I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m a creature of habit when it comes to food and drink.  But Starbucks actually isn’t my first choice for coffee.  A small local chain called Espresso Roma is, but, sometimes, if it’s closer to where I’m headed, or I just feel like I want to hear Nat King Cole and look at green aprons and eat the exact same multi-grain bagel with one pad of butter, I’ll go to Starbucks.

A weird little mom ‘n’ pop like “All Star Donuts?”  Who knows what you’re gonna get?  They might use the same deep fryer for donuts and fish – how do I know?

Well, on this particular day, I found something worse to me than unpredictability: a long line….

…and no sitting space.  I was horrified, and, worse, irritated.  I thought for a moment about taking a gamble: maybe by the time I got my coffee and multi-grain bagel, a seat would open up.  But how could I be sure the person directly in front of me wouldn’t grab it first?!!   My day could be ruined before it began!

No.  Today was a day for bold action.  Today I would venture into “All Star Donuts” for my breakfast.  And do you know what I found?

No line at all….

…gobs of open seats….surrounded by…. gobs of more open seats….

…and a perfectly edible bagel, which they graciously pre-buttered for me.

And, as a small business owner myself, I took note of their little sign: I, too, hate personal checks – we simply don’t accept them – and I, too, love cash.  So, really, in the end, I’m more like “All Star Donuts” than Starbuck’s no matter how you slice it.

And the best part?  They didn’t have wi-fi, but as the woman working the counter told me, in a hushed whisper, “You can take from Starbuck’s.”

I did – worked like a charm.