Tim’s, Timmies, Tim Hortons… Buckys, SBux, Starbucks
Those are all words close to my coffee-loving heart ❤ and those of the students who abuse the heart-pumping, energy-giving caffeine. Hey, it is what they require for those all-night cram sessions – not that I condone studying that way at all, 🙂 although that is my preferred way to write those 20-page papers. I just chalk it up to, 'I work better under pressure,' and not at all to the fact that I procrastinate and put myself in that situation.
But back to coffee… what do you prefer? Does your preference dictate your social status, how mature your palate is, or even your patriotism?
Tim Hortons is a symbol of Canada, so one can surmise that, if you drink it, you are patriotic. It is also relatively affordable and is the every-person’s coffee. They even add the cream and sugar for you (just like mom did) so that it is the same every time you order it. You may screw up adding your own cream and sugar so you just shouldn’t be trusted (just like mom said)!
To many people, Starbucks is symbolic of capitalism at it worst. In some cities there is a Starbucks on every corner; Winnipeg alone has roughly five in the immediate downtown area. One can surmise that, if you drink it, you are perhaps more highly educated and of an upper social status than those drinking a Tim Hortons coffee. That may also be based on the cost for Starbucks vs. Tim Hortons. There is also the art of ordering at SBux; it is a language all unto itself. (I kinda feel like a member of a secret society when ordering 😉
A Venti, extra hot, no-fat, decaf, double shot chai latte. LOL!
This just makes me think more and more of the whole notion of coffee-status. I don’t think I judge people when I see what type of coffee they are drinking. However, drinking either one does invoke different feelings in me. When I have a Tim’s, I feel patriotic, like one of the fellas, and almost like I’m doing something good for my country. When I have a SBux, I feel kinda powerful, like a ‘real’ career women – I just wanna pull out my Blackberry and walk hastily around Portage Avenue like I’m really busy and important (or, even better, do the Mary Tyler Moore hat toss thingy – but, alas, I don’t wear hats; my head is to big).
After writing this, all I can conclude is: drink what you want, drink what you can afford, and drink whatever makes you feel good. (We are still talking coffee here, people.) Please stay away from the cream, though; milk is just as good and is way better for you. 🙂
Stevi Dram, Director
Information Technology
University of Winnipeg Division of Continuing Education
Tel: (204) 982-1168
Email: s.dram@UWinnipeg.ca
Web: dce.UWinnipeg.ca
Web: dce.UWinnipegCourses.ca
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Other Related Links:
- International Conflict: Tim Hortons vs. Starbucks (part 1)
- Today I decided to conduct a second experiment as part of an ongoing investigative-series determining what it means to be Canadian. In the first experiment I answered the question about whether or not drinking a six-pack of Molson Canadian made a person feel more Canadian. It was determined that, no, drinking six bottles of this beer did not make one feel more Canadian. It was a tough experiment that pushed my body and mind to the limit, but it was worth it, scientifically speaking. I plan to re-visit this experiment sometime in the future. For now, I decided that I would experiment with a different type of liquid; coffee, focusing on the coffee of a national chain, Tim Hortons.
- Tim Hortons tiptoes into Starbucks territory
- Coffeehouse Tim Hortons is making a cautious foray into the Starbucks zone, doing a test market run selling espressos, cappucinos and lattes in what could lead to the “Walmartization” of specialty coffees.
- coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee
- Coffee. The elixir of life. Over the last few years I’ve come to love this aromatic brown liquid: especially for its ability to get me through a day of fish mongering back when I worked at the ole’ grocery store. Now, I love coffee as much for the entire ritual as much as anything else: there’s nothing more eagerly anticipated than a Saturday morning spent roasting, grinding, and slowly brewing a cup of coffee in a vacuum brewer or French press. During the weekdays I tend to enjoy an espresso before I get to work. Once there, Starbucks is my supplier of choice: partly for its location (though the BCE Place location has to be one of the busiest in Canada, the service is blindingly fast and efficient), and partly for other reasons. My affection for Starbucks and, well—the perception of my attitude in general—has unfairly pegged me as a “coffee snob”. (Okay. Maybe I am. A bit.) Certainly I can drink no coffee better than the cup I make at home: high quality green beans, fresh roasted, etc. etc., but the truth of it is that I will drink any coffee, anywhere, and as long as it tastes good then who cares? (And, in fact, even if it tastes awful, bad coffee is better than no coffee.
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