My wife and I had a revelation recently after spending a LOT of money in Costa Coffee over the past decade or so. Prices had crept up over time and a small hot chocolate with a medium decaf cappuccino was costing close to £9 a time. This is expensive, but it is also the going rate where we love.

The main problem has been that the general level of service has become incredibly inconsistent. It became a lottery as to if I would get a decently made coffee or a rushed watery concoction that was not worth the money. This happened in every Costa we visited and the worse the service, the higher the price seemed.

Coca Cola now owns Costa Coffee and it has started to show recently. Read reddit and even the stencil used for the chocolate on top of the coffee has been manufactured to give you less of a sprinkle- how money grabbing is that?

So, we started trying smaller local coffee shops and the difference is huge! Similar prices, but a much better drink, nicer surroundings and less of the corporate manufactured poor service and product.

After 10 years I so wish we had switched earlier, but as you get older you learn. The coffee shop visit has become such a treat, I leave the house rarely these days, and it is important to enjoy the experience.

It would appear that Starbucks is having the same problem, only even worse.

And it is symptomatic of so many businesses in 2025; higher costs to the consumer, poorer service, badly treated employees and more money to the shareholders. This has to stop.

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