Today on CNN Newsroom
The latest news and information from around the world. Also connect with CNN through social media. We want to hear from you.
October 4th, 2009
01:32 PM ET
Drinking Alone
This is the interview with Professor Simon, who wrote "Everything But the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks."
On Twitter
Hello Twitter! #myfirstTweet
This was a rather polite conversation. Mr. Simon has a much more negative presentation available online, and I'm sure it reflects his book. While he makes some interesting observations, he makes some incorrect statements. No one pays $4 for a cup of coffee. They pay $4 for an espresso-based drink. That takes considerably more work than just putting coffee in a filter and hitting the brew button. He also ignores the fact that Starbucks played a key role in bring specialty coffee (which is the highest grade of coffee) to the forefront of the coffee industry. As a result, almost all coffees have improved their quality. So, now that 2lb can of coffee for $5.00 doesn't taste so bad. I understand that Mr. Simon is looking at the social aspects, but he should be careful not to ignore important operational aspects.