Starbucks ObituariesSlate readers' responses to our call for Starbucks memories.
Updated Friday, July 25, 2008, at 7:06 AM ET
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StumbleUponThursday, July 24
2209 University Drive, Boise, Idaho
This one boggles my mind—it's right on the corner of a busy intersection in downtown Boise surrounded by Boise State University. There are dorms within a couple blocks of this and no known competitors nearby; i.e., it should be prime real estate. Admittedly the strip mall it's in is struggling (an adjacent Panda Express closed a couple years ago), but it should get good foot traffic—I say foot because it doesn't have a drive-through. ... Ahh, perhaps that's the reason.
13681 Newport Ave., Tustin, Calif.
This location used to be a Diedrich's Coffee. I had my first cup of coffee here and spent most of high school and time home from college in this coffee shop. When Starbucks bought out Diedrich's, they took the life out of the shop, and now they've shut it down. Truly, this location is a microcosm of all that's been wrong with Starbucks: Buy local competitor, take over location within half-mile of two other Starbucks, lower the quality of the product, and then fold the store because the company became overambitious. Bah humbug.
Wednesday, July 23
500 West Broadway Ave., Bloomfield, N.M.:
In a town of only 1,200 people, where the only place to get a cup was the local crappy diner, Starbucks was a godsend. It enlightened the everyday joes and opened their tastebuds to something that wasn't week-old, prepackaged swill. This location will be sorely missed, with the next closest being about 20 miles away. (In nowhere talk, 20 miles can be a good distance.) Some good news, though: It has been rumored that Durango Joe's may purchase the building and we might have good coffee again soon enough!
8414 Third Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.:
I meet here every week with a group of 10 other knitters for a weekly Stitch 'N' Bitch. It's a really nice store: clean, well-managed, nice furniture. There are three other Starbucks locations within a 10-block radius, but this is the nicest store in the bunch. And the local coffee shop across the street has worse products, worse service, and is more expensive, so it's not as if we're being left with a better option. Very sad.
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