On July 24th Starbucks opened 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea in Seattle.  It's a contrived "neighborhood coffee house" with no corporate branding or visible indication that it is owned by Starbucks.  It seems that after years of trying to stamp out all forms of small business, the "independent" brand has suddenly become very attractive to big corporations.  So, will patrons of 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea sip away in Seattle's newest "indie" coffee house oblivious to the 800 pound gorilla in the room?  Probably.  So, the next time you come in, take a careful look around our place.  Coffee House Creamery might be a corporate experiment secretly run by a multi-billion dollar international giant. 

The Seattle Times and NPR have some interesting articles about 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea.