In this world there is great coffee, average coffee, and awful coffee, as well as numerous other subjective subdivisions you could sort them into. It's funny how coffee snobs call Starbucks "awful" or other similar things when they really mean "I like my preferred brand better and Starbucks is really just average imo."
Honestly, I'm sure there are lots of brands out there that are in fact better but if you think Starbucks is truly awful, then you probably would consider 90% of the coffee out there to be caffeinated sewage.
Well, Starbucks does not make good coffee, they make consistent coffee.
Their espresso over the years has gone more automatic instead of personally done. The goal is to make it the same everywhere, instead of training people to do a difficult art well. Of course, a bad espresso maker is worse than an automatic process so it has upsides.
I won't buy drip coffee there, most chains make too many cardinal sins (typical issues with drip coffee not hand poured) in making it so it doesn't turn out well compared to what you can do for cheaper at home. Again, you'll find the same tasting product everywhere, but you lose the chance for a truly great cup. Places with the Clover are worthwhile, though, I doubt I'll even have a piece of art ($10,000 machine) like that in my home.
Just wish I could supply my own coffee beans for it instead of using their weeks since roasted beans.