There was a time when Starbucks in our area had pretty much gone to the dogs (years earlier, some of their shops were actually run pretty well and could serve a good espresso, particularly when they still had the manual bars). There were a couple of Peet's, significantly farther away but still within occasional range, and they were then significantly better than Starbucks at that time.

At that time, Peet's seemed to be proceeding more slowly and setting a certain quality level ahead of rampant expansion.

If they are moving into Keurig / Green Mountain, and selling properties to DD, then they are just another corporate customer.

Mars (yeah, that Mars) came in and bought another local outfit in a nearby city. Fortunately, the deal I guess left the actual shops out of it, or they reverted a year or two later to independent ownership. They rebranded and are still / once again busy serving up a good product to loyal customers. The original brand name appears now to have moved into a stable of similar names and products that I expect to see floating around corporate settings -- hollow, genericized echos of what they once represented.

I suppose all this is getting more than a bit OT for HN. But I'm older, "lives on coffee" kind of guy. And I've found that big and/or public money just does not produce an exceptional product, in that market.

A bit frustrating, when those same forces force out the local operators. Fortunately, the one that has opened near me is in a town that can afford it and is surprising me with more of a population that is embracing the shop than I would have expected to be present.

And yeah, there is "make it yourself." But there is also something social -- and simply "getting out of the house" -- to heading over to the local joint and maybe striking up a conversation.