USA Today

Starbucks rolls out limited, $450 gift card:

Starbucks is rolling out a limited $450 gift card. I think I am going to run out today and buy about a dozen or so for the people I don’t like. I better get more than that.

Now are we supposed to believe that the gift cards are limited? I will guarantee if Jerry Baldwin sees that his limited number of cards are sell out he is going to go run over to the nearest prison to his office and have the convicts stamp out some new cards as soon as they finish making license plates.

Just like the commercials on TV.  “You have to call in the next 30 minutes to take advantage of this offer”. They have rerun that same commercial for 1.5 years.

There is a saying in Italian that is “è troppo è troppo”, Enough is enough! A $ 450.00 coffee gift card?

I heard that Bentley was selling a limited number of  gift card for their latest model at the years end low price of $ 500.000.00. I hope they are bracing themselves for the stampede.

I can really blame the “king of coffee” for gouging his customers the way he does; it is the customer that are to blame for paying the outrageous prices for the “black gold”.

I stood behind some dummy in a 7-11 yesterday that paid 7.25 for a pack of cancer sticks.  Who is the bigger dummy; the dummy that makes them or the dummy that buys them??

These are some of the prices loyal coffee fanatics pay to quench their caffeine craving daily:
Starbucks Size 12oz 16oz 20oz Cafe Mocha $4.00 $4.50 $5.25
Latte $3.75 $4.25 $5.00
Starbucks Size Tall Grande Venti Cafe Mocha $3.00 $3.55 $3.80
Latte $2.70 $3.25 $3.55

In Manhattan there is one Starbucks outlet that charges $ 7.00 for a cup of Joe.
By the way; there are no free refills.

Mickey D’s has gone nuts with their coffee prices lately but at least they give free refills. I better not speak too soon.

What are the approximate costs to make a cup of coffee:
12 oz Latte:
Approx 8-9 oz steamed milk: $0.21
16g Coffee to make a 1oz espresso shot: $0.18
Paper Cups: approx. $0.08 per cup
Cup Sleeves: approx. $0.05 per sleeve
Cup Lids: approx $0.07 per lid
Total: $0.59

12 oz Latte With 2 pumps of Monin Syrup:
Approx. 2 oz syrup: $0.60
Approx 8-9 oz steamed milk: $0.21
16g Coffee to make a 1oz espresso shot: $0.18
Paper Cups: approx. $0.08 per cup
Cup Sleeves: approx. $0.05 per sleeve
Cup Lids: approx $0.07 per lid
Total: $1.19

12 oz Mocha
Approx. 2 oz mocha sauce: $1.05
Approx 8-9 oz steamed milk: $0.21
16g Coffee to make a 1oz espresso shot: $0.18
Paper Cups: approx. $0.08 per cup
Cup Sleeves: approx. $0.05 per sleeve
Cup Lids: approx $0.07 per lid
Total: $1.64

So it is fair to say that the coffee houses around the world are making a pretty good profit based on the fact that they sell approximately 2.25 billion cups a coffee a day?

Who could have ever predicted that the little store in Seattle across from Pike Peak market would have reach the heights as it has today.

It is called coffeealism at its finest.