I held back from having my Starbucks hoping this place would have as good coffee plus some vegan pastry that I crave once in a while. I also set aside the fact that "vegetarianism" is clearly meaningless in terms of animal cruelty, health and global warming ... you might as well be serving flesh if you're serving milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs (?). Aside from that I was still willing to patronize this place, grappling with trying to be "realistic" and willing to support in the hopes that one day enough vegan demand would convince businesses to nix all animal products from their menu.
First off, the coffee did not measure up to Starbucks. I did not enjoy it. You Should try to compete with SB as far as the coffee is concerned. I did not get a pastry as I needed something more substantial, so I got the mediterranean sandwich. It was nothing special.
Further ruining my appetite was when I was introduced to the adjacent patron as being vegan, and an uncomfortable conversation ensued with her and her acquaintance -- a delusional, self-confessed "as guilty" free-range chicken eater, who asked me if I didn't think that animals could ever be treated well. Sickened by that self-serving dishonesty, I put that conversation to a stop, saying I just wanted to enjoy my sandwich. They continued to talk amongst themselves and I had to overhear words like "self-righteous" ... blah blah blah. You try to educate and all you get back is being called "self-righteous" when really all it is is that person not owning up to their own defensiveness and conscience about using and murdering animals. I would have moved to the back but it looked dark and claustrophobic to me.
So a word of advice to vegans who really care about animals -- abolitionist vegans -- who know there is a monolith in the room but for expedience sake choose to temporarily ignore it and just want to relax with a vegan treat or meal: Avoid conversations about the animals with people.
As far as that monolith in the room -- you may be pleased to see so many favorable reviews ... but most people have their heads up their asses either for reasons of selfish pleasure or ignorance and don't even know or care about the suffering of sentient creatures or the impact on this planet that is behind the products you have profaned your establishment with. I will probably be the only person that says all these things to you, but you all need to hear it. Go ahead, dismiss me as crazy. But wait till your children grow up and come back to you and ask what did you do to avoid the armaggeddon they are living in?
Finally, a word to the owners ... if you are personally vegetarian please think critically about that and see the dishonesty of it and go vegan. And I hope sometime soon that you can see your way clear to taking the risk of not continuing to accomodate, or enable, dairy and egg eaters, and the cruelty and environmental devastation that that causes. Personally, I think you would still be successful as a business if you were to have a vegan only menu. Have the courage to do the right thing. There is no luxury of time, for the animals or us humans. Plus, hide that icy vibe ... some people can see right through it. read more