Starbucks Logo

So, the first ‘real’ Starbucks opened in Falkirk this week. I call it a real Starbucks as it is not in a Cineworld that doesn’t allow you use your Starbucks card (and therefore doesn’t give you stars for free coffee). There is another Starbucks near Falkirk, but it is in a hospital, and recently they haven’t been keen on people popping in to the hospital for coffee, something to do with a virus.

It’s a fairly typical Starbucks, people meeting for chat, hipsters (yes even in Falkirk) writing on their MacBook’s and girls looking like they have just left a yoga class. Maybe you can answer this; do girls go to yoga classes to burn off enough calories so they can go to Starbucks afterwards for the 600 calorie frappacino? As a coffee purist it pains me waiting on coffee while people in front of me in the queue order drinks that take what seems like an eternity to make.

It is 10 degrees outside and their coffee has ice in it, like seriously, do they know what country they are in?

I digress.

This location started out as a Sony Store, which turned in to a Carphone Warehouse and is now a Starbucks. I can already tell there are probably more people in this location now than at any time in the two previous incarnations.

I find the seats here lacking comfort, am sure they are designed to maximise customer turnover. The hipsters are unbothered by such things like comfort, as long as there is a WiFi connection and a mirror somewhere to groom their beard.

So what brings me to Starbucks on a repetitive basis? It is the knowledge that I know exactly what I am getting and how it will taste and the comfort and memories that are rejuvenated with it. Every skinny triple shot grande latte that I have ever bought has tasted pretty much the same.

I do not care that 99% of their beans are ethically sourced.

This is not to say that I am not adventurous, it’s just sometimes you want a taste of what you know. So welcome Starbucks, to Falkirk, may your water run hot and your beans grow plentiful.