A cup of Starbucks coffee now costs one percent more. Man the barricades!

starbucksThe Seattle-based company justified the price boost as a way to make sure it provides "maximum value to our customers."

The Wall Street Journal noted that Starbucks is bolstering its price despite a 42 percent drop in Arabica futures prices from their year ago peak.

Social media outlets buzzed with complaints from Starbucks customers and threats to swear off their morning Starbucks coffee. It's all empty talk. Are they going to Mickey D's? No way.

The reality: the Starbucks' price hike works out to anywhere from a nickel to 20 cents per cup.

Starbucks fans already spend an average $2.45 for a venti cup of joe, which is twice the cost of a large coffee purchased from a cart in midtown Manhattan. Are they really going to revolt against a five-cent increase? [Full disclosure: I'm a coffee cart vs. Starbucks person.]

The coffee company says it's boosting prices to pay for rising rents and labor costs.

CEO Howie Schultz has to pay for those big comfy bathroom-equipped stores—filled with single cup coffee buying customers (deadbeats?) who use the faciliies as either workplaces or hangouts. There also are progressive employee benefit programs, such as the college for all scheme, to pay for.

Despite his PR halo, Schultz is a capitalist who needs to make a profit to satisfy shareholders.

He obviously knows what it takes. Starbucks chalked up a 15.9 percent rise in first quarter-ended March net to $495M on a 17.8 percent revenue increase to $4.6B.

The Starbucks "story" is a good one for a lazy post July 4th day and not much else. It also highlights the massive content needs required by today's 24/7 media to fill space.