and McMenamin's Pubs have a sort of post-modern sense of community about them. They attract people "as if there were part of a community" when in fact, there is very little interaction between strangers in either place (at least in the ones I've been in.)

They are "clean well-lighted places" which offer a safe haven for a single person, or a group, and they have a "faux sense of connection" to the rest of the customers.

The coffee at Starbucks is consistently better than most, though not as good as Stumptown.

People who want to "feel connected" without "being connected" would like either place.

Solution for going from Papa's to I-5: Do not cross Terwilliger from Papas. Instead, exit Papas at East, turn right onto 6th, follow 6th around behind Papas until you get to light, turn left on Terwilliger when light turns green. No problem.

Don't forget, Starbucks also owns Seattle's Best (or is it Peet's--one of the two).

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bloody hell. Black Tiger was responsible for my very first runaway chain reaction caffiene buzz.

Sigh. They'll be sorely missed.

Yeah, I don't know. I certainly lament the loss of local businesses, but I take it from your post that Coffee People wasn't actually, anymore. And, as Evil Empires go, Starbucks isn't so bad. It's a pretty good employer; there's the whole health insurance thing, for example. It makes serious efforts to find and buy coffee from communities and growers who are doing it right and could really use the support. It's got a wildly strong "customer is always right" policy, in full understanding that some people will and do abuse it. It essentially created the gourmet-coffee market, without which the local shops wouldn't exist. And at the SBUXes I go to (the two Pioneer Place locations, and Westmoreland), the employees seem awfully chipper and happy, very much as though they like their jobs. I get as much of a morning boost from chatting with the friendly, funny, intelligent employees at the main-level P. Place shop as I do from the coffee itself.

Jyah: Starbucks does not own Peet's.

Travis: Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights do make a left.

Then there's the matter of getting into Papa's from the northbound side when there's a southbound line waiting for the light...

Starbucks does not own Peet's.

Starbucks does own Seattle's Best.

They didn't at first, of course.

The Bush folks complain that our tax system destroys small business, but it's not true. What kills successful small business is its takeover by big multinational corporations. At some point, the small business owners decide they'd rather relax than work, especially since they've built something that the big guys will pay big bucks for.

So goes your locally owned businesses: Meier & Frank, Fred Meyer, Coffee People, and in the same vein First National Bank of Oregon, Pacific Power, PGE -- you either swallow or get swallowed.

Starbucks created the specialty coffee business. I don't understand the vitriol people have for them, either. Predators? Evil Empire?

Jeez. Get some perspective.

Starbucks created the specialty coffee business.

Espresso's been around a lot longer than Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks has a successful business model --and more power to them-- but is it "predatory?" Well, when they continue to buy out their competitors so that they increasingly control that speciality coffee market...yup, that's predatory. Stumptown Coffee look out!

Sure, its just coffee, and its a kick to go into the original Starbucks near Pike Place market...but there's something just a little creepy --or sad-- about this dog-eat-dog, buy-'em up ethic. What's next, the Bagdad becomes a part of the Regal chain, and Terminator Stout's made by Anhauser-Busch?

Small business is local, innovative, and a driving force in the economy. I remember sitting in am ancient old coffee house in Madrid, with a couple of customers...while across the square, people were lined up to get into the Starbucks. When its about "branding" and not the brew itself, when we globalize the economy this way, we run the risk of losing something precious, the personal touch of the entrepeneur. "It's a Beautiful Pizza," isn't the same as Dominoes --its way better-- but how do you compete?

"Henry's" used to be a local brew, and the smell of hops was a part of the Burnside scene. Now "Henry's" is a meaningless brand, those local jobs are gone, and we're poorer for it, I think.

That was one very cool thing about North Bend/Coos Bay. There were no Starbuck's. The only chain of coffee places was Dutch Bros, and the Fastlane was one of three or four in the state. I tried Starbuck's a couple of times on trips to L.A., and thought it tasted pretty awful. What a shame if that's the good stuff...

Patrick B's comment about Starbucks and Macmenamins selling a "faux sense of connection" is right on. Just try to go to a Macmenamins and sing some pub songs with your mates, and you'll find out they don't want patrons actually connecting with each other; they will turn up their corporate-provided canned music or TV instead, and very likely ask you to leave.

Oops - that should have read "McMenamins." Apologies; I must have been thinking of MacTarnahans - are they, at least, still locally owned?

The issue doesn't have to be whether Starbucks is 'evil' or not... despite claims made above, they do not sell a 'superior product'. Oh sure, it's not bad, and it beats Yuban with one hand behind its back. But Starbucks focuses on SO MUCH of the other stuff they sell, and their coffee is scorched and overrated.

Don't judge a coffee shop on fluffy, sweet drink nonsense that costs $4 a cup. People who are serious about their coffee will tell you they keep it simple, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TASTE GOOD COFFEE, not doctor it up. Soccer moms buy that frappachino mochiatto shit. If the coffee is good, the house coffee will be good... $1.50. What's wrong with that?

Ah, hell. There goes one of the great peanut butter and chocolate milkshakes I've had. Can't find anyplace else that serves them.

I'm really going to miss my Velvet Hammer milkshakes. Damn it!