Well, Starbucks is crap (other than Pike Place roast) and their espresso drinks are weak, so it doesn't take much to be above them. Having said that, Waves is very inconsistent in terms of product and service, but their espresso beverages are at least a better strength than Starbucks. When their product and service is good, it is very good.

I would rather support them than Starbucks, and take my chances on the food product being hit or miss or out of stock. I put them slightly behind Bean Around the World (which also suffers from inconsistency from store to store) I haven't been in a Timothy's in over a decade I suspect but it was pretty awful when I was forced to drink there or nowhere in past.

Frankly, most North American coffee chains with few exceptions are nothing great, and there is a lot of really awful coffee around too (I put 7-11, Tim Horton's etc in that category)

But then again, this is all subjective and I have read many people hating the coffee drinks served in other parts of the world.

And I still mourn the loss of Sin in Winston Salem.