Starbucks vs. Dunkin' Donuts ?

Why do people scoff at Starbucks? Someone asked me the other day if I was going to get my “expensive” coffee—meaning Starbucks. And I said “Do you know what? Starbucks coffee isn't much more expensive than Dunkin’ Donuts.” To prove it, I got a tall coffee and a doughnut (donut?) the other day and it ran me about 3.00, and the doughnut was a better quality doughnut said the person sitting beside me and who was doing the scoffing.

And I followed by telling him that the coffee (in my opinion) is so much better than its competitor’s coffee. I love the taste of Starbucks' coffee—it has a better, full-bodied taste and it’s not scalding hot to sip when you first get it.

In fact, before Starbucks came to my town, I went into their website to check out where future Starbucks were destined to open—yeah, there’s a link in their website featuring such information. And when I didn’t see my own town in the “prospective Starbucks in your town” list, I noticed that there was a comment section. So, uh-huh—I did!!

My comment went something like this:

Oh, please, please, please open a Starbucks in Plymouth, MA. It’s such a big, beautiful and up and coming town and let’s not forget it’s America’s hometown (so show some appreciation). If you do build one here, I promise to visit a least once a day (and be paying a good portion of the rent from just ordering my large lattes. Oh, excuse my Italian: I mean my Latte Grande!!)

More groveling ….

Well apparently it worked, and very well indeed!! Because they not only pleased me with one Starbucks, they opened two!! I mean, due! Of course, I couldn’t have been happier, and I think I practically had an orgasm by simply driving by the first sighting of the hanging green and white, round, infamous sign: STARBUCKS.

When did I first become a Starbucks addict, I mean fan? I don’t know, I think we go way back … back to when I was working in Boston. And since I haven’t worked in Boston for the last 13 years … then what have I needed to resort to? Home brewing. Dunkin’ Donuts. No offense to them, but I’m looking for that unique taste that I can only get from Starbucks … and let’s not even mention the lounge area in which one can unwind or bring in their laptop and surf the Internet, or meet up with people and socialize on their comfy chairs.

One day I was driving around Boston with the kids and--of course--the babysitter, too—I mean, where would I be w/o my babysitter!! And on the way home from our event (I think we took a tour of the Red Sox field (Fenway Park)—another favorite! Yes, I’m a lifer!!) We were driving home in the middle of a hot, summer’s day and could really use a cold coffee—a mouth watering mocha Frappuccino was what I was thinking, and once I start thinking something like that, I can’t turn back. But as luck would have it, my only chance to go to a Starbucks for the yummy coffee was dwindling away because I was getting close to the highway and could not find parking—anywhere. So I did the only thing that any desperate Starbucks' connoisseur might do, I stopped at the nearest light, handed the sitter a 20 and said two mega Frappuccinos (or whatever’s Italian for mega?) NOW GO… and if she quit after that moment I wouldn’t have cared!! (Well, maybe a little!)

So she ran for it while I drove around the block, over and over and over again, my kids, not to mention my GPS, were not very happy with me and wondered what the heck I was doing!! Until I saw the sight of our heavily angel! Yes, it was Her—my sitter, smiling from ear to ear and holding two delicious, mouth watering, mocha Frappuccinos, dripping with pure-white, heavenly-sweet, cool and delicious whipped cream in each hand. Did I mention they were drizzled with yummy, gooey caramel? “Ohhh!” There is a God!

This could be the premise of a summertime commercial—sweaty, treat-seeking mommy circling the steamy, harsh city with two screaming kids in tow and desperate for a Starbucks' break!!

Oh, can I play me!?

So what do you say? Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts?