
I’ve tried my best over the years to be supportive of Starbucks and their practices. I did in my 2005 CoffeeGeek “Barista Code of Conduct” piece, I did in my Washington Post op-ed. I’ve been an apologist for Starbucks against baristas who often seem eager to take cheap-shots at them.
I’ve defended them because in general, nothing they’ve done is offensive to me. Nothing I’ve observed from them, in my personal opinion, is really a violation of any written or unwritten principle of business, coffee ethics, etc. Obviously my threshold is different from others, but nonetheless, I’ve been supportive.