Starbucks: The Land of Forgotten Men (A Tale of Many Coffee Dates)

Where the only thing that remains a constant … is my drink order.

On any given day, at any given time, the Starbucks on Marshall Street in Syracuse, N.Y. is always packed. If you catch me there, I’m doing one of two things: grabbing a quick drink with my therapist/best friend, Donovan, or what I like to think of as being wooed—a.k.a. meeting up with a guy for a quick drink. Now, this probably isn’t a surprise to most of you:  “Duh, it’s Starbucks,” which is no doubt true.  But, I’m invested in the franchise for more than just the coffee. It’s proven to be a good and loyal friend when it comes to those Syracuse Orangemen and even a SUNY-ESF Stumpy. Let me explain.

Case #1: Craig
I met Craig on a Friday night at the most typical of frat parties—which didn’t say much for where I thought things would head. But, after catching up later that weekend and even enduring a game together—which is quite difficult for us Syracuse students—I figured it was time we met up for some coffee at, you guessed it, Starbucks.  He “picked me up,” which, for most college freshmen lacking the luxury of a car, means walking to a girl’s dorm, taking the elevator up nine floors, knocking on her door, and, if you go to Syracuse and live in the BBB dormitories, walking 20 minutes in the middle of a blizzard. Let’s just say, I really liked this guy. While waiting in line, for what seemed like forty minutes or so, Craig told me that if I correctly guessed what he was going to order, I would get a surprise.

Long story short, ten guesses later, and no surprise for Kaitlyn. However, this brings us to the first advantage of a date at Starbucks: a drink can tell you a lot about a person, and, heck, Craig managed to turn it into a conversation starter. As for his choice of drink, it was quite bizarre  – Naked Juice’s Green Machine. Not coffee, espresso or hot chocolate. It’s not easy on the eyes, and, trying to make a good impression, I was forced to try it. While I was able to show off my knack for dirty jokes, regrettably, I never did end up liking his drink. Naked, that is. But, you know how college is: a 20-minute walk between dormitories is the new long distance–and those never last. Craig and I run into each other on campus now and then, and we always make plans to grab another cup.

Case #2: Paul
Now, Paul and I never went to Starbucks. So, why is he included in this list? Well, after a few drunken hook-ups fueled by peer pressure from our floor mates, Paul began to realize he needed to do something and something fast to make the transition from weekend, late night hook-up to meeting up during the week. Knowing Starbucks was somewhat of a second home for me, he suggested such an excursion. I resisted and persisted against this. And, that’s when it hit me:  I didn’t want to go to Starbucks with Paul. I didn’t want to partake in the whole date ordeal with him—outside of his room or in our residence hall. So, while we never made it from the bed to the barista, Starbucks helped me to break off that lovely affair without breaking the bank.