Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by stephen on August 2, 2008 at 6:34pm

i enjoyed reading matt's article. excellent summation of the situation. i am afraid i am one of those who think that if you like a good coffee you go to your local cafe rather than the chain store. actually, in recent times i am finding that i'd rather brew my own at home as the local cafe coffee is very dependant on the barista who happens to serve you - it can be hit and miss even in your most trusted cafe. now that i've had a couple of years practice and getting used to my machine, i reckon most of the time i can prepare a pretty nice brew (admittedly with the occasional shocker!). anyway, i digress. back to starbucks. i have never been to an australian one but i have sampled their brew in switzerland. the reason - the swiss know how to make chocolate but they have no idea about coffee. starbucks is your best bet to get a half decent coffee, even if the serving size is enormous and the brew is very very milky. still i bear no malice against starbucks and i feel for the large number of people who just lost their jobs.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Gee on August 4, 2008 at 10:59pm

I agree about needing a coffee overseas. When Matt and I were in Shanghai looking for a special Yum Cha place our trusty tourist guide let us down for the first time and only time....and we were lost. We had started early and needed our first caffeine hit. The area had no coffee except a Starbucks. Interestingly the Starbucks word was in and old world Chinese like font. So we ordered a an espresso based coffee and croissant each. It was OK.

While we were having it they also gave us their coffee of the day - a drip filter coffee to taste. It was one of those free handouts they give to get you drinking it. Now it was awful. We had to order an orange juice to wash it down. Better training would have stopped this from happening. But hey, it was Shanghai :) The fun of travel.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Benj on August 4, 2008 at 10:38pm

Don't have too much time for Starbucks, they make terrible coffee! I'd hate to introduce someone to the industry via Starbucks..so for me it's no great loss. It is a shame for people that worked at the stores though.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Gee on August 4, 2008 at 11:01pm

It is the power of Hollywood I think that makes so many people head to Starbucks.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Fin on August 11, 2008 at 3:06pm

Starbucks as a company deserves everything it gets. It has no respect for making good coffee. Everything is so artifical and mechanical. Its one step up from a vending machine.

Just to explain, i have never seen one person take my order, freshly grind the coffee, steam fresh milk, make the coffee, have some passion about whether its ok, and actually want to replace it if its wrong because they are unhappy its not good enough, not because its store policy.

That said the guys do know their stuff and if given the chance to do things properly i am sure they would do an awesome job. Definatley a see if you like coffee and then leave the company kinda place!

However i have to say the loss of their jobs in shit. As it always is, and they definately don't deserve it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Pete on October 25, 2008 at 1:19pm

Could it be that the Australian market as a whole has simply become more sophisticated, while Starbucks has refused to evolve. As pointed out by Matt, much of southern Australia has a large Italian community. Combine this influence with Australians' early/fast adoption attitude, and a general scepticism to corporate claims and, while it may work wonders in the USA, Starbucks needed to come up with something better than "We proudly serve Starbucks" stickers to cut it in this market. Contrast that to the Asian market, where coffee and the cafe culture in general is very new, or the North American market where espresso based drinks are far less common than filter coffee, and it's easy to see how cultures more accepting of a homogenous corporate product could provide a window of opportunity for Starbucks.

While Starbuck may make much of its "Barista training", apparently it still has a way to go. While in Pasadena, Los Angeles, I went in to a Starbucks with a colleague and ordered some cappuccinos. After the initial shock of watching the "Barista" pour a cup of filter coffee, and while in the process of topping it with whipped cream from a can, I manage to enquire, by way of WTF are you doing!!! I was sternly told "That's the way they make them in Italy". Not the last time I was in Italy it wasn't. And to think management wonder why business isn't good.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by SELVAGGIA on March 15, 2010 at 8:46pm

Hi Dave
i think starbucks is a good cafe place, i enjoy drink coffee overthere, but i dont think they close because is a bad coffee, i think they close because the crisis, cause there are no many jobs at the moment, i am looking for a job, but in my searching i saw many cafes in the way but i was wondering why i cant get one of them

• ▶ Reply