Squeak of the Week

On my morning pilgrimage to Starbucks this week, my stomach began sending me some signals… FEWD! NOW! (in the Mike Myers voice from “So I Married An Axe Murderer)

Starbucks for years has had an assortment of pastries and donuts ready to infuse carbohydrates into your bloodstream, and more recently they’ve dipped their hand into the breakfast food basket offering oatmeal (don’t get me started), english muffin sandwiches, tortilla wraps and such. The concept is solid. I’m coming there for coffee, why not offer food? So I obeyed my hunger pangs and picked up the Chicken Sausage Wrap. Score?

Jack Squat

Starbucks has been a mistress of mine for years. I wake each day jonesing for her dark elixir. So, I’ve tried just about every donut-frappuccino-latte-concoction they have. At times I’ve ventured out and sampled many of the breakfast products, but found them lacking and oh so bland. The purchased wrap would be no different. One bite. Done.

After my rant to my fellow workmates I pondered why Starbucks venture into uncharted waters of breakfast cuisine (*cough* Money). For me, and many brands (and people) fall prey to this, why expand your offerings – and if you do, why put out sub par products? (Obviously, Starbucks intention wasn’t to shoot a brick.)

The expression, “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind. I found a better translation in Mandarin… yes, Mandarin, “All trades known, all trades dull.” And who doesn’t remember that old Esperanto saying, “he who chases two jackrabbits catches none.” By offering “everything” are you at risk of offering nothing? Possibly. It’s true that having a single focus allows you the luxury of honing your craft.

That said, I am and will forever be a Starbucks Man, but just their coffee. Coffee is the one thing they do well and when I think of that morning fix, I think of Starbucks.

Do fries come with that shake

Just this week, while out to lunch with @mugrad, he suggested we visit Five Guys. Not having sampled Five Guys goodies… um, wait. They do burgers and fries – so we went. The “burgery” boosts white walls with red trim, a full view of the grill and modest tables and chairs. @Mugrad gave me the insiders scoop on how to order. The menu is clean (not counting the grease) and simple. What you see is what you ingest. Burger eaten. Burger good. Burger, very good. They do burgers. They do burgers exceptionally well. It made this consumer take note. I didn’t find their brand suffering from an identity crisis. Instead I found a company who knew who they were – they make burgers… really well. Burger (good) is as burger does.

So, being good at one thing is… good. And just because you are, doesn’t mean you should make really bland chicken sausage wraps.