Is Starbucks on to something?

I’m not a coffee drinker. I’ve tried to like it, but since I grew up in the South, sweet tea is my default. I’m not complaining. It’s made me who I am. No, seriously, I think it’s running through my veins.

On a spring break trip to New York City with my son, Will, I began to be aware of a growing community. We had headed out early one morning and were looking for a place to quickly grab some caffeine and start sightseeing. Since sweet tea was virtually nonexistent in New York City, we opted to dart into a Starbucks to have one made for me. The barista looked at me funny when I said “sweet” tea, but nonetheless, she obliged. After grabbing my tea and Will’s hot chocolate, we headed back out into the cold to begin our early morning excursion. As we crossed one street and turned down another, I felt like we were walking in circles. I looked up and there it was . . . another Starbucks. I laughed out loud. It seemed like there was one on every corner, and that’s probably close to being true. I looked it up. There are over 240 Starbucks in Manhattan alone. Unbelievable.

That fact intrigues me because I do a lot of training for organizations around the country. I often use Starbucks as an example when it comes to marketing and branding. Whether you like their coffee or not, they’re doing something right. In most Starbucks I’ve gone to, they have a lot of people inside, most of whom share a love for coffee. But if you do research on the company, they’ll admit to you that the focus really isn’t the coffee.

According to Starbucks’s website, their mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit—­one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

Pretty simple, right? Are they accomplishing this mission of nurturing and inspiring? It sure looks like it. The basic definitions of inspire and nurture are to “fill someone with the urge to feel something” and to “encourage.” Are those the kind of community and relationships you’re looking for? I think it’s safe to say those are the kind of community and relationships we’re all looking for. We want real relationships that will inspire and encourage us; none of us are looking for relationships that will depress us or discourage us. So, what can we learn from the Starbucks community? Is there more beyond the connections that might be taking place at Starbucks, and if so, what is it?