First the Sears Tower magically morphs into the “Willis Tower” and now this! On the heels of yesterday’s renaming frenzy, another recognizable landmark has caught “we’re actually not called that anymore” fever. This time it’s not a majestically stoic member of a Chicago skyline, rather the Seattle storefront that helps many local residents get their caffeine fix every morning, afternoon, and night - Starbucks.
Those efforts will likely not be enough to fool those who only support small businesses, as baristas will most likely still respond to an order for a Venti Mocha Soy Chai Latte.
In an attempt to possibly convince anti-corporate behemoth joe sippers that it’s just a quaint mom and pop java joint, some Emerald City Starbucks are being re-branded with the new moniker: “15th Avenue Coffee and Tea.” The multi-national mega corporation will be removing “visible Starbucks identifiers,” effectively giving it the appearance of a neighborhood hangout complete with live music, beer and wine. Those efforts will likely not be enough to fool those who only support small, local businesses, as baristas will most likely still respond to an order for a Venti Mocha Soy Chai Latte - despite their efforts to pretend they don’t know what you’re talking about. If non-Starbucks really wants to engrain themselves with the neighborhood coffee crowd, they should announce that every night is bad poetry night in the performance space.
