70% of which opened after 2006.
I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, Starbucks did for frufru coffee drinks what Microsoft did for the PC - make it accessible to every shlub on the street. On the other hand, both indie coffee shops within walking distance of my house have closed down, after Starbucks opened locations across the street. In the case of the first one, Starbucks actually opened TWO across the street - one in the grocery store, one in the grocery store parking lot. The second one, which frankly wasn't that good anyway but it was nice having someplace close, closed down when Starbucks announced that they were opening one in the grocery store in the same strip mall and one across the street.
And both of those shops closed down with me having punch cards full for free drinks, dammit!
It's like their trying to do what McDonalds did in the 80s - you never have to drive more than a mile for one. Given that there are ten in my zip code alone, and my zip code is partially rural, I think it's easy to say we've reached frufru saturation. And I never thought I'd be saying that, but a big part of the frufru coffee experience is tied to having a real barista prepare your drink, and I'm not getting any fancy latte art or any variety in my cardboard charbux.
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