Boston's best feuds

I've only lived in Boston 3 years now... however, I've come to realize that any "purebred" Bostonian loves a good fight. I thought the main reason for this bitterness was because of cold weather and poor street signs, but it appears to be more than that. I recently came across an article in Boston Magazine talking about Boston's Best Feuds. Boston was founded on a handshake when William Blackstone invited Puritans to live near him. Pretty soon they start arguing over religion... and before you know it, Blackstone gets his house burned down. He leaves town, the Puritans stay. Four centuries on, Bostonians are still prone to a good tussle.

This article got me to start thinking about other "feuds" in the Boston area (leaving out sports related feuds). Although not quite as violent, below are some of my favorites:

Anna's vs. Boca Grande
It's no surprise that a rivalry exists between these burrito chains. Their Coolidge Corner locations are just blocks apart, they share the same menu, prices, and strategy of fresh/fast food.... and the owners just  happen to share a last name: Kamio (Japanese). Mariko and Kamio are brother/sister and former coworkers. Their split was a bitter one. They haven't spoken to each other in a very long time... but that doesn't mean they don't speak about each other. They've been known to launch into tirades.

Sibling rivalries are some of the fiercest... and this one began in 1986 after Mariko opened her first Boca Grande, in Cambridge. Her younger brother later came (from San Fran) to manage her stores until they parted ways and he founded Anna's.

Mariko worked in marketing until she decided that the corporate world was not for her. She had access to a lot of marketing data and it showed Mexican was going to be the fastest-growing ethnic food. She modeled her restaurant based on San Francisco's Gordo's Taqueria chain (owned by her cousin). Mariko brought her brother to manage Boca Grande. The business relationship was rocky and some of the problems might have been caused by little-brother syndrome. Plus, Michael may have felt constrained by his sister's firm ideas of how he should do his job (micro-manager). Bottom line... they didn't get along. In 1995, Michael opened his first Anna's Taqueria, in Coolidge Corner. He cited his cousin's Bay Area restaurants as his model and never mentioned the five years he spent with his sister.

The last time Mariko and Michael spoke to each other was in 1996 at their father's funeral.

Dunkin Donuts vs. Starbucks
Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks both have their own unique flavors of coffee. DD=mild ; SB=bold. More than 100 million people in the U.S. drink coffee every day. Each of these people have a preference to which chain they choose. It can almost be broken up into a red state blue state debate. SB and DD are divided in coffee bean choice, style, and price. They both define our culture in a unique fashion. DD is known for its simplicity and orange/red cups. SB is known for fine coffee, hip hangouts, and upscale image.

No where is this culture clash more prevalent than in Boston. When I first moved to Boston I nearly started several fights by just stating that, in my opinion, SB was a superior coffee. I know that DD's corporate offices are located in Boston... but I don't have feel that a company's location should dictate what food I eat or beverage I drink (I have no loyalty when it comes to food/beverages). The competition between the two has caused them to change the way they do business.
DD changes:
*re-modeled many of their stores to be more modern (similar to SB vibe)
*offered a new line of flavored drinks
*launched latte, cappucino, and espresso products
SB changes:
*created "Pikes Place Roast" (very mild coffee blend)
*have more "Clover Coffee" locations in Boston than anywhere else in the country (trying to distinguish the brand here)

The biggest difference between the two companies (other than flavor) is the philosophy in which they source/process coffee beans. DD produces coffee in more of an assembly line process.. they get all their beans from the same source, they have a detailed "spec sheet", and everything is processed/milled specifically for DD. SB, on the other hand, is known to "scour" the globe for unique coffees. Their philosophy is that there is no one best way to grow coffee... hence the unique flavors. I think the DD philosophy fits into the NE mindset better.

Cupcake wars: Sweet vs. Kick Ass
No one would expect such a bitter rivalry to form over something so sweet. Located only two "T-Stops" apart (on the Red Line), these two cupcake shops have become bitter enemies. Sweet Cupcakes and Kick Ass Cupcakes owners' do not share the same last name... but their menu, prices, product, and service are basically the same. The two have been known to send spies to infiltrate each other's stores. Also, a sign exists in one of the bathrooms stating: "Don't flush anything down the toilet... other than a Sweet Cupcake".

Taxis vs. the MBTA
How many times have you been at a bar (in Boston) until closing... and then had to get a $40+ taxi ride home? The $40 taxi ride is much better than driving home under the influence, but it gets rather frustrating... especially since the night started out with a ride on the MBTA for $2. I'm not sure why the MBTA doesn't stay open for an additional 2 hours (on the weekend) to accompany all of the bar patrons. It would seem to have obvious benefits:
-Decrease in drunk driving
-Increase in revenue for MBTA
-Save money for Boston citizens
-Make Boston a better place to live

This got me to thinking that if the MBTA did stay open for an additional 2 hours, taxi drivers would lose a large portion of income. Taxi drivers must have an extremely powerful lobby group. I'm sure they hate the MBTA and prefer that it continues to operate in an inefficient manner.