I'd Like a Latte with My Grief, Please?

I am not sure what to make of this. What do you think?

___

Coffins & Coffee: Starbucks to Open Inside Upstate Funeral Home

By: Graeme Moore | News Channel 7 Published: July 11, 2012 Updated: July 11, 2012 - 3:11 PM

EASLEY, S.C. — A funeral home in northwestern South Carolina will be offering what it calls the Starbucks experience to those needing comfort, or just a cup of coffee.

The fourth-generation funeral home and crematory is adding a new section to its existing facilities which includes business offices, a chapel, and a special wing aptly named "Coffee Corner," where soon a Starbucks will open.

The owner, Chris Robinson, explains how coffee has always been part of the family business, saying his great-grandfather started the funeral home inside a main street general store, where people would gather and drink coffee.

Robinson, who's a bit worried people will get the wrong idea about the coffee shop, says it's simply one more service for people to choose, but one that's certainly not mandatory.

"You walk in the front, and it's off to the side," Robinson said. "It's not like it's right up front."

Robinson has hired staff to run the Starbucks franchise which will be open to the public, not just to those attending services.

Starbucks will install equipment and menus at the end of July, and Robinson expects the shop to open sometime in August.

If funeral-goers worry about not getting free cups of coffee at visitations and other services, fear not, the owner says.

"We'll still have the homemade Robinson coffee, too," he said.

The Robinson Starbucks will be the first in Easley, but because it's not a full-sized store, they're not allowed to put Starbucks' signage on the building's exterior as part of the agreement with the coffee giant.