It's ironic that retailers and restaurants live or die on customer service, yet their employees have some of the lowest pay and worst benefits of any industry. That's one reason so many retail experiences are mediocre for the public.

Certainly the caffeine in coffee, whether it's Starbucks or generic coffee, is somewhat of a stimulant. But if you drink it in moderation, which I think four or five cups a day is, you're fine.

Beverages have to be created. And they're created by looking at what trend is in, say, the fashion industry - what color's hot right now.

Don't settle! Embrace a dream--and keep dreaming. Don't be a bystander. Take it personally.

We would take something old and tired and common - coffee - and weave a sense of romance and community around it. We would rediscover the mystique and charm that had swirled around coffee throughout the centuries.

Any business today that embraces the status quo as an operating principle is going to be on a death march.

California, in a sense, is almost Starbucks' largest country, with almost 3,000 stores.