I have always loved coffee. At first it was the manliness my father seemed to exude when he was sipping a cup. I tried to down the black, bitter swill he called coffee, and after scoops of sugar and some creamer, I would usually succeed. My 10 year old brain imagined this as a significant step towards adulthood. Later, I finally had good coffee, from properly made drip coffee at a few restaurants, to the delicious chicory elixir concocted by Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, I realized just how amazingly delicious the drink could be.
By my late 20’s, I finally lived in an area where there were a few Starbuck’s franchises. Around the same time I experienced a health issue that necessitated a significant reduction in my caffeine intake. I was unwilling to give up coffee, especially knowing that perfectly adequate decaf options were available. Starbucks not only proved to brew strong decaf, but they always had some available. Sure, it probably wasn’t as delicious as the single origin platinum grade beans you would find at the more exclusive coffee shops, but I grew tired of the quizzical looks baristas would give when I asked about decaf. My Starbucks problem was born.
As I began to settle into a routine at a few of my favorite Starbucks locations, I started to notice the clientele. There were soccer moms getting sugary drinks for their kids, well dressed business men and women dashing in to fuel their brains for the day, and students who enjoyed the free wifi and venti Frappuccinos as they studied. Somehow the buzz of activity provided a kind of visual white noise that allowed me to focus on various tasks. Every once in a while I would come up for air, to get a refill or to hit the restroom, which would afford me the opportunity to take notice of others sharing the shop with me. I began to notice that one of the most common assembly of people at Starbucks typically involved some form of religious meeting.
I am not a religious person at all, so I am also generally ambivalent to the religious practices of others. It took a long time for me to see the telltale signs. Most meetings involve a leader, holding a bible or some other religious text, usually worn and riddled with post-it notes to mark the pages to review. A number of meetings are between two or three men, while some seem to be more of a bible study group. Sometimes it is a couple meeting a pastor, presumably as a prerequisite for them officiating the wedding.
I have often been a bit perplexed by the frequency that I have seen this. Too many, Starbucks exudes a certain pretentiousness that does not seem compatible with those who consider themselves religious. The general opinion of the company is that it seems to cater to liberals, like it is the antithesis of Chic-fil-a. There is also the annual controversy where Starbucks refuses to adorn their cups with an adequate amount of religious iconography, as if Jesus mandated that PSL’s should only be served in vessels inscribed with crosses or Christmas trees. It would seem this would turn off most who are religious enough to meet up to discuss religion on a regular basis.
Contrary to all that stands against religious exhibitions and collaborations at Starbucks coffee shops, I am confident the stores would rank highly in a list of places where people congregate to observe. I am sure they are doing so for many of the same reasons I regularly visit.