Buzz
This week, I'm in Seattle, staying at a hotel just a few blocks away from the second Starbucks location (which, contrary to popular belief, isn’t the first, but was chosen for its prime marketing position). After grabbing some ground coffee, I returned to my room and brewed it with my French press, perched right above the mini-bar, which, by the way, has sensors that detect even the slightest motion—like tiny Ninjas waiting to swipe a Snickers bar.
Once the coffee was ready, I reached for the little half and half creamers, then froze in place: Seattle’s chilly this time of year, but how long have these creamers been sitting out? And what if they've gone bad? I decided to do a little research, and here's what I found out:
On average, a little half and half has a shelf life of about six months or more. This is because the dairy is essentially 'canned'—the heating process kills off any bacteria, and then it’s sealed quickly, allowing it to stay fresh for half a year. However, if you open one up and it’s a bit chunky, it’s probably time to toss it.
Any song requests for the busker when I head back to Starbucks this morning? Yesterday, he was playing an impressive rendition of "U.F.O." by Coldplay—definitely not a track I expected to hear in a busker’s set. I’ll leave you with one more photo I snapped of the Starbucks interior, which, as you can tell, doesn’t resemble the countless others that followed after it.
