Springfield’s first and only Starbucks shop, on East Columbus Avenue, was vandalized in recent days. The protruding drive-through window is gone, having been smashed, peeled off the wall, and now boarded up. Over the weekend, the cafe’s quaint little chalkboard signs—which usually announce what types of coffee roasts are available—proclaimed, "The drive-thru is closed due to VANDALISM."
It’s a sorry sight. The area already has a prominent boarded-up building just across the side street from the Starbucks. I’d like to know what these vandals were thinking. They’re probably not the protest variety—it’s hard to conceive of Springfield vandals being radical environmentalists. It’s maybe a silver lining that the vandals didn’t take the measures to do this.
My first thought after seeing the vandalism was, "I wonder how long it will take before Starbucks gives up on Springfield, too." The city is like a rabid dog. Pet it, give it a nice collar, and it still bites your hand and gives you a disease.
