Art in a Cup

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...and I thought coffee was just for drinking. Turns out that coffee gives you more than energy, it gives you inspiration. I know we do not see who is making these creative drawings in the cups of coffee, but I can picture this cafe.

I see a very artsy cafe with couches and comfy chairs all around, dim lighting and I can even see a poetry reading going on in a corner. This may be stereotyping cafes or may even be stereotyping the person creating these "coffee arts" but I love these types of coffee shops! I wish every cup of coffee I bought had a little bunny or flower made with chocolate sauce in it.

I wish coffee would stop going from a transaction, to more of a production. Years ago I loved going into Starbucks because the employees and customers were extremely friendly and there were always tons of people sitting around reading and socializing. Now I see less people actually sitting in Starbucks, and more Starbucks drive-throughs being built.

Howard Schultz said in an e-mail earlier this year to his CEO, Jim Donald that he realized "it's time to get back to the core and make the changes necessary to evoke the heritage, the tradition, and the passion that we all have for the true Starbucks experience." He claims that removing the old espresso machines (which removed the theatrical part of coffee making), adding new flavor locked coffee bags (loss of whole bean barrels which created a true coffee aroma when ground fresh by the baristas), and recreating Starbucks with a new cookie-cutter image has changed the way consumers view Starbucks. (for full e-mail)

Well of course it has Howard! Oh course I only speak for myself but I would rather have the experience which I can get at a local coffee shop, compared to the transaction I receive at a chain store. Now I am not saying that people shouldn't go to Starbucks (because I do!), I am just saying that Howard is right and Starbucks does need to get back to their old image. Maybe the baristas could be trained in the way of Coffee Art? Because who doesn't want a bunny in their coffee?