Starbucks for Soldiers
The WaPost reports on efforts to give troops in Iraq better brew than the Maxwell House and Taster's Choice doled out by Halliburton contractors:
Some GIs in Iraq, distraught over the quality of military coffee, keep clamoring for stronger java than that served by Halliburton. Never one to miss a brand-development opportunity, Starbucks CEO Jim Donald came to Capitol Hill this week to announce that the Seattle-based coffee giant will donate 50,000 pounds of beans for overseas troops, with distribution handled by the Red Cross. Much smaller outfits -- including Just Plain Joe Coffee of Stevensville, Md., Santa Lucia Estate Coffee of Potomac and Dean's Beans in Massachusetts -- have been donating coffee to military personnel in Iraq for months.
In related news, Starbucks announced that its profit rose 46 percent from last year. Caffeine competitor Coca-Cola wasn't so lucky.