For the past 8-months I’ve been making my coffee 4 or 5 days a week which is a lot faster and cheaper than riding over to Starbucks on a daily basis. However, while I was traveling, making my coffee wasn’t really an option (well, okay, it was but the hotel coffee was disgusting!) So, I’d walk over to Starbucks, wait 20 or so minutes, and be satiated. But while I waited, Mr. LH would glare at me through the windows as he braved the cold. He would have come in, but he can’t stand the smell of the place (he’s not a coffee drinker).
As much as I love Starbucks coffee, waiting 20 or more minutes for my drink is becoming a little absurd. I’m not so sure it’s worth the wait anymore, especially now that I can get a similar drink at say, McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts. My drink isn’t all that special, mind you. It’s three espresso shots with vanilla syrup over ice topped off with half-and-half.
Faster and cheaper is beginning to have it’s up side.
Some may argue that Starbucks is quality coffee and I completely agree. But the time it takes to stand in line, order, and wait for my drink has been increasing over the years. No longer can I get in and out in less than 15 minutes. Starbucks has become much more popular over the years and they haven’t seemed to change their style of drink production. In some cases, it’s just not worth the wait.
And to show that I’m not only saving time, but money, I checked back with Spendster.org and calculated that by cutting back 4 days a week, I’m saving about $416 annually.
Do you think Starbucks is worth the wait?
9 Comments
I hate waiting for anything! I go to Starbucks 2-4 times a month on Saturday or Sunday. It coincides with my trip to the bookstore. I think spending should be a series of choices. If you want to spend money on Starbucks, you may have to give up other splurges to stay within your means.
@Krantcents – I’ve found a happy-medium; Starbucks on the weekends and maybe one additional day, make my coffee the other days at home. That way I’m not depriving myself of too much and also not having to get frustrated on work days waiting in line for a drink! 😉
I hate it when I have to wait at Starbucks. There is one by my house that takes forever (like 20 minutes), while the one by my work is super-fast (usually less than 5 minutes), so I end up hitting the one near my work each morning. I do it because it is fast and easy.
@The College Investor – My old Starbucks was a walk-up/drive-thru type and I could ride my bike right up to the walk-up window. That one was super-quick. Unfortunately, I don’t live near that one anymore. So sad!
While I still like Starbucks, but you are absolutely right!
This past year I started buying Egg Nog, Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Brulee lattes from Starbucks, and for the over $4 that it cost, I no longer believe it’s worth it.
Oh sure, it was good and I drank way to much Pumpkin Spice (with the Caramel Brulee being a cost second), that said, some days it was costing me about $18 and that’s just crazy.
Sounds like you have a sweet coffee machine… very cool!
Happy New Year!
@Don – You have a point here. Maybe with the colder weather, people who normally wouldn’t visit Starbucks are making that visit, which is slowing down my service! 😉 However, maybe it’s just a cycle that has gotten slower over years.
I’m not a coffee drinker, so I am biased there that it isn’t worth the wait. But I do have my own addictions like Chinese from my favorite restaurant or those days that I just have to have a certain side from a fast food place (like a McD apple pie). But I think my cutoff time is about 15 minutes. If it takes longer, I probably wouldn’t go back often at all…I’m generally an impatient person, lol.
@Crystal – I swear Starbucks didn’t used to take that long, but the two stores closest to me are so slow, it’s painstaking! Thankfully I started making my coffee more often. 🙂
I guess I’m an outlier. Last time I bought anything from Starbucks was four or five years ago, and it was a convenience buy at Barnes and Noble, on a date with Mrs. 101. When I need it, I need coffee NOW, not 20 minutes from now.