I used to think it was ridiculous that Starbucks opened up so many shops; it seemed to me to be a poor revenue growth strategy. I was forever sharing the story from The Onion about the Starbucks opening up in the bathroom of a Starbucks with anyone that might share my view.
Then a couple of weeks ago I found myself in Manhattan between meetings with an hour to kill. I stepped out of the subway on 7th Avenue and immediately headed to Starbucks so I could check email and otherwise be productive during that hour. Interestingly, I had no idea where a Starbucks was in that location. I simply knew there would be one in a block or two, and if I got that far without finding one I would backtrack and go a block or two in the other direction. I found the Starbucks in the first block.
I generally don't go to Starbucks for coffee. I prefer Peets, or the Beanery, or any of the local roasteries in any of the cities I usuall find myself. But I ended up drinking a ton of Starbucks product because I know that I can always find one within walking distance and that I will be able to connect. Starbucks knows me better than I know myself, and I pay dearly for it ;)