How much did you pay for your last latte? How much did you pay for your first?
I think I paid $1.25 in 1977 for my first at Pergolesi Cafe, when it was behind the old Bookshop Santa Cruz.
I'd never heard of a latte before I came out here and immediately fell in love with the rich stepsister of the lowly cup of 25 cent coffee.
Last week I paid $5.17 for a soy latte with a pretty picture painted on the foam at Verve Coffee Roasting downtown.
"It's because of the taxes," my barista informed me, even though I voiced no complaint.
But at that moment, I realized lattes had just exceeded my price point. I won't pay more than $5 for a cup of coffee ever again, unless it is flecked with gold.
Verve appears to be doing great, with long lines of customers willing to pay the price.
What's your price point for a latte?
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