Opus 2025-497: Lasts: The Retreat of the Coffee Bean

I went to the store in all innocence recently.  I was going to buy some coffee beans and grind them in the commercial grade machines that were available in the store.  The store I was going to had three machines and a selection of 20 or 30 coffees.  Everything was smiles and unicorns until I started walking down the coffee aisle.  It seemed that things have been moved around.  I wasn’t seeing what I expected.  I got to the end of the aisle and not only was the bulk coffee gone but so were the coffee grinders. 

I walked back-and-forth several times and saw nothing.  Eventually, I saw an employee and asked.  He said “Yes they’ve been removed.”  He didn’t know if it was in all the stores or just locally.  later, I saw the manager and asked him about it and he said the entire corporate structure had removed the coffee grinders and the bulk coffee.  Evidently it wasn’t making enough money. 

Some people call it progress.  I salute their freedom to remove products that are not generating enough income to justify the space in the store.  At the same time I’m mourn for the loss of what used to be variety and choice. 

I still have my burr grinder at home.  I can still buy bulk beans and grind them myself.  In fact, I had recently just ordered 12 pounds of coffee over the Internet.  It’s not going to send me into depression.  But my choice has been limited. 

Goodbye coffee grinders.  It’s been good knowing you. 

homo unius libri