The Little Guy

For those of you unaware, I recently started a job at Starbucks here in the northern part of Indianapolis. It's a fun job for the most part. It was tough getting back into working an schedule after being off of everything for three months, but the swing is returning. In telling a few people I work for Starbucks, there has been the remark about how Big Corporate Starbucks is ruining neighborhoods by killing the opportunity for the Smiths to start their own family run coffee shop. This sentiment echoes with that common noble purpose, to work at the local coffee shop, to buy from the local coffee shop, as if they are the only real people in the mix. I argue that buying a coffee from your local Starbucks is just as beneficial to real people.

Reason 1. Local people work there, just like at the small time place. The money you spend goes to their paycheck too. If their store goes out of business, which many Starbucks stores have in the past year, they lose their jobs.

Reason 2. Starbucks began as a local coffee shop, now it just has more stores. Thanks to ambitious business planning, they are where they are today and a lot of people like what they get there.

Reason 3. Large corporations are able to provide more benefits, like health insurance after only working 20 hours a week. Also opportunities for scholarships, non-profit foundations, etc.

Conclusion: Go to wherever you enjoy getting your coffee. I'm not advocating only buying from Starbucks. Local places often have a better atmosphere and better fare. Starbucks is not necessarily better, but it's not necessarily worse than your local family owned joint. Either way you go though, your money ends up in the hands of regular people, like me. Thank you.