Now that Starbucks has bought the Clover Brewing System, independent coffeehouses are starting to react to the big move. Blue Bottle honcho James Freeman, though not a fan of the Clover per se, actually has a positive take on the Clover acquisition: "Freeman believes that the Starbucks acquisition of Clover may be a good thing. Using the Clover, Starbucks is going to 'educate millions of people and those people may end up going elsewhere.' And what about the fact that this acquisition will be excluding non-Starbucks shops from owning a Clover? Something new will come along, believes Freeman. And a lot of little cafes may start looking at the drip bar as an alternative." Bonus: today's NY Times examines the Clover. [BAB, NYT]
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