The old swashbuckling days of the playboy ship owner, of the fellow with no cares in the world who does multimillion dollar deals over coffee, are gone.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I have an affinity for the old Seattle coffee shops, places like the Green Onion and the Copper Kettle, the classic kind of coffee bar - little places that served breakfast, lunch and dinner and have pretty much disappeared.
Gone are the days when Virgin Records was owned by Richard Branson, a fan of music. Now they're all owned by some guy who bought it off some guy who bought it off some guy who wants a return on his investment.
The Starbucks brand has shifted over time from being a specialty brand to being more of a mass brand. There is a gap at the top of the market.
Today, they're just up there for the money, just packaged and be gone.
The best of merchandise will go back to the shelf unless handled by a conscientious, tactful salesman.
I could've just walked away but I never could have forgiven myself to allow Starbucks to drift into mediocrity or not be relevant. I just couldn't be a bystander.
It's different when you're trying to turn something around, especially something that you built, at a time when so many constituents - the media, Wall Street, competitors, ex-employees - are all saying that Starbucks's best days are behind it, and that Schultz is never going to be able to bring it back.
I'm so spoiled - I must have a Starbucks vanilla latte every day.
There's this myth that has been exacerbated by others that Starbucks means a $4 cup of coffee, which is not true.
Comics were going down for the second time and here, all of a sudden, came this thing and for the next fifteen years, romance comics were about the top sellers in the field; they outsold everything.