Starbucks

The sun burned through the edges of the vertical blind. It was morning, again. Guess, I should be grateful. Quietly, I slipped from my warm, comfortable bed, trying not to awaken my wife and dog. I needed coffee.

It took a very long hour to make my way to Starbucks.

The Baristas and counter people are outgoing, friendly and knowledgeable. They remember your name. And, if you have a regular order, they know that too.

Starbucks brews excellent coffee and many other drinks. There is also a selection of breakfast and lunch items.

The queue sometimes streachs out the door. Most customers are morning friendly, nodding and perhaps, half swallowing, "Good morning." They are busy people, off to work or taking their kids to school. I used my Starbucks’ app to skip the line.

The warm pleasure of rich, dark roasted coffee coated my throat. I continued sipping from my Vendi, becoming more like the me I want the world to know: warm, pleasant, bright. I thanked the staff.

Molding myself into a comfortable chair, I grabbed a spot inside with an magnetic-induction charging station. Phones need coffee too. Outside, the umbrella protected patio offered much, too much sun.

Now, Starbucks is a bit more expensive than the competition. I believe it's worth it. As a corporation, Starbucks reportly pays their people fairly and provides benefits such as medical insurance and college funds, even for part-timers. However, I still tip. To reduce your coffee cost, a bit, use their app. It provides free drinks.

Sometimes my wife joins me. This Starbucks is the home of the "Elissa." Into a large Vendi cup goes a single shot of decaf expresso. The rest of the cup is filled with non-fat, dairy milk foam. It is served with a spoon.

Everything is wheelchair accessible including the gender neutral bathroom.

Free validated parking in their underground garage. During our uncomfortable summers, your car stays cool. Enter around the corner, on the East side of this elevator building.

And so tomorrow comes. A shaft of light burns through the slats of the vertical blind…

Clean, fast, and friend. What more could you want?

Great Ventura Blvd location near Van Nuys. Very attentive and friendly crew.

A small, but cool Starbucks which always has interesting clientele. Highly recommended.

The staff here were very friendly and welcoming to me, and made my drink just the way I like it!