wow, that's all we need. bigger coffees. :D

This may be a good way to tell if I suffer from caffeine overload.

Do you really think that's what they're doing?
Sounds more like some kind of limited time offer... free coffees for the hour of noon/nine?
I usually get a tall, not even grande or venti - I can't tell you how much a bigger size doesn't excite me. :P

@kris

Just speculating on my part...
I guess they have to come out with some gimmick, their kinda hurting here in the USA. i forgot you don't like starbucks at all.

Why are they hurting?

Actually, Starbucks managed to make a special spot in my heart when I was in California. I won't drink them in Australia, but I would in America. :)

@Kris

Starbucks is finding that they are trying to build too many stores losing their focus on what they originally intended to do -- make quality coffee and the perfect cup of joe.

So much so, people are finding their service is becoming slower, coffee is becoming worse tasting and there is inconsistency of how the same coffee taste from one store to another.

Couple of months ago, they closed ALL their stores in the USA (for about 3-4 hours) to retrain their staff because they found that some of them just didn't know how to make coffee and their coffee tasted horrible.

It is also a documented fact in the USA that sales are slowing down as people are now finding out that Starbucks isn't as good as it used to be and are running to its competitors with better cheaper coffee. McDonalds for one announced that they are coming up with a Starbucks style gourmet coffee outlet -- adding to their competitive problems.

Not to say that this is the beginning of the end for Starbucks but they better watch themselves as they are not so golden as they once were (here in the states). Not sure how it is in the rest of the world.

I for one, am still a big fan but have to admit that quality has gone done. I have gone to out of town Starbucks coffee places a number of times where the coffee was just undrinkable.

Ah, yes. All valid problems.

They were never really big in Australia because we already had good and cheaper coffee (although most places aren't cheap anymore).

We already have a MacDonalds gourmet coffee thing - I think it's called McCafe. It's actually pretty good!

@kris

i've heard that McCafe is pretty good... it is opening selectively now but will soon be in almost all McDonalds. all the more for Starbucks to be scared.

Starbucks had the upper hand by creating the trendy setting and people went there just to be seen and to look cool. It's the image they've created which is why people pay $3-5 for a decent (but not the best) cup of coffee. However, other places are making trendy styled spots too, offering good cheaper and tastier coffee. Seems like nice trendy coffee shops are a common place now in the USA. So a drop in quality, service and standard really does show up on the radar.

Saying that, even my local gas station (Sheetz) has really good coffee, mochas and cappuccinos to rival a Starbucks.