Are there too many coffee shops in Southwest Roanoke County? I don’t think so. I am somewhat of a coffee snob, but I realize that there are people who, unlike me, enjoy drinking stale coffee that was roasted thousands of miles away, stored in a warehouse for months, and then trucked into their friendly neighborhood Starbucks. For those of us who enjoy a cup of freshly roasted, strong “yuppie” coffee, there’s Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea. For others who prefer a friendlier café environment with fun open-mic events, there’s The Daily Grind. For those who like to drink over-hyped coffee grudgingly smashed out of stale, burnt coffee beans, there’s Starbucks. It’s not that we have “too many coffee shops,” we have just the right amount of variety.

To me, having a large number of coffee shops is a sign of civic maturity. In contrast to the six Starbucks and a handful of other shops, how many spots serve beer or mixed drinks in the Valley? No value judgement there, just a point to consider when asking how many coffee shops is too many.

Everyone also misses the facts 1) Not everyone likes or drinks coffee, 2) You can still buy and brew at home (even the stale Starbucks brand), 3) Every fast food joint and gas station offers inferior coffee at the same price (with cool airpots and cups to fool the novice), 4) there are multiple other caffienated drinks on the market today to choose from and 5) many people see caffiene as a negative to a healthly life style (whether true or not).