I don't like to feel guilty about what I buy. In our crazy, capitalist world, isn't shopping supposed to make you feel good? When we lay down our hard-earned money, aren't we supposed to feel as though we've made a quality investment? Even the little things should give us that satisfaction-like coffee. There is a "treat yourself" feeling to buying a gourmet latte, and yet part of me would rather not hold that signature green and white cup (with its handsome cardboard hand-protector) as I walk down the street. It just feels wrong.

Starbucks is a mega-chain, and it's growing rapidly: it's already taken over Vancouver and most of the United States. Here in Montreal, though, there are only eight franchises. We don't need them; we have Little Italy and a series of bustling independent cafés that make mean macchiatos. For the most ...