Why it's so Damn Hard to Hate Starbucks

The aroma of coffee swirling in the air, friendly baristas greeting customers by their first name, regulars chatting about the latest news—walking into a coffee shop just feels like home. And while I wish the coffee shops I visited were the cute little shops in the trendy parts of town, they are not. My coffee shop is Starbucks.

Let's just start out by saying I am fully addicted to Starbucks. I don't want to be—in fact, I would much prefer to be one of those cool writers who spends her days (and money) at local coffee shops, supporting her community by spending her money on small businesses in the area. I have tried, really. But when it comes down to it, I always end up in the drive-thru or walking through the doors at Starbucks.

My sister wants me to help her move? She buys me a drink at Starbucks. My partner wants to show me he appreciates me? Starbucks. My coworkers want to say thank you? Starbucks. It has become so apparent to everyone in my life that I am addicted to Starbucks. And when I say addicted, I mean the baristas know my order, they know my pup who always tags along, and I have earned an embarrassing number of stars in the mobile app. It was a problem initially, but now I fully embrace it. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?

I used to bow my head in shame every time I walked through the doors. How could I be supporting this giant corporation that clearly didn't need my money? The small businesses, the mom and pop shops—my money was a lifeline for them. I felt guilty. So, perhaps in an effort to assuage my guilt, I decided to research this coffee behemoth. Turns out, they're kind of great!

Aside from the Peach Green Tea Lemonade that they retired (I'm bitter!), the Strawberry Acai Lemonade, and their Caffé Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, there are some legit reasons to not hate Starbucks!

1. This bomb-ass campaign they did with Upworthy, one of my all-time favorite organizations. Bring out the tissues if you plan on watching the mini-series. It had me in tears!

2. They're really good to their employees. Like, fantastic. First of all, they refer to their employees as partners, which I'm sure feels good, but they also offer insane benefits.

You've got your basics, like healthcare and paid time off, but then you've got the fun perks. Say hello to discounted stock, 100 percent tuition reimbursement for a bachelor's degree, commuter benefits, discounted and free food and drinks (my favorite), nonprofit gift matching, and the list goes on and on. How can you hate a company that obviously cares about its employees?

3. They give back to their communities. You needn't look any further than this page to see all the good Starbucks is doing in the world (aside from powering me through the day). Whether it's donating food through Starbucks FoodShare, providing grants to nonprofits through the Starbucks Foundation, or aiding in disaster response efforts, Starbucks is more than doing its part.

It's clear that I am addicted to the products Starbucks serves, but when you look into who Starbucks as is a company, it's not hard to feel good about spending money there.

I'm all for supporting small and local businesses (please do!). But it's not the worst thing in the world to support a company that does a lot of good in their communities and around the world—even if they are a giant corporation. Cheers to Starbucks and the fabulous mocha I'm currently sipping on as I write this!