Did I just vote myself off Hipster Island?

This morning a would-be customer of my store gave me a stern lecture on the benefits of buying local.  She was offended by my grande, unsweetened, green tea lemonade from Starbucks.  So, standing in the middle of my store filled with art, gifts, clothing and other great, locally-designed and locally-made goods, she proceeded to inform me of the many local coffee shops within a three block radius of my store, and reprimand me for "supporting a mega-corporation"...

*sigh*

There are several coffee shops just a short walk from the front door of my store.  They all have the following things in common:

1) They are not very clean. Flagstaffricans seem to have a sense that "grimy" means "local"... any business that seems too well-kept-up, like my store and printing company, will have to regularly field questions about whether or not they are part of    *gasp*    a chain.  Ew.

2) They are wildly expensive compared to Starbucks. A similar drink at some of the "local" shops would have cost me $6 instead of $2.75.

3) They are staffed by sullen, over-educated, ironic hipsters (or not-very-clean hippies if you get your coffee at Macy's).  It is not cheap to live in Flagstaff.  We have a university here, steadily cranking out graduates who would prefer not to move away, but need to take whatever jobs are available in order to stay here.  In Flagstaff it's very likely you will be receiving your beverage/meal/t-shirt/copy job from someone with a master's degree (or more).  In fact, I believed for a very long time that you needed a college degree in order to work in a bike shop...because everyone working in the bike shop had a college degree.

4) Speed is not a priority.  If you are in a hurry you can expect, at best, no change in the server/staffer's speed.  You may also receive an extra hot shot of condescension with your drink, because *you* should not expect *the person serving you* to hustle.

5) Locals are treated better.  Maybe this attitude makes sense somewhere where all your customers are locals.  Since the biggest thing going on in Flagstaff is the constant flow of tourists, it makes no sense to be rude to our visitors...they are the basis of our entire economy.

Our local Chamber of Commerce has a "Buy/Dine/Stay Local" campaign to encourage locals and visitors to take advantage of the many locally-owned businesses in town.  Flagstaff has a very active Independent Business Alliance chapter.  These and other, similar programs completely miss the mark.  No customer should choose a business because it is local.  They should, and do, make choices based on quality, service, price, proximity, consistency, and a host of other factors.

Can a big chain store put small, local companies out of business?  It certainly happens.  We lost a small, local bookstore when the Barnes and Noble opened.  However, McGaugh's Book Stand reincarnated itself into McGaugh's Smokes and Spirits and has a highly successful business now (the old book store used to sell pipe tobacco...it's not a completely random transition).  I think good marketing combined with quality, service, price, and constantly focusing on the needs of your customers can almost always win, even in a tough market.

So, lady with your reusable shopping tote, made-by-a-Guatamalan-womens-collective skirt, organic cotton Patagonia tank top and Tom's shoes, take a hike.  I'll keep drinking my Starbucks until one of the local coffee shops figures out that I want to be served by someone friendly and clean in a pleasant environment at a reasonable price.

Or maybe I won't.  Starbucks has done more to create a market for fair-trade, shade-grown coffee beans than any local coffee shop ever could.  And Starbucks employees receive health-care benefits, thus allowing them to spend more of their paychecks on local goods and services.  And Starbucks corporation actively seeks out and promotes women to key corporate roles.  Which is better?  I know which experience makes me happier to part with some of my money...that's the one I will repeat.