When we heard about the Starbucks coffee giveaway @ 9 am tomorrow, it brewed memories of a giveaway around this time last year. Sure enough, WSB archives yield a post from mid-March ’07; on that occasion, SBUX gave out 12-ounce cups of coffee for two hours, while this event offers 8-ounce freebies for about half an hour. (One more difference: West Seattle has one more Starbucks store this year, with the new addition @ Jefferson Square.)
and I hear that Mickey D’s is giving away free latte’s during the breakfast hour on Friday…..
Hmm. Would make sense given the big publicity campaign. We drove by the billboard with the big unmarked latte cup along the east end of The Bridge (on the way to I-5) for about a week wondering “so what is that cup advertising?” – then during spring break the McDonald’s logo turned up, duh. My first job was at McD’s back when dinosaurs walked the earth and I’ll always be grateful for the experience ($2.20/hour!) but there are so many incredible independent places to get espresso that I don’t expect to be trying theirs.
Any store giving away free stuff is an incentive for me to stay away from it during the promotion. Watching people clamor and scrounge for the latest entitlement turns my stomach, especially when people flock to free food displays at the supermarket. I believe in working for what I have.
The free food displays are one way I have added interesting recipes to my meal plans. It’s nice to taste the final product before investing in the ingrediants and ending up disappointed. I’ve especially have been inspired by the lady at Morgan Street Thriftway.
Still -even is SBUX gives away their product for free, I STILL won’t drink it. Gross.
McDonald’s espresso wasn’t too bad. I tried some on a trip last week. I remember they used to serve Seattle’s Best, which was a nice cup of drip. Is SBC owned by Starbucks now? Maybe that’s why McD’s doesn’t serve it anymore.
“McDonald’s Espresso” is an oxymoron. Then again, so is equating “food” with McD’s.
and free crap is still…..crap.
I thank SBUX also, I get coffee from there and would like to taste the new roast. I guess the fact that I do work for a living doesn’t entitle me to a free treat every now and then?
I actually like free food displays in the stores because they often will get me to try a food I wouldn’t ordinarily try – like at Costco when the package costs $12, I’d rather see if I like it first. I know some make a free lunch out of those displays, but I do pick and choose what I’ll take.
I don’t see a problem with the free promotions. I won’t partake of Starbucks coffee either even if it was free, because I simply don’t like it. That leaves more for those who want it. :)
westseattleite and others who want to try the new roast – let me know if you want a coupon. I have a number of coupons for free cups of the new roast if you would like one.
I’ve always said, Starbux is the McrackDonalds of espresso, but now that McrackDonalds has their own espresso damn…it’s just like Starbux tripled their monopoly on cafes around the country or something like that.
Pass me the turpentine!
How bizarre… people who won’t take free samples because they believe in “working” for their food. It’s not like these companies give them away out of some sense of charity. They give freebies because it gets people to people buy more.
actually…for those interested…they just said on the news that McD’s free lattes will be available for the next 4 Fridays during breakfast hours…I guess if it’s on KING5 news, it’s gotta be true ;-)
I’ve had the privilege of sampling the free Starbucks and the free McCafe today and McDonald’s WON. It was a seriously decent latte. The fry as a stir stick was a little weird though…
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