Is Starbucks the new McDonalds?

While looking for a parking spot, I hear my two-year old squealing in delight, "Yeah, Starbucks!". My daughters have become young regulars at Starbucks, not for the lattes, but for some of the other offerings.  My older daughter adores their baked goods and packaged meals. One of her favorites is the cheese and fruit platter- she eats some of the cheese and fruit, shares some bread and fruit with her sister, and hands the Brie cheese to me- the one item she dislikes.  

For me, Starbucks is a kid-friendly, parent-friendly experience.  Besides feeding my caffeine addiction, I can pick up some quick food items in the go.  Favorites include the above-mentioned fruit and cheese platter, the yogurt/ granola cups, and smoothies.  

As a consumer, I appreciate the chain's transparency with the nutritional value of their offerings.  Find the ingredients, calories and other nutritional value on the packages of their sandwiches (although I shun the sodium and fat content), go online to research their baked goods, and even use their iphone application to review the calories of their beverages.  Now that is convenience at your fingertips!

Additionally, I appreciate their interest in catering to one's individual tastes.  With all the drink options including milk, numbers of shots, syrups, and choice of whip or no-whip, over 87,000 different drink combinations are available!  Also, their current recipes contain no artificial flavors or dyes, trans-fats, or high fructose corn syrup.  

Finally, I appreciate Starbuck's  effort in meeting the special needs of customers with food allergies.  Besides its soy milk offering, coffee fans with celiac disease can now enjoy a gluten- free Valencia orange cake at its cafes nationwide.  The cakes contain only seven ingredients- eggs, orange pulp, almonds, sugar, orange peel, gluten-free baking powder, and orange oil- and is prepared in a special gluten free zone of Starbucks facilities, where it is tested daily for safety. Further, each cake is wrapped in its own individual wrapper to prevent gluten contamination from other products.