WHY I ADMIRE STARBUCKS

            Sure, I occasionally chuckle when ordering a "tall" coffee, because it's actually their small, amateur size. Loyalists forgive the misrepresentation because it doesn't really hurt anyone and it is arguably a bigger small cup of coffee than what most kiosks serve their caffeine-starved clientele.

            I want you to know that I've been chided about my admiration of Starbucks. Some suggest that I'm just another unwitting victim of their marketing genius. After all, how can any reasonable consumer justify paying more for a cup of coffee than breakfast at McDonalds? "It's just a cup of coffee!"

            "You get what you pay for," I reply smugly as I get into my Lamborghini.

            Well, anyway, I'm at my Starbucks almost every day. Some days twice. I figure that makes me as much of an expert on the company as anyone working for them. There are four reasons why I hold them in such high regard...and stop me if you heard this before.

            First, we are a country that adores its Joe and Starbucks has taught us more about quality coffee than Yuban or Folgers ever did. Every day they feature coffees from Sumatra and Ethiopia, Jamaica and Hawaii. It's one of the few times I really grasp the concept of a global economy is when Starbucks brings the flavors of the world to my neighborhood.

            Second, Starbucks has taught us that there are more creative ways to prepare coffee than letting it sit on a burner and turn rancid. Before Starbucks, lattes, ristrettos, doppios and macchiatos were unknown commodities in the States. Once the only places you could find espresso or cappuccino were at Italian restaurants, and even then there was no guarantee that the waiters felt like making them. Starbucks has elevated us into a people who understand how to order a cup of coffee. You know what? We're better for it.

            Third, I think Starbucks is a marketing marvel. They must never, ever sleep, because it seems as if they're regularly test-driving some new ingenious drink--a green tea latte or pumpkin pie frappacino. What's genuinely impressive is how consistently great these drinks are. I should know because they regularly offer me tiny samples. And I take them. In addition, their display cases are crammed with a bevy of alcohol-free options like bottled waters and brewed teas. I'd mention their baked goods, but those are off limits for me.

            And finally, Starbucks has created a contemporary incarnation of the Irish pub, sans alcohol. "Hey, I'll meet you at Starbucks." It's a safe, comfortable and familiar place where one can go and just hang out. Sip and dream, as a friend of mine likes to say.

            Like Kleenex, Xerox and Band-aids, Starbucks has evolved from trademark to commonplace noun. From one entrepreneur to another, kudos.