Can You Fake Local Feel?

It is hard to think about them this way, but coffee house giant Starbucks was once a neighborhood business.  A quirky, local coffee shop, with a distinct product and atmosphere, which they replicated and replicated, and replicated.  Today they are the McDonald’s of coffee.  When you walk in the door you know what to expect, the smells, colors, the forced friendliness of the staff, the displays, food selection, and even the location of the bathrooms is predictable. Calling them predictable is not a criticism, just a fact.   They have a nice product, and the predictable consistency...