Starbucks is to coffee what McDonalds is to food. Gloria Jeans is to coffee what Hillsong is to Christianity.

Personally, I prefer real coffee and real food.

I must admit Severin that some charlatans really do try and keep up with the Al Gores of this world. One lot use God to defraud people while some use the earth worshiping religion.

I am not familiar with Al Gore's earth worshipping religion as runner is, but find it odd that some who believe God to be the creator are more likely to disrespect what he created. I can't work it out but that's life - full of little mysteries and contradictions.

I am with CJ - give me real food and real coffee anytime and food that, as Michael Pollan said, would be recognised as food by your Grandmother.

Wasn't it a Maccas hamburger that someone left on a shelf for months without any signs of decay. Shudder that I ever ate one of those things.

Pelican

You are correct it was a Big Mac. I haven't eaten one in years either. The idea it never decomposed; it ain't food as we know it, captain.

Living in Melbourne I have had no need to go to either Starbucks or Gloria Jeans - given the plethora of wonderful independent cafes that abound here, I wonder how chain-stores like these can make any money at all? However, there is the conundrum of a Maccas opposite the cornucopia of abundant fresh food that is the Queen Vic Market. Go figure.

Runner - you need to take as much care what you put in your mouth as you do what comes out of it. I kindly ask you to consider mindfulness.

The problem is that Australia's business environment is an incredibly difficult one.

A global survey of 183 economies conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers and the World Bank last year found that for total tax taken as a proportion of business income, Australia was ranked 127th in the world (meaning one of the most expensive countries).

This is a fact that overlooked in newspaper slants on the issue, which focused on other, far less impactful aspects of the interaction of government and business. Ease of payment of tax, for example, was applauded as coming in at 24th on the table.

Other aspects of the Australian business environment such as red tape also add up to long hours and low profits for Australian business owners.

We as a society are very complacent about the impact of high tax and red tape on our local business people. As a society, we seem to prefer a caricature of the rich, greedy local business person, to the detriment of our local shopping culture. We get the Starbucks we deserve, it seems.

I am blessed to live in a Starbucks-free city. We have a Gloria Jeans (maybe two? not sure), but I have never spend a cent there. If you're ever in Townsville, Juliette's on The Strand does a great cup of coffee, even better ice cream and offers a much better atmosphere than and Starbucks I've ever seen.

Sadly, when in Paris, I did once go to a Starbucks (not by choice, I might add). It was a haven of Americans and other tourists who were blind to the good stuff available two doors down, three doors down, five doors down and in countless other cafes frequented by the French. They may be snobs, but they know quality when they see it!