[jeffmould]

I like Starbucks even if it is overpriced in my opinion. I think the coffee is good. But mainly, you are right, I am willing to pay more for the welcoming atmosphere and ability to sit and get work done without being bothered. With that said, I was in Boulder last winter and was running early for a meeting. I swung in the Starbucks downtown to stay warm and do a little work. I didn't purchase anything, but had to use the restroom. To my surprise the restroom had a keypad on the door. When I asked the cashier for the code she said I had to purchase something. I was rather shocked, although at that point they pretty much had me on buying something :) Ended up using one of my rewards, calling corporate to complain, and having my reward refunded back to me. A lot of work to go through just to use a bathroom. On the flip side, I live in a resort town where the population swells by the hundreds of thousands over the summer. The Starbucks here could care less if you are a customer or not.