latte

Did you hear that Burger King hired the Hamburglar from McDonald's? It must have. How else to explain why the new BK menu looks so similar to what the folks under the golden arches are serving? It's not a bad move -- but it may not save the King.

When the new Verismo coffeemaker shows up later this year, java buffs will be able to make Starbucks-quality espresso, cappuccino and latte beverages at home. But will the fancy European coffee drinks it'll crank out really be as good as Starbucks? Starbucks probably hopes so.

Howard Schultz, the impulsive and mercurial founder of Starbucks, had already told his story once, in Pour Your Heart Into It. His new autobiographic tome, Onward, reveals how he retook control of his company -- and despite his best efforts to paint himself as a benevolent visionary, his many, many flaws shine through.

He's becoming notably absent these days. Fighting back against more upscale chains, McDonald's is more focused now on selling profitable coffee drinks and salads -- and downplaying its namesake clown, who's more associated with Big Macs and Happy Meals.

Perking for coffee giant Starbucks (SBUX) are its fiscal first quarter 2010 earnings, due to be reported Wednesday after the bell. All eyes are on the company's same-store sales, whose story over the past 12 months has been along the lines of "hey, we're not declining nearly as much as last year at...

The warning came in April 2009, a Starbucks representative tells me: during the analyst call to review the second fiscal quarter results for 2009. CEO Howard Schultz issued the bland-seeming statement, saying price "fine-tuning" would occur, "minor changes that will lower prices on some of our...

Starbucks (SBUX) customers in New York this week could no longer pay for their venti mochas with a five-dollar bill after a 20-cent price hike brought the cost with tax to $5.06. In Seattle, the company's home, a grande mocha is now $3.91, up 10%. In Washington, D.C., an upgrade to new loose-leaf...

Starbucks will demonstrate in some markets this week that it both deserves its "Four Bucks" moniker; and that it's all about the budget-conscious consumer, in an unusual move with its prices. The chain will increase prices -- as much as 25 cents -- on its larger and more complex drinks, while at...

I am about to kick my financial self in the rear. Despite having made a neat and brilliantly-designed spreadsheet marking my budget for the transition between full-time employment and freelancing work, I have blown it big. Sure, part of it was the furnace ($484 for a new control panel, vital right...

I write about 'The Latte Effect' often; the concept that, by eliminating Starbucks lattes from your budget, you can save thousands a year. Depending on the application of this concept (are you substituting with another chain's coffee, brewing your own, or giving up caffeine altogether?), it's...