Starbucks Under Attack In San Francisco

Published on: August 9, 2003

In San Francisco, the tension between Starbucks and local coffee shops - and the people who think that Starbucks' ubiquity is a sign of the end of western civilization - has hit new heights.

Seventeen Starbucks units in the city were vandalized last week; their windows were clouded with glue, "for lease" signs pasted on their facades and some of their locks jammed. In addition, the vandals posted phony notices on their front doors regretfully announcing the closure of "thousands of retail locations worldwide."

The message, on phony letterhead, said the company's goals "to promote a sustainable social, ecological, and economic model for the production and trade of coffee" had failed.

"The global economy requires a relentless substitution of quantity over quality and shareholder value over human values," read the statement, which was had the forged signature of the company's actual senior vice president of corporate social responsibility. "At our current market level, Starbucks cannot in good conscience guarantee all of our beans meet both our rigorous quality standards as well as our commitment to social responsibility. We are moving over and making room for local coffee bars."

There was no serious damage to the stores, which cleaned up and opened for business as usual.

Maybe the blame rests partially on the fact that Starbucks, with its resources has been able to stifle competition and partially on the fact that the Bay Area residents are just used to better coffee?

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