New Corporate Asshole Strategy, Pretend you are a small business

[AllentownJake]

Officially the coffee shop is called "15th Ave Coffee and Tea" but the store and a similar sister location have earned another name: "the Stealth Starbucks."

At first glance the coffee shops in the mega-chain's hometown of Seattle do not even look like Starbucks.

The ubiquitous smiling Mermaid logo has apparently swum away, there are no baristas in trademark green smocks either and not a tall, grande or venti sized beverage in sight.

The only hint that the store is owned by the coffee giant and not a local java seller is the "Inspired by Starbucks" lettering across the front door

Inside, pages from Plato's dialogues decorate an entire wall, sweeteners sit on a bathtub converted into a table, beer and wine are for sale and employees dole out customized drip coffees along with advice on which are the best beans.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/01/06/i.spy.stealth.starbucks/index.html

[Nikki Stone1]

1. They can avoid big corporate taxes and health insurance requirements

Clever....

[StarfarerBill]

2. "Inspired by Starbucks"...

Expiring small businesses, more like it.

[Cant trust em]

3. Sadly, this is not a new strategy.

No one is a large, MegaCorp. They all like to pretend that they're boutique operations.

Just like there are no rich people. Even the people making $500K+ are just working stiffs.

I get your point though.