[Media] Cry us a river of Frappucino: Wisconsin alt-weekly Shepherd Express has been tossed out of Milwaukee Starbucks locations because of a deal struck between local daily newspaper Journal Sentinel and the coffee giant. Says the Express:"After the deal with Starbucks was completed, one of the Journal Sentinel's free weeklies ran an ad claiming that they would now be the exclusive free weekly in the 48 Starbucks locations throughout metro-Milwaukee. This is simply another bullying, anti-competitive tactic by the Journal Sentinel."
So why can't I, as a fellow weekly-newspaper guy, muster up much sympathy for the Shepherd Express? Because City Weekly has never been allowed into Salt Lake City Starbucks; at least the Express had a foot in the door for a while. Now, just as SLC residents have for years, Milwaukee-ites will have to sip their overpriced Charbucks while reading an inferior knockoff of a weekly that has an exclusive, paid-for In. There are plenty of local coffee shops with better brew--patronize them, whether they have a stack of City Weeklies up front or not.
Remember: Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks. (Bill Frost)
